Arizona State's Big 12 Tournament Fate Finalized After Season Finale

The Sun Devils are heading into Kansas City in need of victories to earn a tournament bid.

Arizona State women's basketball coach Molly Miller instructs her team against Texas Tech in a Big 12 game Sunday, March 1, 2026, at United Supermarkets Arena. | Stephen Garcia/Avalanche-Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TEMPE -- The Arizona State women's basketball team (22-9, 9-9 Big 12) concluded the 2025-26 regular season on Sunday afternoon with a disappointing 58-51 loss to the Texas Tech Red Raiders in what was yet another opportunity to boost their NCAA tournament resumé.

The Sun Devils now stand in the "next four out" of the tournament bubble as of Monday morning per ESPN's Charlie Creme - this placement casts serious doubt on ASU reaching the 68-team field for the first time since the 2018-19 season after starting the season 15-0, but there will be impending opportunities to work their way back onto the right side of the bubble this week in the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City.

Arizona State on SI examines the path that the Sun Devils must take to ultimately reach the field in the coming days below.

ASU Sun Devils guard Marley Washenitz (11) looks to pass the ball against the Kansas State Wildcats at Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Feb. 1, 2026. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Wednesday: 15 Seed Arizona

Arizona State's .500 conference record ensured that they would have to play in the first day of the conference tournament - with their bitter rival in the Arizona Wildcats serving as their first challenge.

While Arizona State swept the regular season series, those wins did not come easy in any imagination of the word. The Sun Devils had to storm back to defeat the Wildats by a score of 68-61 in the first meeting in Tempe. The victory was followed up by a 75-69 win in Tucson on February 14 in a game that required forward McKinna Brackens to hit a game-tying shot to force overtime.

This victory is necessary, but recent history presents the notion that this will be a competitive game rather than a seamless triumph.

Thursday: 7 Seed Iowa State

Arizona State lost to Iowa State on the road in a lopsided contest just two weeks ago - the Cyclones dominated virtually every aspect of the game, eventually building up a lead that capped off at 33.

Iowa State forward Audi Crooks proved to be a major challenge for the typically stingy Arizona State defense, while forward McKinna Brackens put together a strong 10-13 shooting performance that wasn't supported by the rest of the team.

Friday: 2 Seed West Virginia

West Virginia would likely serve as the final game that Arizona State "must win" to get back into the tournament field.

The Sun Devils fell to the Mountaineers on the road in a game back in January - one that the former eventually dropped after entering the fourth quarter with a three-point lead.

If Arizona State defeats Iowa State and West Virginia, it should be expected that it would be enough to be selected to the tournament, but nothing will be guaranteed and everything would have to be earned in the process.

Read more on the bold strategy that head coach Bobby Hurley employed with comments on 1/21 here, and on why Arizona State may have saved the season with the win over Cincinnati on Saturday here..

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