The DII Women’s Elite Eight is set. Grand Valley State is the No. 1 seed as the Lakers attempt to defend their 2025 national championship. They are also the only team returning from a year ago.
The DII Women’s Elite Eight is a mini-tournament within the DII women’s basketball championship. All final eight teams head to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse in Pittsburgh for three days of games from March 24-28. The teams are seeded for the DII Women’s Elite Eight based on metrics selected by the committee, giving us a fresh look at the field of eight.
Speaking of seeds, we have quite the eclectic mix. Grand Valley State, Alabama Huntsville and Indiana (PA) are the only No. 1 seeds to survive their regional tournaments. Cal Poly Pomona and Colorado Mesa advanced as No. 3 seeds in their respective regions. Holy Family and Carson-Newman sneak through as No. 5 seeds from their parts of the bracket, and then there is the truest Cinderella of them all. Minnesota Duluth, seeded No. 8 in the Central Region, advanced to Pittsburgh.
Want to know how good of an eight seed the Bulldogs were in the Central? They are now the No. 6 seed in Pittsburgh.
But more on that in a few. Here’s a look at what to know about the DII Women’s Elite Eight.
The DII Women’s Elite Eight: How to watch
The DII women’s basketball championship moves to ESPN+ for the final three rounds. Quarterfinals action begins March 24, with games starting at noon ET and then (tentatively) 2:30 p.m., 6 p.m and 8:30 p.m. The semifinals will be at 6 and 8:30 p.m. ET on March 26, while the championship game will be played at 3 p.m. ET on March 28.
The DII Women’s Elite Eight, previewed
The final eight, by the numbers
| School | Scoring offense | scoring defense | Rebounds | Assists | Steals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Valley State | 79.9 | 52.4 | 42.9 | 16.8 | 12.4 |
| Indiana (PA) | 78.2 | 58.2 | 39.6 | 15.8 | 10.4 |
| Colorado Mesa | 75.8 | 52.1 | 43.2 | 17.6 | 7.9 |
| Cal Poly Pomona | 69.3 | 55.2 | 43.8 | 13.2 | 8.7 |
| UAH | 76.5 | 59.7 | 37.8 | 13.9 | 6.4 |
| Minnesota Duluth | 72.8 | 62.8 | 35.7 | 15.0 | 7.6 |
| Holy Family | 69.7 | 50.7 | 46.1 | 16.7 | 7.7 |
| Carson-Newman | 77.3 | 65.9 | 41.0 | 17.4 | 9.0 |
What to know about each remaining team
No. 1 Grand Valley State. With all due respect to those who vote and the team that reached No. 1, but it makes zero sense that this team ever lost its perch from the top spot in DII. But here we are, as the defending champs and No. 2 team in the country are back for another run. Was it the one-point loss to tournament-bound Wayne State (MI), the very same team the Lakers defeated by 20 points in the second round of the tournament? May I remind you that one-point loss to a very good team was just the Lakers’ fifth loss in THREE seasons. This team has a top 7 scoring offense and defense, the only team in the entire Elite Eight field that can boast that accomplishment. By the way, the Lakers also won the GLIAC, which had nationally ranked Ferris State and Northern Michigan, as well as Wayne State (MI), which was receiving votes for a large portion of the season. The Lakers are tested and easily the best team remaining.
No. 2 Indiana (PA). The Crimson Hawks enter the DII Women’s Elite Eight on a six-game winning streak, surviving in a thriller against upstart Winston-Salem State to win the Atlantic Region. It is the first time back in the quarterfinals since 2019, and they have a potent scoring offense — No. 10 in DII — leading the way. Nyshae’ Weaver has been one of the best in DII all season, posting nightly averages of 15.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, double-doubling in four of the Crimson Hawks’ tournament (PSAC and DII) games. The defense has also been solid since the start of the PSAC tournament, allowing more than 67 points just once. That defense may be too much for Holy Family’s offense, which doesn’t even score 70 points per game.
No. 3 Colorado Mesa. There are three words everyone should know by now: Olivia, Thyne, Reed. This is it for the Mavericks forward, who, for the previous three seasons, was a regular on the now-defunct All-Stats Starting Five. She was RMAC freshman of the year in her debut season and just claimed her third-straight RMAC player of the year award. She is arguably the greatest player in Mavericks and RMAC history, and a championship trophy may just solidify that. Since the RMAC tournament started, she is averaging 30.2 points and 13.5 rebounds per game, with five-straight double-doubles and 15 blocks. She and Mason Rowland drive this team, which has one of the best scoring defenses in DII and just held Texas Woman’s to 64 points for their first South Central title since 2013.
No. 4 Cal Poly Pomona. The Broncos have the most DII women’s basketball championships in the history of the sport with five, but it sure has been a while. The last time the Broncos won was their back-to-back titles in 2001-02, and the last time they reached the Elite Eight was in 2014. This, their 15th trip, is on the heels of a 29-4 record, which was sparked by Sydney Nelson all season long. The forward, who is their leading scorer, went bonkers in the West Region final, scoring 29 points with 15 rebounds. Big-time players shine bright in March, so the Chargers better have an answer ready for the quarterfinals.
No. 5 UAH. Welcome to the Elite Eight. This is the Chargers’ first trip in program history, and what a historic season it has been. UAH, now 31-5, was able to capture the No. 1 seed in the South Region for the first time in program history despite that stunner of a loss to Union (TN) in the GSC finals. The Chargers are also nationally ranked for the first time in program history, tied at No. 25. Lili Wilken added to the accolades, earning both the GSC and South Region player of the year honors. She led the Gulf South in scoring (22.3 points per game) while adding 7.2 rebounds per game, 3.1 assists per game and a team-high 77 steals. The Chargers are looking to add to that history book in Pittsburgh.
No. 6 Minnesota Duluth. The Bulldogs are no strangers to the Elite Eight: They were national runners-up just three years ago. However, it is safe to say that, on paper, it is quite surprising that the Bulldogs are here. They were bumped from the NSIC tournament in the semifinals, but then, got new life as the No. 8 seed, where they upset No. 1 Minnesota State by nine points, routed No. 4 Central Missouri by 33 points, and avenged their NSIC semifinals loss by taking down No. 2 Concordia-St. Paul 94-87. So, is it almost midnight for Cinderella? Again, on paper, it’s not a favorable matchup: Colorado Mesa has that stingy defense and scores seemingly at will, which is not good for this Bulldogs team that has the second-worst scoring defense of the eight teams remaining. But as they say, if the shoe — or glass slipper — fits…
No. 7 Holy Family. This wasn’t merely a historic win for the program, which, by all means, it was. Not only is this Holy Family’s first trip to the Elite Eight, but it is also the first time a CACC team has ever made it this far. And HFU’s road to get here was quite impressive. The Tigers not only upset No. 4 seed Assumption by 20 points, but held the Greyhounds to just 38 points, tied for the fewest points allowed in any game of the tournament thus far. They then took down No. 1 Southern Connecticut by 10 and made history by defeating Daemen — a team that has made the Elite Eight twice in the previous five tournaments — by 16. If defense truly wins championships, the Tigers are an under-the-radar team to watch, as they have the best scoring defense in the Elite Eight. Keep an eye on Taylor Hinkle in the quarterfinals, as she was s double double machine all season.
No. 8 Carson-Newman. The Eagles are soaring back into the Elite Eight for the first time since 2018. They, too, like the Tigers, found another gear as the five seed in the Southeast Region, dominating their way to Pittsburgh. The Eagles downed Columbus State in Round 1 by 12 points, upset No. 1 Lincoln Memorial by 14 points and then stunned No. 2 Lenoir-Rhyne by 19 points to advance to the Elite Eight. On paper, the Eagles have one of the worst scoring defenses remaining, but it sure hasn’t looked that way in the tournament to date. Let’s see if they have any sort of answer for Grand Valley State.
