NCAA Division I women's basketball is the top level of the college game in the United States: every Division I program, playing in 32 conferences, from the SEC and the Big Ten to the Ivy League and the SWAC.

The season runs from early November to the national championship in early April. Many of the WNBA's stars played here, and the next draft class is playing now.

UCLA won the 2026 national championship, beating South Carolina 79-51 in Phoenix for its first NCAA title. Columbia won the 2026 WBIT.

November and December are for nonconference games and early season tournaments. Conference play starts around the turn of the year and runs into March.

In March every conference holds its own tournament, and the champion earns an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

The AP Top 25 poll comes out each week of the season, and a ranked team's number shows beside its name.