Make it five consecutive appearances for the Tigers.
Princeton women’s basketball (26–3 overall, 12–2 Ivy League) is going dancing. On Selection Sunday, the Tigers were announced as a No. 9 seed, playing their first March Madness game against No. 8 seed Oklahoma State (23–9, 12–6). This is the Princeton’s fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance since the tournament’s return after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It’s always great to see your name called during the Selection Show no matter how times it has happened,” Head Coach Carla Berube told The Daily Princetonian. “I’m excited for my players and staff as we head out to Los Angeles and prepare for Oklahoma State.”
The team will be playing in Pauley Pavillion at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), which is in the home state of many of Princeton’s players.
“Very excited for the weather, obviously, but it’s also a homecoming for three of our players,” junior forward Fadima Tall told the ‘Prince.’
“I’m also thrilled for Skye [Belker], Ashley [Chea] and Emily [Eadie] as they get a chance to go home,” Berube added. “It’s always a great honor to be in the NCAA Tournament and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to represent Princeton University.”
The Tigers are riding a high. After defeating Harvard (18–11, 10–4) just yesterday in the Ivy League Tournament Final, the team rode the bus back to Princeton peacefully, knowing that they had secured their spot in the NCAA Tournament with an automatic bid.
This sentiment is a far cry from last year. Losing in the Ivy League Tournament Semifinals yielded an uncertain fate for the young 2025 Princeton squad, and ordinarily would have squashed their hopes of making it to the NCAA Tournament. However, the Orange and Black stamped their names into the history books in being selected as one of three Ivy League teams making it to the big dance, the first time the conference had achieved such a feat.
After winning the Ivy League Tournament, Harvard had earned an automatic win to March Madness, and the competitiveness of the league caught national attention, propelling both Columbia and Princeton into positions to receive at-large bids. The Tigers were a part of the first four, earning an 11th seed that required them to play and defeat another 11th seeded team to earn their spot in the main 64-team bracket. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they were narrowly defeated by the Iowa State Cyclones by a score of 68–63.
This year, the Tigers aim to avenge their early exit and earn an opportunity to play No. 1 UCLA, who they lost to two seasons ago by just three points.
“I’m excited for the chance to play the team we lost to two years ago and hopefully beat Oklahoma State,” Tall told the ‘Prince.’ “Oklahoma State is a really, really good matchup, they look very similar to us. We’re so excited to see how that works out.”
The Tigers will travel to California later this week for their game on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
Lily Pampolina is a head Sports editor for the ‘Prince.’
Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.
Editor’s note: The article has been updated to reflect the time the Tigers will be playing at.
Read More
No. 19 women’s lacrosse loses to No. 21 Virginia 12–10 despite strong first-half performance
Kai KimPrinceton women's lacrosse fell to Virginia despite a strong first half performance.
Princeton women's lacrosse fell to Virginia despite a strong first half performance.
Men’s ice hockey sweeps Union in ECAC Quarterfinals
Lily PampolinaThe Tigers are heading to the ECAC semifinals in upstate New York.
The Tigers are heading to the ECAC semifinals in upstate New York.
Back on top: Women’s basketball stifles Harvard in Ivy League Tournament Final
Lily PampolinaThe Tigers reclaimed the Ivy League Tournament title by defeating Harvard.
The Tigers reclaimed the Ivy League Tournament title by defeating Harvard.