Colorado Women's Basketball's Updated March Madness Projection Amid Winning Streak

After winning its last three Big 12 Conference games, the Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team is now fully in the NCAA Tournament conversation.

ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme released his latest women's March Madness projection on Tuesday morning, and Colorado was a "First Four Out" team alongside Arizona State, Richmond and Virginia. It'll require a strong push, but coach JR Payne's Buffs are within reach of their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2023-24.

Colorado Women's Basketball Updated March Madness Projection Winning Streak NCAA Tournament Jade Masogayo Desiree Wooten CU — Oct 21, 2025; Kansas City, MO, USA; Colorado head coach JR Payne speaks to media during Big 12 Womenís Basketball Media Day at T-Mobile Center. Mandatory Credit: Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images | Sophia Scheller-Imagn Images

Led by Desiree Wooten, Jade Masogayo and Zyanna Walker, Colorado is 15-7 overall and 6-4 in Big 12 play. The Buffs, who sit sixth in the conference standings, will look to make some ground on Wednesday with a massive home game against the No. 20 West Virginia Mountaineers.

"This is probably one of the closest teams I've ever been a part of in 25 years of coaching," Payne said after beating Kansas on Sunday, per CUBuffs.com. "They believe in each other, they believe in us, we believe in them. It's a very, very cohesive group, so there's not really anything that can happen on the court that will throw a wrench into that. We might not play perfect, but certainly, we're going to stay connected and be able to execute down the stretch because of that cohesiveness."

Prior to Sunday's overtime win in Lawrence, Colorado took down Oklahoma State and Kansas State to close January.

Wooten, a transfer from North Texas, leads the Buffs with 12.1 points per game, followed by Masogayo (11.5) and Walker (11.4). Rhode Island transfer Anaelle Dutat has also come on strong with a team-high 8.5 rebounds per game.

Only a freshman, forward Logyn Greer hasn't been quite as impactful in Big 12 play, but her 9.3 points and 5.1 rebounds per game bodes well for Colorado's future.

"Logyn, she's just barely scratching the surface of what she's going to end up contributing as a basketball player," Payne said, per CU. "She can do a little bit of everything."

Big 12 Teams in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Picture

Creme's latest projection featured eight Big 12 teams in the NCAA Tournament and another three on the bubble.

Iowa State Cyclones (No. 9 seed)
BYU Cougars (No. 12 seed/Last Four In)
Utah Utes (No. 11 seed/Last Four In)
West Virginia Mountaineers (No. 5 seed)
TCU Horned Frogs (No. 3 seed)
Oklahoma State Cowgirls (No. 8 seed)
Baylor Bears (No. 5 seed)
Texas Tech Red Raiders (No. 6 seed)
Arizona State Sun Devils (First Four Out)
Colorado Buffaloes (First Four Out)
Kansas Jayhawks (Next Four Out)

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Colorado's Path To NCAA Tournament

With eight regular season games left, including three against ranked opponents, Colorado will have ample opportunity to burst into the preferred side of the NCAA Tournament bubble. A winning record and at least one victory over a ranked team should suffice, although a strong Big 12 Tournament may also become necessary.