Pac-12 women's basketball tournament | |
---|---|
Conference basketball championship | |
Sport | Basketball |
Conference | Pac-12 Conference |
Number of teams | 10 (2002–2011) 12 (2012–2024) 8+ (2027–future) |
Format | Single-elimination tournament |
Current stadium | Michelob Ultra Arena |
Current location | Paradise, NV |
Played | 2002–2024, 2027–future |
Last contest | 2024 |
Current champion | USC (2) |
Most championships | Stanford Cardinal (15) |
TV partner(s) | Pac-12 Network and ESPN |
Official website | Pac-12.com Women's Basketball |
Host stadiums | |
McArthur Court (2002) HP Pavilion (2003–2008) Galen Center (2009, 2010, 2012) Staples Center (2011) KeyArena (2013–2018) MGM Grand Garden Arena (2019, 2024) Michelob Ultra Arena (2020–2023) | |
Host locations | |
Eugene, Oregon (2002) San Jose, California (2003–2008) Los Angeles, California (2009–2012) Seattle, Washington (2013–2018) Paradise, Nevada (2019–present) |
The Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament, otherwise known as the Pac-12 tournament, was the annual concluding tournament for the NCAA women's college basketball in the Pac-12. After a six-year run at KeyArena in Seattle from 2013 to 2018, the tournament moved to the Las Vegas Strip, already the location for the Pac-12 men's tournament, for at least 2019 and 2020, due to the closure of KeyArena for major renovations to accommodate the Seattle Kraken.
Seeding is based on regular season records. The Tournament was held every year from 2002 to 2024. From 2002 to 2010, it was called the Pac-10.
On March 5, 2016, the Pac-12 announced that it had agreed to extend its contract to keep the women's tournament in Seattle until 2019.[1] However, the conference ended the contract a season early, moving the women's tournament to the Las Vegas Strip for 2019 and 2020 because KeyArena was slated for a major two-year renovation and upgrade. The 2019 tournament was held at MGM Grand Garden Arena, and the 2020 edition was at Mandalay Bay Events Center.[2]
On October 4, 2019, the Pac-12 announced that it had agreed to extend its contract to keep the women's tournament in Las Vegas until 2022.[3]
The Pac-12 lost all but two of its members after the 2023–24 season, leading the remaining members, Oregon State and Washington State, to become affiliates of the West Coast Conference in most sports, including women's basketball, in 2024–25 and 2025–26.[4] However, in a span of less than three weeks in September 2024, the Pac-12 added six new members effective in 2026–27—Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, Gonzaga, San Diego State, and Utah State.[5][6][7] With eight confirmed members, the conference tournament is likely to resume in 2027.