STEPHENVILLE – For the first time in the Division I Era, Tarleton State Women’s Basketball has been invited for postseason play.
The Texans clinched its first-ever Division I postseason berth on Sunday when the Women’s National Invitational Tournament announced that Tarleton State was one of 48 teams to receive a bid for its annual postseason tournament. Tarleton State clinched the WAC’s automatic bid to the event by finishing second in the conference in 2025.
Coming off its best season in the Division I Era, the Texans won a Division I program record 20 games this season en route to finishing second in the WAC standings. Picked to finish sixth in the conference’s preseason poll, the Texans advanced to its first-ever Division I conference semifinal as a No. 2 seed last week. The Texans also finished with a Division I program record 13 wins in Stephenville in the final basketball season at Wisdom Gym, dominating its Wisdom Gym Farewell game on March 6 against California Baptist 75-44.
Under second-year head coach Bill Brock, the Texans improved by nine wins from a year ago in 2024-25. Brock, a three-time national champion from Baylor, is the first coach in program history to guide the Texans to an NCAA postseason event within the first two years leading Tarleton State.
Tarleton State was led by a core of veteran players in 2024-25, including eight seniors (Jakoriah Long, Miannah Little, Arieona Rosborough, Niki Van Wyk, Elise Turrubiates, Tyler Jackson, Alani Fluker and Andjela Bigović). Long, an All-WAC Second Team selection, scored at least 20 points in four different WAC games and also became the first Texan in the Division I Era to record back-to-back 25-point games. Rosborough, a transfer Mary Hardin-Baylor, led the Texans in scoring with 12.2 points per game while setting the Division I single season program record for offensive rebounds (89) and made free throws (123). The Texans also got a lift from 2024 All-WAC Freshman Team selection, Faith Acker, who averaged 17 points and 9.3 rebounds over her last three games.
Powered by Triple Crown Sports, the WNIT enters its 27th season of rewarding the depth found in women’s college basketball. The Postseason WNIT is the longest current running postseason event for women’s college basketball, in addition to the NCAA Tournament, and has afforded hundreds of opportunities for schools in every conference to play in the postseason. Past champions of the WNIT include Kansas, Indiana, Michigan, UCLA, Oklahoma State and other Power 4 conference programs.
Fellow WAC opponents Abilene Christian, UT Arlington and Utah Valley accepted at-large invitations to the 2025 WNIT. Non-league Texas teams in the WNIT field include North Texas, Texas Southern, Lamar and Incarnate Word. Tarleton State has defeated six teams in the tournament field during the 2024-25 season.
Tarleton State’s first round date, tip time, opponent and location are to be determined, with the WNIT bracket scheduled to be revealed on Monday. The Texans have put in a bid to host its first and second round games at Wisdom Gym. Go to TarletonSports.com and @TarletonWBB on X and Instagram for the latest updates and information.
2025 WNIT Teams
Automatic Qualifiers*:
Army West Point (24-7) – Patriot
Bryant (17-14) – America East
Central Arkansas (23-9) – Atlantic Sun
Howard (21-11) – Mid-Eastern Athletic
Lindenwood (21-10) – Ohio Valley
Longwood (22-11) – Big South
Siena (17-13) – Metro Atlantic
Stonehill (17-15) – Northeast
Tarleton State (20-13) – WAC
Texas Southern (16-15) – Southwestern Athletic
Troy (20-13) – Sun Belt
*– Teams that were the highest regular-season finishers in their conference that did not receive a bid into the NCAA Tournament or WBIT.
At-Large:
Abilene Christian (20-12) – WAC
Air Force (18-14) – Mountain West
Alabama A&M (21-10) – Southwestern Athletic
Buffalo (25-7) – Mid-American
Butler (15-17) – Big East
Campbell (21-12) – Coastal Athletic
Chattanooga (16-14) – Southern
Cleveland State (24-9) – Horizon
Coastal Carolina (23-8) – Sun Belt
Colgate (23-9) – Patriot
College of Charleston (24-7) – Coastal Athletic
Coppin State (18-14) – Mid-Eastern
Duquesne (19-12) – Atlantic 10
Illinois State (21-12) – Missouri Valley
Lamar (22-8) – Southland
Lipscomb (20-11) – Atlantic Sun
Louisiana Tech (16-15) – Conference USA
Miami OH (19-11) – Mid-American
Navy (19-11) – Patriot
New Mexico State (17-15) – Conference USA
North Dakota State (19-11) – Summit
North Texas (24-8) – American Athletic
Northwestern State (16-15) – Southland
Old Dominion (17-15) – Sun Belt
Pacific (15-18) – West Coast
Purdue Fort Wayne (25-8) – Horizon
Rutgers (11-19) – Big Ten
Saint Mary’s (14-16) – West Coast
Southern Indiana (22-12) – Ohio Valley
Tulsa (17-14) – American Athletic
UAB (16-15) – American Athletic
UIC (14-17) – Missouri Valley
UIW (18-13) – Southland
UMass (16-14) – Atlantic 10
Utah Valley (18-12) – WAC
UT Arlington (17-13) – WAC
Washington State (20-13) – West Coast
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