By Scott Ratcliffe
The 49th edition of the Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament tips off with Wednesday’s first round at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Ga. Virginia received the 8-seed and will face No. 9-seed Clemson in the second round on Thursday morning (11 a.m., ACC Network).
Both the Cavaliers (19-10, 11-7 ACC) and Tigers (20-10, 11-7) are firmly on the NCAA bubble, and a win Thursday would certainly boost their respective postseason hopes, while a loss could be crippling. Both teams were 10-seeds and among the last two byes (avoiding the First Four) in the latest “Bracketology” by ESPN’s Charlie Creme on Monday.
Thursday’s winner could increase their chances even more against top-seeded, No. 13 Duke (21-8, 16-2) to kick off Friday’s quarterfinal round (11 a.m., ESPN2).
Creme’s latest projections have the Cavaliers, Tigers and seven other ACC schools going dancing — third-most behind the B1G (12) and SEC (11) — in a few weeks: Duke (3-seed), Louisville (3-seed), North Carolina (5-seed), Notre Dame (6-seed), NC State (7-seed), Virginia Tech (9-seed) and Syracuse (9-seed).
On Thursday, Virginia has the edge on paper, with a NET ranking of 36 (as of Wednesday) compared to Clemson’s 44. In the teams’ only meeting in the regular season on New Year’s Day, the Cavaliers led by as many as 17 points en route to a 73-63 victory. Both teams went on to win 11 conference contests for the first time in a long time.
“Clemson’s a way better team now,” said UVA head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. “I think we’re a lot different too. I think we’ve grown tremendously. Obviously, we’re coming off two tough [losses], but I think it’s two different teams — two really good teams and two NCAA Tournament teams in my opinion, so I know it’s gonna be a good one.”
Clemson coach Shawn Poppie remembers that game on New Year’s Day clearly, and said there’s a lot his team can improve on from the loss.
“We weren’t very good,” Poppie admitted with a chuckle. “I feel like [the Cavaliers] are playing a little bit different, adding some zone stuff [defensively] in now, but I think that we can lean on that we were not very good. We did not execute on either end for most of the game but still had an opportunity. But with that said, we’re kind of both playing for really big stakes, not only the ACC Tournament, but hopefully March Madness.”
The Wahoos dropped their final two regular-season contests, falling behind early against both North Carolina and Virginia Tech at John Paul Jones Arena, providing thrilling rallies that ultimately fell short.
Against the Hokies on Sunday, a controversial foul call against Virginia in the waning seconds led to two free throws that put the Hokies ahead by one, 83-82. The Cavaliers had one last gasp with an inbound pass from near the UVA bench with 1 second left, but Sa’Myah Smith couldn’t convert on her 3-point attempt.
“Slow starts have kind of plagued us a little bit, so we’ve got to make sure we don’t do that,” said Coach Mox. “In [the first meeting], we started great and we need to carry that over. We have to punch first.”
If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!
All-ACC First-Teamer Kymora Johnson has put the Cavaliers on her back on multiple occasions. The 5-foot-7, third-year guard via Charlottesville’s St. Anne’s-Belfield, is averaging 19.3 points (second in the ACC), 4.3 rebounds, 6.0 assists (leads ACC) and 2.2 steals per outing (fourth). She is shooting at a 43-percent clip from the field, 37 percent from 3-point range (sixth) and 87 percent at the free-throw line (second). Johnson also ranks fifth in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.94).
“Obviously, Mo leads the charge, but it’s by committee,” Coach Mox said. “I think we’re a deep team, but we need some consistency from really our starting five, but then our bench too. We’ve had so many different people step up throughout the course of the season.”
Backcourt mate Paris Clark (9.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists per game) is slightly ahead of Johnson with a 1.96 assist-to-turnover ratio. Tabitha Amanze (10.1 ppg, 6.2 boards, 1.5 blocks per game) and Smith (8.1 ppg, 6.6 boards) have been productive in the paint, while Caitlin Weimar (7.7 ppg, 5.7 rpg), Romi Levy (8.0 ppg), Bre Hurd and Gabby White have all also stepped up at various times throughout the campaign.
“It’s by committee,” Agugua-Hamilton reiterated. “I think we have so many people on our team that are capable of stepping up, and so we just want to be together as we move forward in March.”
Coach Mox added that Amanze needs to be a beast in the paint, and described Levy as “a Swiss Army knife” that can do a little bit of everything. She added that Clark has really come into her own and has been a leader, while Smith, an LSU transfer, has played in a national championship game, and Coach Mox noted that “we need her experience” in the postseason.
For the Tigers, 5-6 senior guard Mia Moore is the straw that stirs the drink, averaging a team-high 13.2 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds, 4.9 assists (fifth in the ACC) and a team-best 1.3 steals per game.
Moore has been dealing with a lower-body injury and did not participate in the team’s regular-season finale at Stanford on Sunday. As Poppie explained, she tried to give it a go in warmups and added that “she just needs more time.”
Junior sharpshooter and Georgia Tech transfer Rusne Augustinaite (11.3 ppg) leads the ACC in 3-point percentage (77 for 177; 44 percent), while Taylor Johnson-Matthews (9.2 ppg), Rachael Rose (8.7 ppg) and Demeara Hinds (8.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 60 percent from the field) are also players to keep an eye on.
“For us, we’re focusing on UVA,” Poppie said, adding that he believes his squad is already an NCAA Tournament team. “The more you can add to your resume, the easier it is to put you in there.”
Coach Mox agrees, and is ready for the challenge.
“This ACC Tournament is up for grabs for anybody, and I think it’s going to be super competitive, super exciting, and I hope fans come out and watch that,” she said.
See the full ACC Tournament schedule, bracket, final standings and conference leaders below, along with a full 15-team breakdown with season statistics for each team, players to watch and more.
ALLY ACC WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT
March 4-8, 2026
Gas South Arena • Duluth, Ga.
(All Times ET)
Wednesday, March 4 — First Round
Game 1: No. 13 Stanford vs. No. 12 Miami, 11 a.m. (ACCN)
Game 2: No. 15 Wake Forest vs. No. 10 California, 1:30 p.m. (ACCN)
Game 3: No. 14 Florida State vs. No. 11 Georgia Tech, 4 p.m. (ACCN)
Thursday, March 5 — Second Round
Game 4: No. 9 Clemson vs. No. 8 Virginia, 11 a.m. (ACCN)
Game 5: Winner Game 1 vs. No. 5 Notre Dame, 1:30 p.m. (ACCN)
Game 6: Winner Game 2 vs. No. 7 Syracuse, 5 p.m. (ACCN)
Game 7: Winner Game 3 vs. No. 6 Virginia Tech, 7:30 p.m. (ACCN)
Friday, March 6 — Quarterfinals
Game 8: Winner Game 4 vs. No. 1 Duke, 11 a.m. (ESPN2)
Game 9: Winner Game 5 vs. No. 4 NC State, 1:30 p.m. (ACCN)
Game 10: Winner Game 6 vs. No. 2 Louisville, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
Game 11: Winner Game 7 vs. No. 3 North Carolina, 7:30 p.m. (ACCN)
Saturday, March 7 — Semifinals
Game 12: Winners Games 9 vs. 8, Noon (ESPN2)
Game 13: Winners Games 11 vs. 10, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Sunday, March 8 — Championship
Game 14: Winners Games 12 vs. 13, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
If you want even more award-winning coverage on the UVA athletics department, including its nationally-ranked football and basketball programs, be sure to subscribe to “Cavalier Exclusive” to follow all of Virginia Sports Hall Of Famer Jerry “Hootie” Ratcliffe’s analysis and content. It’s the best in the business for Wahoo Fans!
