2026 NCAA Women's Basketball All-Americans

2026 NCAA Women's Basketball All-Americans
Members of the 2026 All-America first team (AP, USBWA, ESPN, TSN). Clockwise from upper left: Betts, Blakes and Strong.
Awarded for2025–26 NCAA Division I women's basketball season

An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not compete together as a unit, the term is used in U.S. team sports to refer to players who are selected by members of the national media. Walter Camp selected the first All-America team in the early days of American football in 1889.[1] The 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball All-Americans are honorary lists that include All-American selections from the Associated Press (AP), ESPN, The Sporting News (TSN), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) for the 2025–26 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The AP, TSN and USBWA choose three teams, while ESPN has two teams and the WBCA has one list of 10 honorees.

A consensus All-America team in women's basketball has never been organized. This differs from the practice in men's basketball, in which the NCAA uses a combination of selections by AP, USBWA, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), and Sporting News to determine a consensus All-America team. The selection of a consensus All-America men's basketball team is possible because all four organizations select at least a first and second team, with only the USBWA not selecting a third team.

Before the 2017–18 season, it was impossible for a consensus women's All-America team to be determined because the AP had been the only body that divided its women's selections into separate teams. The USBWA first named separate teams in 2017–18. The women's counterpart to the NABC, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), continues the USBWA's former practice of selecting a single 10-member (plus ties) team. Before the 2023–24 season, Sporting News did not select an All-America team in women's basketball.[2]

By selector

Associated Press (AP)

Announced on March 18, 2026. The three teams are selected by the same 28-member media panel that vote the AP poll during the season.[3]

First team Second team Third team
Player School Player School Player School
Sarah Strong* UConn Hannah Hidalgo Notre Dame Olivia Olson Michigan
Mikayla Blakes Vanderbilt Joyce Edwards South Carolina Kiki Rice UCLA
Lauren Betts UCLA Olivia Miles TCU Flau'jae Johnson LSU
Madison Booker Texas Audi Crooks Iowa State Toby Fournier Duke
Azzi Fudd UConn Jaloni Cambridge Ohio State Raven Johnson South Carolina

* Unanimous selection

AP Honorable Mention

Honorable mention selections are those who did not make one of the first three teams, but received at least one vote from the media panel.

United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA)

On March 17, 2026, the USBWA announced its 16-member selection, divided into first, second, and third teams.[4]

First team Second team Third team
Player School Player School Player School
Lauren Betts UCLA Madison Booker Texas Raegan Beers Oklahoma
Mikayla Blakes Vanderbilt Jaloni Cambridge Ohio State Toby Fournier Duke
Azzi Fudd UConn Audi Crooks Iowa State Rori Harmon Texas
Hannah Hidalgo Notre Dame Joyce Edwards South Carolina Flau'jae Johnson LSU
Sarah Strong UConn Olivia Miles TCU Olivia Olson Michigan
[a] Kiki Rice UCLA

USBWA Honorable Mention

The Sporting News (TSN)

On March 16, 2026, The Sporting News announced its 15-member selection, divided into first, second and third teams.[5]

First team Second team Third team
Player School Player School Player School
Sarah Strong UConn Joyce Edwards South Carolina Toby Fournier Duke
Mikayla Blakes Vanderbilt Cotie McMahon Ole Miss Flau'jae Johnson LSU
Madison Booker Texas Olivia Miles[b] TCU Jaloni Cambridge Ohio State
Hannah Hidalgo Notre Dame Azzi Fudd UConn Olivia Olson Michigan
Lauren Betts UCLA Audi Crooks Iowa State Raegan Beers Oklahoma

ESPN

On March 11, 2026, ESPN.com was the first to announce its 10-member selection, divided into first and second teams.[6]

First team Second team
Player School Player School
Sarah Strong UConn Madison Booker Texas
Lauren Betts UCLA Joyce Edwards South Carolina
Mikayla Blakes Vanderbilt Olivia Miles TCU
Azzi Fudd UConn Jaloni Cambridge Ohio State
Hannah Hidalgo Notre Dame Olivia Olson Michigan

Notes

  1. ^ The third team had six members due to a tie in voting.
  2. ^ Spelling error; listed as Olivia Myles.

References

  1. ^ The Michigan alumnus. University of Michigan Library. 2010. p. 495. ASIN B0037HO8MY.
  2. ^ "Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins headline Sporting News 2023-24 Women's College Basketball All-America Team". sportingnews.com. March 19, 2024. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  3. ^ "The Associated Press 2025-26 women's college basketball All-America teams". Associated Press. March 18, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
  4. ^ "Betts, Blakes and Strong headline 2025-26 USBWA Women's All-America Team". United States Basketball Writers Association. March 17, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
  5. ^ Bender, Bill (March 16, 2026). "The Sporting News 2025-26 Women's College Basketball All-America Team". The Sporting News. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  6. ^ "Women's college basketball awards: Strong leads picks, All-Americans". ESPN.com. March 11, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
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