The 2025–26 WAC women's basketball season began with practices in October followed by the start of the 2025–26 NCAA Division I women's basketball season in early November 2025. The conference begins play in December 2025. This is the WAC's 64th season of basketball. The WAC competes with seven teams due to two teams having left the conference since the prior season. Seattle and Grand Canyon both joined the other conferences since the prior year. The WAC tournament will be held in March 2026 with all seven teams competing for the automatic bid to the 2026 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. All rounds will be played at the Orleans Arena in the Las Vegas-area community of Paradise, Nevada.
This will be the last season under the WAC's current identity. California Baptist and Utah Valley will join the Big West Conference and Southern Utah and Utah Tech will join the Big Sky Conference on July 1, 2026. At that time, the WAC will rebrand as the United Athletic Conference (UAC), previously the name of a football-only alliance between the WAC and the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN). Three remaining teams—Abilene Christian, Tarleton State, and UT Arlington—will be joined by new members of the rebranded UAC.
Pre-season
WAC Preseason polling +Women's Basketball Coaches Preseason PollPlaceTeamPointsFirst place votes1.Abilene Christian3222.California Baptist3143.UT Arlington2514.Utah Valley235.Tarleton186.Utah Tech127.Southern Utah6
WAC Preseason All-Conference
First Team
NameSchoolYr.Pos.Payton Hull†Abilene ChristianJuniorGMeredith MayesAbilene ChristianJuniorCKhloe LemonCalifornia BaptistJuniorGJakoriah LongTarleton StateSeniorGAmanda BarcelloUtah ValleySeniorG/F † Denotes Preseason Player of the Year
Regular season
Early season tournaments TeamTournamentFinishAbilene ChristianFort Myers Tip-Off0–2California BaptistCBU Classic1–1Southern UtahLMU Christmas Tournament1–1TarletonACU Christmas Classic1–1UT ArlingtonHawaii North Shore Showcase2–1Utah TechN/AN/AUtah ValleyN/AN/A
Records against other conferences 2025–26 records against non-conference foes:
Regular season Power Conferences & GonzagaRecordACC0–0Big East0–0Big Ten0–2Big 120–6Pac-120–0SEC1–2Power Conference Total1–10Other NCAA Division I ConferencesRecordAmerica East0–0American1–1A-101–0ASUN0–0Big Sky6–4Big South0–0Big West5–4CAA0–0C-USA1–2Horizon0–0Ivy League0–0MAAC0–0MAC2–0MEAC0–0MVC0–1Mountain West2–5NEC1–0OVC2–0Patriot League0–0SoCon0–0Southland4–4SWAC2–0Summit3–1Sun Belt1–1WCC4–1Other Division I Total35–25Non-Division I Total10–0NCAA Division I Total36–35
Record against ranked non-conference opponents This is a list of games against ranked opponents only (rankings from the AP poll/Coaches poll): DateVisitorHomeScoreNovember 20, 2025Tarleton State#10/8 TCUL, 80–32December 21, 2025California Baptist#25/23 NebraskaL, 87–56December 21, 2025UT Arlington#5/5 LSUL, 110–45 Team rankings are reflective of AP poll/Coaches poll when the game was played, not current or final ranking.
Rankings
Improvement in ranking Drop in rankingRVReceived votes but were not ranked in Top 25NVNo votes received PreWk 2Wk 3Wk 4Wk 5Wk 6Wk 7Wk 8Wk 9Wk 10Wk 11Wk 12Wk 13Wk 14Wk 15Wk 16Wk 17Wk 18Wk 19Wk 20FinalAbilene ChristianAPNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCalifornia BaptistAPNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVSouthern UtahAPNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVTarletonAPNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUT ArlingtonAPNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUtah TechAPNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVUtah ValleyAPNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVCNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNVNV
Head coaches
Coaching changes No coaching changes were made during the offseason.
Coaches Note: Stats shown are before the beginning of the season. Overall and WAC records are from time at current school. TeamHead coachPrevious jobSeasons at schoolOverall recordWAC recordWAC titlesNCAA tournamentsNCAA Final FoursNCAA ChampionshipsAbilene ChristianJulie GoodenoughCharleston Southern14th248–142 ()147–82 ()2100California BaptistJarrod OlsonFlorida Southern14th145–73 ()85–33 ()2100Southern UtahTracy MasonSt. Mary's (associate HC)8th93–108 ()29–25 ()1100TarletonBill BrockMcLennan Community College3rd32–34 ()17–19 ()0000UT ArlingtonShereka WrightVanderbilt (associate HC)6th81–61 ()51–33 ()0100Utah TechJD GustinWeber State (assistant)10th54–72 ()29–43 ()0000Utah ValleyDan NielsonBYU (associate HC)7th75–93 ()46–55 ()0100 Notes:
Overall and WAC records, conference titles, etc. are from time at current school and are through the end of the 2023–24 season. Records and season totals only include time spent at Division I as head coach. NCAA tournament appearances are from time at current school only. NCAA Final Fours and Championship include time at other schools.
Postseason
WAC tournament
The WAC tournament was held in March 2026 with all seven teams competing for the automatic bid to the 2025 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. All rounds were played at the Orleans Arena in the Las Vegas-area community of Paradise, Nevada.
NCAA tournament
Teams from the conference that were selected to participate: 1 SeedRegionSchoolFirst FourFirst roundSecond roundSweet SixteenElite EightFinal FourChampionship16Sacramento 2California BaptistBidsW-L (%):TOTAL:
Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament Number from the conference that were selected to participate: 0
SeedSchoolFirst roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinalsW-L (%):TOTAL:
Women's National Invitation Tournament Number from the conference that were selected to participate: 3
SeedSchoolFirst roundSecond roundSuper 16Great 8SemifinalsFinalsN/AAbilene ChristianN/ASouthern UtahN/AUtah ValleyW-L (%):TOTAL: Index to colors and formattingWAC member wonWAC member lost *Denotes overtime period
Awards and honors
Players of the week Throughout the conference regular season, the WAC offices name a player of the week and a newcomer of the week each Monday. WeekPlayer of the WeekSchoolNewcomer of the WeekSchoolNovember 10Brooklyn FelySouthern UtahBrooklyn FelySouthern UtahNovember 17Sierra ChambersSouthern UtahLauren OlsenCalifornia BaptistNovember 24Filipa BarrosCalifornia BaptistKaylee BordenUtah TechDecember 1Kira ReynoldsUT ArlingtonKira ReynoldsUT ArlingtonDecember 8Meredith MayesAbilene ChristianKira ReynoldsUT ArlingtonDecember 15Payton HullAbilene ChristianKaylee HeadrickUtah ValleyDecember 22Ava UhrichSouthern UtahShadasia BrackensTarleton StateJanuary 5Lauren OlsenCalifornia BaptistLauren OlsenCalifornia BaptistJanuary 12Ava UhrichSouthern UtahKira ReynoldsUT ArlingtonJanuary 20Erin WoodsonAbilene ChristianKira ReynoldsUT ArlingtonJanuary 26Brooklyn FelySouthern UtahBrooklyn FelySouthern UtahFebruary 2Filipa BarrosCalifornia BaptistBrooklyn FelySouthern UtahFebruary 9Payton HullAbilene ChristianElodie LutbertTarleton StateFebruary 16Payton HullAbilene ChristianBrooklyn FelySouthern UtahFebruary 23Ava UhrichSouthern UtahKaylee BordenUtah TechMarch 2Erin WoodsonAbilene ChristianLauren OlsenCalifornia BaptistMarch 9Filipa BarrosCalifornia BaptistKaylee BordenUtah Tech
Totals per school - Players of the week SchoolPlayer of the weekNewcomer of the weekTotalAbilene Christian University66California Baptist University437Southern Utah University6511Tarleton State University22University of Texas at Arlington145Utah Tech University22Utah Valley University11Total171734
All-Americans
All-WAC
First team
NameSchoolPayton Hull‡Abilene ChristianFilipa BarrosCalifornia BaptistLauren OlsenCalifornia BaptistAva UlrichSouthern UtahKaylee BordenUtah Tech
‡ WAC Player of the Year
Second team
NameSchoolErin WoodsonAbilene ChristianEmma JohanssonCalifornia BaptistGrace SchmidtCalifornia BaptistSierra ChambersSouthern UtahBrooklyn FelySouthern UtahJakoriah LongTarletonCambree BlackhamUtah Valley
All-Freshman team NameSchoolReyleigh HessCalifornia BaptistLauren Olsen† California BaptistDevyn KiernanSouthern UtahElodie LutbertTarletonKiera ReynoldsUT Arlington † Freshman of the Year
All-Defensive team NameSchoolPayton Hull‡Abilene ChristianEmma JohanssonCalifornia BaptistElodie LutbertTarletonBrie CrittendonUtah TechCambree BlackhamUtah Valley
‡WAC Defensive Player of the Year
Other awards Sixth Woman of the Year: Khloe Lemon, California Baptist
Coach of the Year: Jarrod Olson, California Baptist
2025 WNBA draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionNationalityTeamSchool/club team−−−
Home game attendance TeamStadiumCapacityGame 1Game 2Game 3Game 4Game 5Game 6Game 7Game 8Game 9Game 10Game 11Game 12Game 13Game 14Game 15Game 16Game 17TotalAverage% of CapacityAbilene ChristianMoody Coliseum3,6001,0025751,080†1,5007758775005937128468947991,1671,2831,1271,23114,96193526%California BaptistCBU Events Center5,0501,0851,029421515354368358309483†4,15774250143755973112,04980316%Southern UtahAmerica First Event Center5,300366423313236†8314055594695604414613923454396,2404468%Tarleton StateEECU Center8,000753†1,1037239531,09083287877280283774739270153311,11679410%UT ArlingtonCollege Park Center7,000586695†9127297217614735626138106377957609,05469610%Utah TechBurns Arena4,779436552572613616538537495†8375125795805973075885797469,68457012%Utah ValleyLockhart Arena/UCCU Center2,000/8,500Utah Valley uses two home arenas for women's basketball: Lockhart Arena and the UCCU Center, both of which are located on campus in Orem, Utah.581671520539492†1,3166485441,113681‡679‡7615847611,07610,9667319%Total42,22974,0704,97513% Bold – At or exceed capacity; capacity ratios for Utah Valley computed based on larger home arena; attendance is for regular season only
†Season high ‡Lockhart Arena
See also
2025–26 Western Athletic Conference men's basketball season
References