Texas State set a Division I women’s basketball record in February 2006, overcoming a 32-point deficit to beat UTSA 73-71 in overtime. On Jan. 12, 2025, Pitt matched that number, overcoming a 46-14 second-quarter deficit to SMU, in a 72-59 win. A 31-0 run to start the second half — including a 28-0 third-quarter difference — sparked the Panthers’ historic comeback.
Back in 2006, Texas State trailed 40-8 in the closing minutes of the first half and never led in regulation, tying the game with 41 seconds left in regulation before pulling ahead in overtime.
In 2018, Notre Dame produced one of the 10 largest comebacks in the history of women’s college basketball — and did it on a big stage. The Fighting Irish trailed by 23 in a top-10 battle with Tennessee before pulling off a 37-point swing to win by 14 points. Notre Dame went on to win the 2018 NCAA tournament a few months later.
Notre Dame’s 14-point win is the largest margin of victory on this comeback list. In another notable rally between top-10 teams, Oklahoma trailed California by 26 points in December 2008 before eventually closing the game on a 34-6 run to win by 11.
Here are the 40 biggest comebacks in NCAA women’s basketball history:
| TEAM VS. OPPONENT | POINT DEFICIT | TRAILED | TIME LEFT, HALF | FINAL SCORE | DATE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh vs. SMU | 32 | 46-14 | 1:37, 2nd | 72-59 | Jan. 12, 2025 |
| Texas State vs. UTSA | 32 | 40-8 | 2:18, 1st | 73-71 (OT) | Feb. 18, 2006 |
| Houston vs. Lamar | 26 | 48-22 | 19:28. 2nd | 82-75 (OT) | Jan. 2, 2008 |
| Oklahoma vs. California | 26 | 52-26 | 19:01, 2nd | 86-75 | Dec. 13, 2008 |
| UNLV vs. George Washington | 25 | 42-17 | 18:20, 2nd | 62-61 | Nov. 30, 2007 |
| TCU vs. Iowa State | 24 | 51-27 | 16:21, 2nd | 86-84 | Jan. 7, 2015 |
| Iowa vs. West Virginia | 24 | 48-24 | 1:31, 1st | 84-81 | Nov. 23, 2018 |
| Tennessee vs. Rutgers | 23 | 31-8 | 3:09, 1st | 55-51 | Jan. 3, 2009 |
| UMBC vs. Boston University | 23 | 41-18 | 17:14, 2nd | 58-57 | Feb. 24, 2010 |
| Long Beach State vs. Harvard | 23 | 51-28 | 16:15, 2nd | 72-67 | Dec. 7, 2013 |
| UTEP vs. Southern Mississippi | 23 | 45-22 | 16:31 2nd | 86-85 (OT) | Jan. 22, 2014 |
| Oregon vs. Navy | 23 | 47-24 | 19:06, 2nd | 72-64 | Dec. 6, 2014 |
| Notre Dame vs. Tennessee | 23 | 37-14 | 7:03, 1st | 84-70 | Jan. 18, 2018 |
| Oregon vs. Arizona | 22 | 55-33 | 16:20, 2nd | 75-71 | Mar. 4, 2000 |
| Tulane vs. UAB | 22 | 44-22 | 4:25, 1st | 86-84 | Feb. 4, 2006 |
| Harvard vs. Princeton | 22 | 28-6 | 4:54, 1st | 54-50 | Feb. 20, 2009 |
| UNLV vs. Air Force | 22 | 56-34 | 9:51, 2nd | 64-63 | Mar. 9, 2009 |
| Washington vs. Oregon | 22 | 35-13 | 8:32, 1st | 69-62 | Mar. 7, 2013 |
| UCLA vs. Oregon | 22 | 40-18 | 4:19, 1st | 74-69 | Feb. 22, 2019 |
| Louisiana Tech vs. Old Dominion | 21 | 14:03, 2nd | 72-71 | Feb. 9, 1989 | |
| Siena vs. New Hampshire | 21 | 78-65 | Dec. 1, 2001 | ||
| Texas A&M vs. Seton Hall | 21 | 44-23 | 17:20, 2nd | 54-52 | Nov. 29, 2003 |
| Air Force vs. Colgate | 21 | 45-24 | 0:35, 1st | 80-75 (OT) | Jan. 2, 2011 |
| Liberty vs. Savannah State | 21 | 44-23 | 5:36, 1st | 89-79 | Nov. 30, 2013 |
| Robert Morris vs. Central Conn. St. | 21 | 38-17 | 19:09, 2nd | 61-59 | Jan. 4, 2014 |
| Nebraska vs. Creighton | 21 | 41-20 | 5:01, 1st | 65-63 | Dec. 6, 2015 |
| Texas A&M vs. Penn | 21 | 58-37 | 8:56, 2nd | 63-61 | Mar. 18, 2017 |
| Florida vs. Alabama | 20 | 11:52, 2nd | 103-101 (OT) | Jan. 4, 1992 | |
| So. Miss vs. Mississippi College | 20 | 36-16 | 71-70 | Feb. 6, 1999 | |
| Duke vs. UConn | 20 | 35-15 | 1:11, 1st | 68-67 | Jan. 3, 2004 |
| Duke vs. NC State | 20 | 42-22 | 19:15, 2nd | 65-64 | Jan. 23, 2011 |
| Oregon State vs. Oregon | 20 | 36-16 | 1:16, 1st | 61-59 | Feb. 19, 2011 |
| Bradley vs. Tennessee Tech | 20 | 39-19 | 2:16, 1st | 74-71 | Mar. 14, 2012 |
| Louisiana Tech vs. Idaho | 20 | 50-30 | 16:17, 2nd | 67-58 | Jan. 17, 2013 |
| Colorado vs. Arizona | 20 | 36-16 | 4:14, 1st | 61-56 (OT) | Feb. 23, 2014 |
| Troy vs. SE Louisiana | 20 | 68-48 | 7:27, 2nd | 80-78 | Nov. 21, 2014 |
| Siena vs. Canisius | 20 | 43-23 | 19:12, 2nd | 71-70 | Jan. 11, 2015 |
| Oklahoma vs. West Virginia | 20 | 30-10 | 6:59, 1st | 79-77 (OT) | Feb. 17, 2018 |
| Tennessee vs. Stetson | 20 | 42-22 | 17:29, 2nd | 65-55 | Dec. 5, 2018 |
| Binghamton vs. UMBC | 20 | 30-10 | 2:38, 1st | 58-46 | Feb. 13, 2019 |
