After a lengthy wait, Arizona women’s basketball will finally learn its playoff fate with NCAA and WBIT on the table.
March 17, 2023: In the first half of their game, Arizona forward Esmery Martinez, right, goes to the basket against West Virginia guard Kyah Watson in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at College Park, Maryland.
Nine days.
It takes a while to find out where you will be playing in the postseason.
However, ask almost anyone involved in the Arizona women’s basketball program—coaches, players, or staff—and they’ll tell you that they’re ecstatic.
Even though the Wildcats haven’t competed since March 7, there are still three scenarios that are highly probable for the program to advance past Selection Sunday and finish in the postseason:
Option 1: Arizona (17–15) secures a spot in the NCAA Tournament and avoids the “First Four.” In the first round, the Wildcats would play on Friday or Saturday.
Option 2: Arizona qualifies for the NCAA Tournament, but they’ll likely be ranked between an 11 and an 11 and will have to play a play-in game on Wednesday or Thursday of the “First Four” schedule. If you win there, you’ll play on Friday or Saturday in the first round.Option 3: The Wildcats, who have been on the bubble lately, lose out on the 2024 NCAA Tournament but make it into the newly established WBIT (Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament), which is sanctioned by the NCAA. Arizona will probably host a first-round game at McKale Center on Thursday if a bid is made there.
