CAA Women's Basketball

5 Things To Know About William & Mary Women's Basketball CAA Tournament Win

5 Things To Know About William & Mary Women's Basketball CAA Tournament Win

William & Mary Women's Basketball secured a championship win at the 2025 CAA Women's Basketball Tournament on March 15. Here are 5 things to know.

Mar 17, 2025 by Caden Senn
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The Coastal Athletic Association that was once ruled by Old Dominion in the 1990s and 2000s has a new champion to add to the history books.

On Sunday, March 16, No. 9 William & Mary Women's Basketball did the unthinkable and defeated No. 3 Campbell in the CAA Finals, capping off a tournament run with upsets over the No. 8, No. 4 and No. 1 teams in the CAA.

William & Mary was previously listed as one of nine teams in the CAA that had never won the tournament championship, but its 66-63 win over Campbell has since removed the team from that list.

Oddly enough, the CAA Championship had already been set up to be claimed by one of those nine championship-less teams, with the three teams at the top of the bracket being a part of that list.

But in the end, it was neither No. 1 North Carolina A&T, No. 2 Charleston or No. 3 Campbell.

With history made for the CAA's No. 9-ranked team, here are five things to know about William & Mary Women's monumental win at the 2025 CAA Women's Basketball Tournament.

1. William & Mary Claimed Its First CAA Tournament Championship After Defeating Campbell

William & Mary Women's Basketball was one of the nine teams going into the 2025 season that had not won a CAA Championship.

The team has played since 1919, entering Division I status in 1984. They appeared in the CAA Tournament final in 1993, but lost to Old Dominion, the team that won the CAA Women's Championship for 17 years straight.

The Tribe's win also secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament, serving as the team's first appearance.

2. William & Mary Women's Overcame A 14-Point Deficit In The Championship Game

The final game started with Campbell going on a 14-0 run, ended by a two-pointer by Bella Nascimento.

The game would continue to prove volatile, with Campbell taking two 13-point leads in the second and third quarter.

Nonetheless, William & Mary would find enough momentum in the third quarter to cut down the lead, and keep it in the fourth quarter to secure the win.

3. The Tribe's Bella Nascimento Scored A Career-High 33 Points And 11 Rebounds In The Final

Bella Nascimento earned the CAA Most Outstanding Player after recording a career-high in points scored and rebounds during the final.

Nascimento's scoring was assisted by two more double-digit performances, one from Rebekah Frisby-Smith with 12 points, and one from Cassidy Geddes with 10 points.

4. WM Women's Basketball Forced Overtime In Its Second Game Of The Championships

The Tribe faced the CAA's No. 1-ranked team in the second game of the tournament, setting up what could have been the end of the team's 2025 season.

Yet in its battle against the reigning leaders of the CAA, North Carolina A&T, William & Mary was able to force the game into overtime with a hot streak of scoring in the last few minutes.

The Tribe would then lengthen that streak to pull off a 10-2 run to close out the overtime period, securing a 74-66 victory. 

5. No. 9 WM Women's Defeated The No. 1, 3, 4 & 8 Teams During The Tournament

William & Mary started its tournament journey with a well-fought 76-65 win over No. 8 Hofstra.

It would follow up with its spectacular overtime battle against No. 1 North Carolina A&T, dominating the last minutes of the game in a 74-66 win.

The Tribe then racked up a 22-point win over No. 4 Drexel in the semifinals, leaving one last game in their way.

Despite some early scoring struggles, the Tribe would eventually pull away with the final win they needed at the tournament, defeating No. 3 Campbell 66-63.

The Tribe will face the NCAA Division I Tournament next, taking on High Point University in the tournament's First Four Round.

When Does The 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament Start?

The First Four games of the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament will take place March 19-20.

The first round of the tournament is March 21-22. The second round is March 23-24. 

The Sweet 16 is set for March 28-29. The Elite Eight is March 30-31. 

The Final Four is on April 4.

The championship game is scheduled for April 6 at 3 p.m. Eastern, live on ABC.

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