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5 mid-major women’s college basketball teams that can make serious noise

By Justin Carter

Belmont forward Madison Bartley (3) attempts a shot during a second round NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship game between No. 4 Tennessee and No. 12 Belmont at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Monday, March 21, 2022.Kns Ncaa Lady Vols Belmont
Belmont forward Madison Bartley (3) attempts a shot during a second round NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship game between No. 4 Tennessee and No. 12 Belmont at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, Tenn. on Monday, March 21, 2022.Kns Ncaa Lady Vols Belmont /
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South Dakota State’s Myah Selland dribbles down the court in a semifinal basketball game against Oral Roberts on Monday, March 7, 2022, at the Summit League Tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.Sdsu Oru Women 004
South Dakota State’s Myah Selland dribbles down the court in a semifinal basketball game against Oral Roberts on Monday, March 7, 2022, at the Summit League Tournament at the Denny Sanford Premier Center in Sioux Falls.Sdsu Oru Women 004 /

The women’s college basketball landscape may be more top-heavy than the men’s but there are still plenty of mid-major programs that could make some noise.

When it comes to women’s college basketball, a lot of people like to focus on the big teams. And that makes sense: upsets during the NCAA Tournament are rarer than they are on the men’s side, so you can kind of reliably know by March which 10 teams are in contention for a Final Four spot.

But that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of good basketball being played at the mid-major level, because there is. And it doesn’t mean a mid-major can’t make noise in March. Last year, South Dakota made a Sweet Sixteen run, and we saw Gonzaga, Belmont, Florida Gulf Coast, Princeton and UCF all score upset wins in the first round.

So, who are some women’s college basketball mid-majors to keep an eye on this season?

5. South Dakota State (AP No. 23)

One of two mid-major teams that are ranked in the AP poll, the Jackrabbits went 29-9 last season and were 17-1 in Summit League play. They lost to South Dakota in the conference tournament final though, which doomed a really good South Dakota State team to the WNIT. They proceeded to win, dominating Seton Hall 82-50 in the title game behind a true team effort, with five players finishing in double figures, led by Kallie Theisen’s 16 points.

This year’s team returns a lot of production. The top four scorers on last year’s team — Myah Selland, Paiton Burckhard, Paige Meyer and Tori Nelson — are all back this season. That level of continuity makes South Dakota State a scary team to face. They were 21st in the nation in scoring offense last year. With another year together, this core should challenge to be a top-15 offense.