2024 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Bracket Tracker
The Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament is approaching quickly. This year's event is being held at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minn. from March 6-10. We're keeping track of the bracket throughout the final month of the regular season.
The 2024 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament bracket is officially set. Regular season play ended on Sunday, setting the matchups for the upcoming week in Minneapolis, Minn.
Ohio State earned the No. 1 seed, winning the Big Ten outright. Iowa will be the No. 2 seed, Indiana earned the No. 3 spot and Michigan State rounded out the top-four.
This year's Big Ten Tournament is scheduled for Wednesday, March 6 through Sunday, March 10 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Games will air on three networks: Peacock, Big Ten Network and CBS. The winner receives the conference's automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
Here's a look at how things currently stand in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament (updated Saturday, March 9):
Seeding (Big Ten record)
- Ohio State Buckeyes (16-2)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (15-3)
- Indiana Hoosiers (15-3)
- Michigan State Spartans (12-6)
- Nebraska Cornhuskers (11-7)
- Michigan Wolverines (9-9)
- Penn State Nittany Lions (9-9)
- Maryland Terrapins (9-9)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (8-10)
- Wisconsin Badgers (6-12)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (5-13)
- Purdue Boilermakers (5-13)
- Northwestern Wildcats (4-14)
- Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-16)
Championship results (Sunday)
- Game 12: No. 2 Iowa def. No. 5 Nebraska 94-89
- Recap: How about saving the best for last? Sunday's championship game between Iowa and Nebraska was an absolute thriller, with the underdog Huskers taking the Hawkeyes to overtime and nearly pulling off an upset in the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament. Nebraska was dominant in the first half of Sunday's contest, taking a 46-35 advantage into halftime and in complete control through 20 minutes. The Hawkeyes needed just one quarter to close the gap, tying the game at 58-58 by the end of the third. Nebraska and Iowa traded blows in the final quarter, with the Huskers taking a 77-72 lead with 1:24 to play after an Alexis Markowski basket. On the following possession Iowa's Kate Martin knocked down a triple to close the gap to 77-75 and Caitlin Clark converted a layup to tie the game. The Hawkeyes then got a stop on the final possession to force overtime. In the extra session, Nebraska's Logan Nissley hit a 3-pointer to give the Huskers an 87-86 lead with 1:11 to play. But Clark followed that up with a triple of her own, putting the Hawks on top for good. Iowa's win on Sunday marked its third straight Big Ten Tournament championship.
- Nebraska top performers
- Alexis Markowski: 23 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists
- Jaz Shelley: 16 points, 13 assists, 6 rebounds
- Natalie Potts: 21 points, 9 rebounds
- Logan Nissley: 13 points, 4 made 3-pointers
- Iowa top performers
- Caitlin Clark: 34 points, 12 assists, 7 rebounds
- Hannah Stuelke: 25 points, 9 rebounds
- Sydney Affolter: 11 points, 11 rebounds
- Kate Martin: 13 points, 4 made 3-pointers
Semifinal results (Saturday)
- Game 11: No. 5 Nebraska def. No. 8 Maryland 78-68 (OT)
- Recap: The 3-point line was a huge difference in Saturday's first semifinal game between Nebraska and Maryland. The Huskers knocked down 10 shots from long range in the first half and finished the game making 13-of-28. Jaz Shelley was particularly hot from distance, hitting six-of-12 shots from behind the 3-point line. The senior guard finished the game with 30 points and nine assists in the victory. As well as Nebraska played in the first half, Maryland kept it close at halftime, only trailing 47-40. The Terrapins closed the gap to 60-59 entering the fourth quarter, setting up for an exciting finish. But the Huskers started the final quarter on a 12-2 run, extending the lead to 72-61. As Maryland tried to make a surge late, Shelley delivered a knockout punch with 1:25 left, hitting a floater to put the Huskers up 74-66. Alexis Markowski finished the game with 13 rebounds and nine points in Nebraska's win. Shyanne Sellers scored 15 points, dished out seven assists and had six rebounds for the Terrapins. Faith Masonius finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.
- Game 12: No. 2 Iowa def. No. 6 Michigan 95-68
- Recap: Michigan looked like it came ready to fight second-seeded Iowa on Saturday afternoon. The Wolverines got off to a hot start, leading by as many as eight points and taking a 25-22 advantage into the second quarter. That's when things began to shift. Caitlin Clark had a double-double by the time the halftime buzzer sounded, Iowa owned a 51-42 lead. That was about as close as it got the rest of the way. Clark ended the game with 28 points and 15 assists and Hannah Stuelke added 16 points. Kate Martin and Sydney Affolter scored 13 and 12, respectively. As a team, the Hawkeyes shot a sizzling 61.3% from the floor and accounted for 30 assists on 38 made field goals. Michigan was led by Laila Phelia, who scored 21 points. With Iowa's win, the Hawkeyes have a shot to win their third consecutive Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament title.
Quarterfinal results (Friday)
- Game 7: No. 87 Maryland def. No. 1 Ohio State 82-61
- Recap: Our first upset of the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament occurred in the first game of the quarterfinal round. Maryland used a dominant second quarter to take down top-seeded Ohio State and advance to Saturday's semifinal round. The Terrapins outscored the Buckeyes 26-13 in the second quarter, overcoming a first-quarter deficit and taking a 38-30 advantage into halftime. Maryland expanded on its lead at the end of the third quarter and led by as many as 22 points to steal a game in Minneapolis. Shyanne Sellers was sensational, scoring 25 points with seven assists and eight rebounds. Faith Masonius posted a 15-point, 11-rebounds double-double for the Terrapins. Maryland also crushed Ohio State on the boards, winning the rebounding battle 55-31. It was the first win over a ranked opponent for the Terps.
- Game 8: No. 5 Nebraska def. No. 4 Michigan State 73-61
- Recap: Nebraska is heading to the semifinal round of the Big Ten Tournament after taking down Michigan State in the second game of the first session. The Huskers outscored the Spartans 41-20 in the second and third quarters, building an insurmountable 62-42 advantage entering the fourth quarter. Just like the regular season meeting between the two teams, Nebraska dominated the glass, winning the rebounding battle 44-30. That included 16 offensive boards. First-team All-Big Ten forward Alexis Markowski recorded another double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in the win. Big Ten Freshman of the Year Natalie Potts also had a double-double with 15 points and 11 boards. Jaz Shelley had 17 points and five assists. Julia Ayrault was the standout for Michigan State, scoring 25 points. This marks the second time Nebraska has reached the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament in the last three seasons.
- Game 9: No. 2 Iowa def. No. 7 Penn State 95-62
- Recap: This one was over pretty early. Iowa jumped out to a 10-0 lead in the first 3:30 of the quarterfinal game and never looked back. The Hawkeyes owned a 31-13 advantage over Penn State after the first quarter, and while the Nittany Lions did make a few runs throughout the course of the game, they never really got within striking distance. Caitlin Clark ended the game with a double-double, scoring 24 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the win. She also dished out seven assists. Four other Hawkeyes reached double figures — Sydney Affolter finished with 18, Gabbie Marshall added 15, Taylor McCabe scored 12 and Kate Martin ended with 11. Iowa made 15-of-44 attempts from behind the 3-point line and converted on 26-of-30 free throw attempts in the game. Penn State's Leilani Kapinus ended the night with 19 points and Ashley Owusu scored 18. Iowa became the first team with a double-bye in this year's tournament to earn a win in the quarterfinal round.
- Game 10: No. 6 Michigan def. No. 3 Indiana 69-56
- Recap: No deficit is insurmountable ... apparently. Michigan trailed by as much as 17 points in Thursday's quarterfinal game to Indiana, but a massive second half performance led the Wolverines to a 13-point victory over the Hoosiers. Michigan outscored Indiana 48-21 in the final 20 minutes of the quarterfinal game, and finished the contest making 6-of-14 from 3-point range. Laila Phelia had a massive night for Michigan, scoring 30 points, grabbing four rebounds and dishing out four assists. Lauren Hanson had 16 points and Jordan Hobbs and Cameron Williams each had 10 points in the win. Indiana was led by Sara Scalia, who had 14 points. The Hoosiers got just two points off the bench. IU was also without All-Big Ten performer Mackenzie Holmes for most of the game, only playing late in the fourth quarter.
Day 2 results (Thursday)
- Game 3: No. 8 Maryland def. No. 9 Illinois 75-65
- Recap: Illinois got off to an incredibly hot start in Thursday's opening game, building a 24-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. It didn't take long for Maryland to find their footing though, closing the gap to 37-35 by halftime. The Terrapins then turned the tide in the third quarter, going on an 11-0 run in the final 4:27 of the period and taking a 55-50 advantage into the fourth. Illinois continued to hang around, but Maryland held on to get the win. Five Terrapins finished in double figures with Bri McDaniel leading the way with 20-point, 10-rebound double-double. Jakia Brown-Turner scored 14 points and collected eight boards. Allie Kubek came off the bench and gave Maryland 13 points.
- Game 4: No. 5 Nebraska def. No. 12 Purdue 64-56
- Recap: A 14-0 run by Nebraska midway through the fourth quarter was enough for the Huskers to take down Purdue and advance to the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament. The Boilermakers owned a 12-7 lead through the first quarter, but the Huskers eventually found their rhythm offensively, tying the game 25-25 at halftime. Jaz Shelley and Alexis Markowski picked things up in the second half, building a 40-37 advantage after three quarters and eventually breaking the game wide open midway in the fourth quarter. The Boilermakers did make a run in the closing minutes — thanks to seven made 3-pointers from Sophie Swanson — but it was too little, too late. Shelley ended the game with 19 points, seven rebounds and seven assists while Markowski had 12 points, seven boards and six assists.
- Game 5: No. 7 Penn State def. No. 10 Wisconsin 80-56
- Recap: Penn State dominated Thursday evening's game from start to finish. The Nittany Lions jumped out to a 27-15 lead in the first quarter and continued to pour it on over the next three quarters. Kylie Lavelle came off the bench and led the way for Penn State with 14 points. Ashley Osuwu scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds and Leilani Kapinus Makenna Marisa each pitched in 10. The Nittany Lions had a 30-point advantage in the painted area, the biggest difference in the game. The lone bright spot for Wisconsin? Sophomore Serah Williams finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds, her 16th straight double-double. Her accomplishment set a new Big Ten record for consecutive double-double performances.
- Game 6: No. 6 Michigan def. No. 11 Minnesota 76-57
- Recap: The Day 2 finale wasn't much of a contest. Michigan had little trouble with Minnesota, taking a 23-12 lead after one quarter and continuing to build throughout the game. The Gophers just didn't have the same level of firepower to keep up. Michigan's Laila Phelia led the way with 23 points while Lauren Hansen added 14. The Wolverines got a significant contribution from Cameron Williams off the bench, dishing out 11 assists to go along with three points and two rebounds in the win. Minnesota's Amaya Battle had another stellar night, scoring 22 points for the Golden Gophers.
Day 1 results (Wednesday)
- Game 1: No. 12 Purdue def. No. 13 Northwestern 78-72
- Recap: Senior guard Abbey Ellis stepped up in a big way for the Boilermakers, scoring 25 points and collecting 10 rebounds in Wednesday night's win. Purdue also got 19 points off the bench from Rashunda Jones and 16 rebounds from senior Jeanae Terry. Northwestern led at the end of the first three quarters, taking a 55-52 advantage in the fourth. Purdue scored the first six points of the final period to take a 58-55 lead and never looked back.
- Game 2: No. 11 Minnesota def. No. 14 Rutgers 77-69
- Recap: Minnesota set the tone in the first quarter, jumping out to a 24-14 advantage through the first 10 minutes. The Golden Gophers led by as many as 12 points but Rutgers took the lead at 57-67 early in the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 61-61 with 7:11 to play, Minnesota went on a 9-2 run, which proved to be the turning point in the game. Minnesota's Amaya Battle had a monster outing, scoring 32 points in the victory for the Golden Gophers.
Related Big Ten stories
- NEBRASKA-IOWA CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW: Rivals Iowa and Nebraska will meet in the championship game of the 2024 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament on Sunday in Minneapolis. The two teams split the series in the regular season. Here's what to expect from the matchup between the Hawkeyes and Huskers. CLICK HERE
- MACKENZIE HOLMES SENIOR DAY VIDEO: Here's the full video of Mackenzie Holmes' senior day speech following Indiana women's basketball's 71-54 win over Maryland on Sunday at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. CLICK HERE
- ARIELLE WISNE SENIOR DAY VIDEO: Here's the full video of Arielle Wisne singing the national anthem before Indiana women's basketball's 71-54 win over Maryland on senior day at Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall, plus her postgame tribute video. CLICK HERE
Published