Women's NCAA basketball 2025-26 nonconference impact games

In a discussion on SEC Now, Kim Caldwell, Janiah Barker, and Talaysia Cooper highlighted Tennessee's approach to playing freely, enabling their top players to perform at their best, which sets the tone for the team's strategy in the upcoming college basketball season.

The news underscores the critical importance of November and December games in building NCAA tournament résumés, as these early matchups shape the season's narrative and heavily influence the selection committee's decisions on seeding and tournament entry, despite the greater attention on February and March.

Examples from last season illustrate this point: UConn's nonconference losses cost them a No. 1 seed for the second straight year, even as they won the national championship, while Tennessee's weak nonconference schedule may have prevented a top-four seed after a 3-5 start in SEC play.

This season, teams have scheduled tougher early games to avoid similar pitfalls, with Tennessee facing opponents like NC State, Louisville, and UCLA; UCLA playing five top-15 teams by November's end; and Duke encountering four top-20 programs in the first two months, all aiming to strengthen their tournament cases through these challenges.

Key November games that could impact future tournament outcomes include Duke vs. Baylor in Paris on Nov. 3, featuring debuts of players like Emilee Skinner and Taliah Scott; NC State vs. Tennessee on Nov. 4, with both teams undergoing transitions and adding new talent such as Zoe Brooks and Janiah Barker; and other matchups that will be referenced in March for evaluating team performances and seedings.