2025–26 Big East Conference women's basketball season
| 2025–26 Big East Conference women's basketball season | |
|---|---|
 | |
| League | NCAA Division I |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Teams | 11 |
| TV partner(s) | FOX Sports, NBC Sports, TNT Sports |
| Regular Season | |
| Tournament | |
| Venue | Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 UConn | 17 | – | 0 | 1.000 | 28 | – | 0 | 1.000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Villanova | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 21 | – | 6 | .778 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Seton Hall | 12 | – | 5 | .706 | 18 | – | 8 | .692 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Marquette | 10 | – | 7 | .588 | 16 | – | 10 | .615 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. John's | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 20 | – | 9 | .690 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Creighton | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 13 | – | 14 | .481 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Providence | 7 | – | 10 | .412 | 14 | – | 14 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgetown | 6 | – | 11 | .353 | 13 | – | 13 | .500 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Xavier | 4 | – | 13 | .235 | 11 | – | 15 | .423 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Butler | 3 | – | 14 | .176 | 9 | – | 18 | .333 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| DePaul | 3 | – | 14 | .176 | 6 | – | 22 | .214 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 Big East tournament winner As of February 18, 2026 Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The 2025–26 Big East women's basketball season is the current season for Big East Conference basketball teams that began with practices in October 2025, followed by the start of the 2025–26 NCAA Division I women's basketball season, which began in November 2025. Conference play will begin in December 2025 and end in March 2026.
Preseason
Preseason Big East poll
Prior to the conference's annual media day, conference standings were projected by the coaches.[1]
| Rank | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | UConn | 100 (10) |
| 2. | Marquette | 85 |
| 3. | Seton Hall | 80 (1) |
| 4. | Villanova | 78 |
| 5. | Creighton | 61 |
| 6. | St. John's | 56 |
| 7. | Georgetown | 48 |
| 8. | DePaul | 32 |
| 9. | Butler | 30 |
| 10. | Providence | 20 |
| 11. | Xavier | 15 |
| (first place votes) | ||
Preseason All-Big East
Coaches named a preseason All-Big East team and player of the year.[2]
| Honor | Recipient |
|---|---|
| Preseason Player of the Year | Sarah Strong, UConn |
| Preseason Freshman of the Year | Kelis Fisher, UConn |
| Preseason All-Big East | KK Arnold, UConn |
| Azzi Fudd, UConn | |
| Ashlynn Shade, UConn | |
| Serah Williams, UConn | |
| Skylar Forbes, Marquette, | |
| Halle Vice, Marquette | |
| Lee Volker, Marquette | |
| Savannah Catalon, Seton Hall | |
| Jada Eads, Seton Hall | |
| Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova | |
| Preseason All-Big Honorable Mention | Kate Clarke, DePaul |
| Victoria Rivera, Georgetown | |
| Meri Kanerva, Xavier |
Preseason watchlists
Below is a table of notable preseason watch lists.
| Player | Wooden[3] | Naismith[4] | Lieberman[5] | Drysdale[6] | Miller[7] | McClain[8] | Leslie[9] |
| Jasmine Bascoe, Villanova |  |
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| Caroline Ducharme, UConn |
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| Skylar Forbes, Marquette | |
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| Azzi Fudd, UConn | |
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| Kayleigh Heckel, UConn | |
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| Sarah Strong, UConn | |
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| Serah Williams, UConn | |
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Regular season
Rankings
| Improvement in ranking | ||
| Drop in ranking | ||
| Not ranked previous week | ||
| RV | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll | |
| NV | No votes received | |
| (Italics) | Number of first place votes |
| Pre/ Wk 1 |
Wk 2 |
Wk 3 |
Wk 4 |
Wk 5 |
Wk 6 |
Wk 7 |
Wk 8 |
Wk 9 |
Wk 10 |
Wk 11 |
Wk 12 |
Wk 13 |
Wk 14 |
Wk 15 |
Wk 16 |
Wk 17 |
Wk 18 |
Wk 19 |
Wk 20 |
Final | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Butler | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| UConn | AP | 1 (27) | 1 (30) | 1 (28) | 1 (30) | 1 (22) | 1 (23) | 1 (24) | 1 (25) | 1 (25) | 1 (28) | 1 (32) | 1 (30) | 1 (31) | 1 (31) | 1 (31) | ||||||
| C | 1 (28) | 1 (29) | 1 (28) | 1 (29) | 1 (28) | 1 (28) | 1 (28) | 1 (28) | 1 (28) | 1 (28) | 1 (31) | 1 (31) | 1 (31) | 1 (31) | 1 (31) | |||||||
| Creighton | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | RV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| DePaul | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| Georgetown | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| Marquette | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| Providence | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| Seton Hall | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| St. John's | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| Villanova | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | |||||||
| Xavier | AP | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | ||||||
| C | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV | NV |
Big East Players of the Week
Throughout the conference regular season, the Big East offices named one or two players of the week and one or two freshmen of the week each Monday.
| Week | Player of the week | School | Freshman of the week | School |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 10, 2025 | Sarah Strong | UConn | Ally Timm | DePaul |
| November 17, 2025 | Sarah Strong | UConn | Blanca Quiñónez | UConn |
| November 24, 2025 | Azzi Fudd | UConn | Blanca Quiñonez | UConn |
| December 1, 2025 | Brooke Moore | St. John’s | Neleigh Gessert | Creighton |
| December 8, 2025 | Brynn McCurry | Villanova | Ava Zediker | Creighton |
| December 15, 2025 | Azzi Fudd | UConn | Blanca Quiñonez | UConn |
| December 22, 2025 | Sarah Strong | UConn | Blanca Quiñonez | UConn |
| December 29, 2025 | Mariana Valenzuela | Seton Hall | Blanca Quiñonez | UConn |
| January 5, 2026 | Halle Vice | Marquette | Kennedy Henry | Villanova |
| January 12, 2026 | Sarah Strong | UConn | Blanca Quiñonez | UConn |
| January 19, 2026 | Sarah Strong | UConn | Zahara Bishop | Seton Hall |
| January 26, 2026 | Sarah Strong | UConn | Blanca Quiñonez | UConn |
| February 2, 2026 | Allie Ziebell | UConn | Neleigh Gessert | Creighton |
| February 9, 2026 | Azzi Fudd | UConn | Ava Zediker | Creighton |
| February 16, 2026 | ||||
| February 23, 2026 | ||||
| March 2, 2026 |
Conference matrix
This table summarizes the head-to-head results between teams in conference play. Each team is scheduled to play 20 conference games with at least one game against each opponent.
| Butler | UConn | Creighton | DePaul | Georgetown | Marquette | Providence | Seton Hall | St. John's | Villanova | Xavier | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| vs. Butler | – | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| vs. UConn | 0–2 | – | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 |
| vs. Creighton | 0–1 | 2–0 | – | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| vs. DePaul | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | – | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 |
| vs. Georgetown | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | – | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| vs. Marquette | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | – | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 |
| vs. Providence | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | – | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 |
| vs. Seton Hall | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–2 | – | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| vs. St. John's | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | – | 1–1 | 0–2 |
| vs. Villanova | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | – | 0–2 |
| vs. Xavier | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | – |
| Total | 3–12 | 15–0 | 8–8 | 3–12 | 5–10 | 10–6 | 5–10 | 10–5 | 6–7 | 13–3 | 3–12 |
References
- ^ "UConn Takes Top Spot in BIG EAST Women's Basketball Preseason Poll". www.bigeast.com. October 21, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ "UConn's Strong, Fisher Sweep BIG EAST Preseason Major Awards; 10-member All-League Team Named". www.bigeast.com. October 21, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ "Wooden Award Celebrates the Start of the Season with the 2025–26 Women's Top 50 Watchlist - John R. Wooden Award". Wooden Award. November 18, 2025. Retrieved November 25, 2025.
- ^ "2025-26 Jersey Mike's Naismith Women's Player of the Year Trophy Watch List Presented by AXIA Time". naismithtrophy.com. Atlanta Tipoff Club. October 30, 2025. Retrieved October 31, 2025.
- ^ "NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR THE 2026 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S POINT GUARD OF THE YEAR AWARDS". hoophall.com. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. October 27, 2025. Retrieved October 27, 2025.
- ^ "NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR THE 2026 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SHOOTING GUARD OF THE YEAR AWARDS". Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. October 28, 2025. Retrieved October 28, 2025.
- ^ "NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES THE PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR THE 2026 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SMALL FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARDS". hoophall.com. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. October 29, 2025. Retrieved October 29, 2025.
- ^ "NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES THE PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR THE 2025 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S POWER FORWARD OF THE YEAR AWARDS". hoophall.com. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. October 30, 2025. Retrieved October 30, 2025.
- ^ "NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES THE PRESEASON WATCH LIST FOR THE 2026 MEN'S AND WOMEN'S CENTER OF THE YEAR AWARD". hoophall.com. Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. October 31, 2025. Retrieved October 31, 2025.