The NCAA women's basketball season is heating up as the power conferences have crowned their champions, setting the stage for the highly anticipated Selection Sunday on March 16. With the Big East tournament final set for Monday night, the smaller conferences are also in full swing, making this week crucial for teams vying for a spot in the NCAA tournament.

Key Matchups and Standout Performances

• South Carolina Gamecocks: Secured a dominant 19-point victory over Texas in the SEC championship game, marking their largest win in nine SEC title game appearances.
• UCLA Bruins: Clinched their first conference championship since 2006 with a win in the Big Ten title game, becoming the fifth team in a major conference to win the tournament in their first season.
• UConn Huskies: Extended their winning streak to nine games with eight of those wins by 20 or more points, showcasing their dominance in the Big East.
• USC Trojans: Suffered their first loss in 50 games when leading by at least 10 points, falling to UCLA in the Big Ten championship game.

Updated AP Top 25 Rankings

1. UCLA Bruins: 30-2 record, First Big Ten championship since 2006.
2. South Carolina Gamecocks: 30-3 record, Largest SEC championship win.
3. UConn Huskies: 30-3 record, Nine straight wins since loss to Tennessee.
4. USC Trojans: 28-3 record, First loss after leading by 10+ points.
5. Texas Longhorns: 31-3 record, 15-game winning streak snapped.

Key Stats to Watch

• TCU Horned Frogs: First conference title since 2005, making their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2010.
• Duke Blue Devils: Oluchi Okananwa became the first Duke player with 20 points and 10 rebounds off the bench in a conference tournament game in 25 years.
• Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Lost to Duke in the ACC semifinals, their first loss when holding teams under 75 points.

Looking Ahead

As the conference tournaments conclude, all eyes will be on Selection Sunday to see which teams will make the cut for the NCAA tournament. With the updated AP Top 25 rankings and key statistics, the road to the championship is becoming clearer for these top-tier teams.