Stanford women's basketball team makes 36th consecutive NCAA tournament bid as #2 seed
The Pac-12 women's basketball regular season champion Stanford will once again return to NCAA Tournament, earning the Cardinal's 36th consecutive bid on Selection Sunday.
While Stanford lost to upstart USC 74-61 in the Pac-12 Tournament championship in Las Vegas on March 10, giving Southern California only its second Pac-12 Tournament title in team history, the Cardinal still earned a #2 seed in the Portland Regionals. USC is the #1 seed in the region.
Coached by women's basketball legend Tara VanDerveer and led by star Cameron Brink -- who announced her decision to enter the WNBA draft two days after Stanford lost the Pac-12 Tournament championship game -- the team's NCAA Tournament appearances have become an annual event.
VanDerveer helmed the team to a pair of NCAA championships in the early '90s. This tournament marks VanDerveer's 38th all-time tournament appearance, the most of any coach all-time. Stanford won its most recent NCAA Tournament title in 2021, defeating conference rival Arizona.
The Pac-12 got a conference record-tying seven teams in the NCAA Tournament, six of which are ranked in the poll — including three of the top six.
The Cardinal will open this year's tournament at home, playing #15 seed Norfolk State Friday evening. As one of the nation's top 16 overall seeds, Stanford will host first and second-round games at Maples Pavilion.