The 10 most impactful women’s games to finish the regular season

The stretch run has arrived. The 2025–26 women’s college basketball season is now a two-week sprint to decide the regular season champion and conference tournament standings and finalize NCAA Tournament seedings.

South Carolina Has carried most of its weight with a 3-0 SEC record LSU, texas And VanderbiltBut some challenges await before a fifth consecutive conference title is secured.

UCLA Possibly the Big Ten title and No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed are in hand, but what about second place? michigan, Ohio State And iowa all in the mix

The Big 12 could come down to the final day of the regular season.

ruler There are still two more games against Tobacco Road rivals before the Blue Devils can claim the ACC Championship.

Last weekend’s busy schedule helped set up those storylines, but these 10 games should be the best and most impressive matchups to close out the regular season.

all time eastern

Tuesday: 7 p.m., ESPNU (Oxford, Mississippi)

The game, scheduled for January 26, was postponed due to the winter storm that struck the Southeast two weeks earlier. This forces both teams to play three games in six days, but comes at a crucial time with both the Lady Vols and Rebels fighting for a top four spot in the SEC. For Ole Miss it is the middle game of a three-game series that also includes Kentucky and LSU.

Wednesday: 7 p.m., ESPN+ (Lubbock, Texas)

The Big 12 is a four-team race and these two are challengers. The one-point win at Waco on December 21 was the defining moment of the Lady Raiders’ surprising season until they defeated TCU two weeks earlier. A Texas Tech victory would give the Lady Raiders a 4-0 record against Baylor, TCU and West Virginia and put them in the driver’s seat for their first conference title since 2000.

Sunday: 3 p.m., SEC Network+ (Nashville, Tennessee)

Vanderbilt’s 84–83 win at Lexington on February 5 might have been the Commodores’ best win of the season until they beat Texas last Thursday. It was one of Mikayla Blake’s best games of the season. He scored 19 of his season-high 37 points in the fourth quarter. Kentucky’s hopes of making the top four in the NCAA Tournament may hinge on a win in the rematch.

Sunday: Noon, Fox (Iowa City, Iowa)

The end of Michigan’s program finally comes. after hosting michigan stateThe Wolverines travel to Iowa and then Ohio State. Second place in the Big Ten will likely be decided by these two games. Hawkeyes have no natural match olivia olsonSo this could be a big game for Michigan’s leading scorer.

February 25: 8 p.m., Peacock (Columbus, Ohio)

The Wolverines may have trouble matching Ohio State’s speedy guards Jaloni Cambridge. She is the conference’s top scorer in Big Ten play and defeated Michigan by 29 points in last season’s meeting.

February 25: 6 p.m., ESPN+ (Richmond, Virginia)

When these two began Atlantic 10 play in late December, Rhode Island’s 12-point win in Kingston put the Rams in the driver’s seat for the conference title. To win it outright they have to do it again. Richmond has not lost this de facto championship game since its inception. Here the loser also gets a big blow to his massive

on the boiler TCU

March 1: 4 p.m., ESPN (Fort Worth, Texas)

A 3-point barrage led the Horned Frogs to an important and convincing win over the Bears on Thursday in Waco. This set the stage for a two-week, four-team sprint for the Big 12 title, which will likely end with the winner earning at least a No. 2 seed in the conference tournament and a spot among the top four seeds in the NCAA Tournament heading into Champ Week.

game

Olivia Miles drops career-high 40 in TCU’s win against Baylor

Olivia Miles dominated with a 40-point game to lead TCU over Baylor 83–67.

March 1: Noon, ESPN (Chapel Hill, North Carolina)

There are few better ways to end the regular season than a Duke-North Carolina matchup. The ACC-leading Blue Devils are probably out of reach for the Tar Heels, but North Carolina could be playing for a top-four spot in the standings and a double bye in the ACC Tournament.

game

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils: Game Highlights

North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Duke Blue Devils: Game Highlights

March 1: Noon, ACC Network (Charlottesville, Virginia)

This is another big rivalry in the state with major implications. Virginia’s NCAA Tournament hopes may hinge on avenging a 12-point loss to the Hokies on Feb. 1 in Blacksburg. This is just one of three games in the final two weeks for Virginia Tech that could work out well for the Hokies. Their NCAA Tournament chances are better than Virginia’s.

March 1: 2 p.m., SEC Network+ (Lexington, Kentucky)

The Wildcats’ challenging finish in the SEC season ends with a visit to the Gamecocks, who by then may have the conference regular season title and the No. 1 NCAA Tournament seed. A top-four finish in the SEC and a double-bye in the SEC Tournament are probably already out of reach for the Wildcats, but a strong finish leading to an upset here could be enough to make the top four in the NCAA Tournament.