Teams
The inaugural WBCA Challenge tips off November 13 and 15, 2025, at Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Featuring four 2025 NCAA March Madness tournament teams, Fairfield, North Carolina, South Florida, and UCLA, the two-day event will showcase elite competition and the rising excitement around women’s college basketball.
Fans can expect four thrilling games in the heart of Las Vegas, hosted in the home of the two-time WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces, creating a one-of-a-kind atmosphere for both players and fans.
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY
Fairfield (28-5 in 2024-25) is coming off back-to-back Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history. Head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis (three seasons, 74-22) returns three starters including All-MAAC First-Team honoree and MAAC Championship MVP Meghan Andersen (6-1, junior, road runner) who led the Stags in scoring with 14.8 points per game.
DAVIDSON COLLEGE
North Carolina (29-8 in 2024-25) advanced to the Sweet 16 round in the 2025 NCAA Tournament before falling to ACC-foe Duke. The Tar Heels finished tied for fourth place in the ACC standings (13-5). North Carolina also reached the ACC Tournament semifinals. Head coach Courtney Banghart (6 seasons, 125-64) returns 10 players from last year’s Sweet 16 run, including Lanie Grant (5-9, sophomore, guard) who was named to the ACC All-Freshman team last season and Reniya Kelly (5-7, junior, guard) who was a 2025 All-ACC Second Team selection.
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (Florida)
South Florida (23-11 in 2024-25) won its second American Athletic Conference championship and made its 10th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history last season. Head coach Jose Fernandez (25 seasons, 485-317) returns seven players for the Bulls’ 2025-26 campaign, including Carla Brito (5-11, senior, forward), an AAC All-Conference Second Team selection and the 2025 AAC Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, and L’or Mputu (6-2, graduate, forward) who was named the 2025 AAC Most Improved Player.
UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
UCLA (34-3 in 2024-25) is following its most successful season in program history. The Bruins won the Big Ten championship in their first year in the league, earned the overall No. 1 seed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, and advanced to the NCAA Women’s Final Four before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut in the national semifinals. Head coach Cori Close (14 seasons, 321-143) returns star player, Lauren Betts (6-7, senior, center), who last season was named the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and the WBCA, the WBCA Defensive Player of the Year, and a WBCA Coaches’ All-American.