As the excitement of March Madness begins, the joy of selection Sunday is always tempered by heartbreak for deserving teams left on the outside looking in. The Women’s NCAA Tournament bracket has sparked particular controversy, with several teams finding themselves relegated to the WBIT instead of dancing on basketball’s biggest stage.
From perennial powerhouses to mid-majors, this year’s snubs highlight the razor-thin margins that separate tournament teams from those whose bubbles burst. Stanford’s historic streak ends, Virginia Tech’s late-season slide proves costly, and multiple conference champions wonder what more they could’ve done to lock their spot in the field of 68.
End of an Era For Stanford
For the first time since 1987, Stanford won’t be part of March Madness. The Cardinal’s 16-14 record marked a significant drop from last year’s 30-6 campaign.
The Card is set for postseason play in the WBIT 🌲 pic.twitter.com/6b3y6OHksI
— Stanford WBB 🌲🏀 (@StanfordWBB) March 17, 2025
Hall of Fame coach Tara VanDerveer’s retirement and the departure of stars Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen left Stanford in transition ending one of college basketball’s most remarkable tournament streaks.
Virginia Tech’s February Fade Proves Costly
Virginia Tech’s record (18-12, 9-9 ACC) ultimately wasn’t enough to secure a tournament berth. Despite a promising start, the Hokies’ February struggles against Syracuse, Stanford, and Boston College ultimately damaged their resume beyond repair.
With a NET ranking of 46, they landed just outside the selection committee’s threshold and will enter the WBIT as a No. 1 seed.
Conference Champions Go Unrewarded
Perhaps no snub stings more than James Madison’s. The Dukes dominated the Sun Belt with an unblemished 18-0 conference record and 28-5 overall mark.
Their NCAA hopes vanished with a heartbreaking loss to Arkansas State in the conference tournament championship.
Despite scheduling challenging non-conference games against Texas, N.C. State, and Notre Dame, their NET rating of 54 wasn’t enough.
UNLV’s impressive 25-7 record (16-2 MWC) and Mountain West regular season title couldn’t overcome their conference tournament semifinal loss to San Diego State.
The Lady Rebels avoided “bad losses” all season and finished strong with nine wins in their final eleven games, making their exclusion particularly difficult to understand.
Quinnipiac’s stellar 28-4 record and 18-2 MAAC performance typically would warrant serious at large consideration. Their conference tournament championship loss to Fairfield denied them an automatic bid, and despite notable non-conference victories over tournament teams Princeton and Harvard, the Bobcats were left out of the NCAA field.
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These omissions emphasize the challenges mid-major programs face in securing large bids and highlight the selection committee’s tendency to favor power conference teams. As these talented squads redirect their focus to the WBIT, they’ll carry motivation from being overlooked despite their impressive regular season achievements.
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