1 Key Women's Player From Every Mid-Major March Madness Team

You know all about the five Power Conferences in women’s college basketball, and they make up a significant portion of the March Madness bracket. There are at least 26 mid-major teams in each year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament however — 27 this year — and we’re here to tell you about their most important players. The ones that will have to thrive for their teams to have a chance to advance.

Before The Big Dance begins, here is the key player from each mid-major team competing in the 2026 Women’s Basketball Tournament, organized by seeding. 

Samford, Briana Rivera: The Bulldogs’ sophomore guard transferred from Austin Peay, where she played just 12.4 minutes per game as a freshman. With Samford, she broke out as a starter averaging over 30 minutes and used that time to lead the entire country in made 3-pointers: Rivera sank 109 shots from beyond the arc, one of just two players to reach triple-digits in the category, and her 36.5% shooting percentage from deep led the Southern Conference. While her defense doesn’t match the quality of teammates like center Emily Bowman, Rivera’s 3-point shooting will be at the top of the scouting report for tournament opponents.

SFA, Makana Gardner: Harmonie Dominguez might have finished third in Division I in 3-pointers, but sophomore forward Makana "Cha" Gardner is the more complete threat. She’s second on the team in Offensive Rating behind Dominguez, at 107.5to her 109.5, but she is also second on the Ladyjacks in Defensive Rating, at 86.2, and averaging 14.9 rebounds per 100 possessions. The 6-foot-3 Gardner averages just 21.4 minutes per game, but they are impactful ones.

Jocelyn Tate's defense off the bench is vital to Southern. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Souther