# 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season

The 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began on November 11, 2016 and ended with the Final Four title game in Dallas on April 2, 2017, won by South Carolina. Practices officially began on September 30, 2016.

## Season headlines

* April 20 – The NCAA announced its Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions for the 2016–17 school year. A total of 23 Division I programs in 13 sports were declared ineligible for postseason play due to failure to meet the required APR benchmark, with Southern being the only women's basketball team so penalized.
* April 28 – The Atlantic Sun Conference announced that effective with the 2016–17 school year, it would rebrand itself as the ASUN Conference.
* November 2 – The Associated Press preseason All-American team was released. South Carolina forward A'ja Wilson was the leading vote-getter (32 votes). Joining her on the team were Ohio State guard Kelsey Mitchell (31 votes), Notre Dame forward Brianna Turner (29), Baylor forward Nina Davis and Washington guard Kelsey Plum.
* November 23 – In what ESPN called "one of the most bizarre scenarios imaginable at a major sporting event", top-ranked Notre Dame and Louisiana–Lafayette used two different venues during Notre Dame's 91–51 win. The game began at Campbell Center, a high school venue in Houston, but a power outage during the second quarter prompted the teams to complete the game at another venue. Rice, whose women's team had just completed a home game, offered its Tudor Fieldhouse, and the two teams bused to that venue and finished the game there.
* December 5 – The ASUN Conference announced that North Alabama would move from the Division II Gulf South Conference and join the ASUN in 2018.
* January 7 – A bench-clearing brawl broke out during the third quarter of the UNLV–Utah State game after a UNLV player was fouled. Four players from each team were ejected. Three days later, the Mountain West Conference, home to both schools, issued one-game suspensions to three participants in the brawl (two from UNLV and one from Utah State) and reprimanded six other participants.
* January 13 – The Western Athletic Conference announced that California Baptist would move from the Division II Pacific West Conference and join the WAC in 2018.
* January 26 – The Summit League announced that North Dakota, then a member of the Big Sky Conference, would join the league in 2018.
* February 2 – The Colonial Athletic Association announced that two conference wins by Charleston would be treated as Charleston losses for purposes of seeding in the conference tournament, though it did not (and could not) reverse the results. The conference confirmed that the Cougars had provided "improperly sized" basketballs in the two games, though it would not confirm that men's basketballs were used instead of women's balls.

### Milestones and records

* December 8 – In Ohio State's 108–73 win over Southern, the Buckeyes' Kelsey Mitchell became the fastest Division I women's player to reach 2,000 career points, reaching the mark in her 79th game. The previous record of 82 was held by Missouri State's Jackie Stiles.
* December 11 – Kelsey Plum became the all-time leading scorer in Pac-12 Conference history (for either women or men), passing the former record of Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike during Washington's 92–66 win over Boise State.
* December 16 – Baylor defeated Winthrop 140–32, setting a new Division I women's basketball record for victory margin.
* January 10 – UConn crushed South Florida 102–37 to give the Huskies their 90th straight win, equaling the program's own record for the longest winning streak by a Division I team of either sex.
* January 13 – Plum became the 12th player in Division I women's history with 3,000 career points during Washington's 90–73 win over Arizona.
* January 14 – UConn defeated SMU 88–48 for its 91st straight win, establishing a new Division I record streak.
* February 3 – Stanford defeated USC 58–42, giving Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer her 1,000th career win. She joined late Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt and current Duke men's head coach Mike Krzyzewski as the only Division I coaches at that time to reach the milestone.
* February 13 – UConn extended its record winning streak to 100 games with a 66–55 win over South Carolina.
* February 25 – Plum scored 57 points, a school record for either sex, in Washington's 84–77 win over Utah, surpassing Stiles for the top spot on the all-time NCAA Division I women's career scoring list.
* March 6 – In the American Athletic Conference tournament final, UConn's Katie Lou Samuelson made all 10 of her three-point attempts, setting a new women's Division I record for most consecutive three-pointers in a game. The Huskies blasted South Florida 100–44 to enter the NCAA Tournament unbeaten.
* March 18 – In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Texas A&M came back from a 21-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, ending on a 25–1 run to defeat Penn 63–61. This set a new record for largest comeback in the Division I women's tournament, surpassing the previous record of 16 points by Notre Dame in 2001 and Michigan State in 2005.
* March 19 – In the same round, Baylor set two all-time tournament records in its 119–30 pasting of Texas Southern:
** The 89-point margin was the largest ever, surpassing the previous record of 74 set by Tennessee against North Carolina A&T in 1994.
** Baylor's 119 points were the most ever scored in regulation, surpassing the previous record of 116 set by Ohio State in 1998 and equaled twice by UConn, including earlier that same day.
* March 21 – In the second round of the NCAA tournament, Plum surpassed Stiles' D-I record for points in a season, scoring 38 in the Huskies' 108–82 win over Oklahoma and finishing the game with 1,080 points on the season. Plum eventually finished with 1,109 points on the season and 3,527 for her career.
* March 31 – UConn's record winning streak ended at 111 games with a 66–64 overtime loss to Mississippi State on a buzzer-beater by the Bulldogs' Morgan William.

### Coaching wins milestones

* 1000 victories - Tara VanDerveer, Stanford, February 3 versus USC.
* 600 victories - Gordy Presnell, Boise State, December 18 versus Portland.
* 500 victories - Jeff Mittie, Kansas State, December 4 versus Omaha.
* 500 victories - Sandra Rushing, Central Arkansas, February 11 versus Nicholls.
* 500 victories - Kim Mulkey, Baylor, February 25 versus Texas Tech.

## Conference membership changes

Only one school joined a new conference for 2016–17:
| School | Former conference | New conference |
| Coastal Carolina | Big South Conference | Sun Belt Conference |

## Pre-season polls

The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.
Associated Press :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Notre Dame (14) |
| 2 | Baylor (12) |
| 3 | Connecticut (6) |
| 4 | South Carolina (1) |
| 5 | Louisville |
| 6 | Maryland |
| 7 | Ohio State |
| 8 | Texas |
| 9 | UCLA |
| 10 | Mississippi State |
| 11 | Stanford |
| 12 | Florida State |
| 13 | Tennessee |
| 14 | Miami (FL) |
| 15 | Syracuse |
| 16 | Oklahoma |
| 17 | Washington |
| 18 | Arizona State |
| 19 | Kentucky |
| 20 | Florida |
| 21 | DePaul |
| 22 | West Virginia |
| 23 | Indiana |
| 24 | Missouri |
| 25 | Oregon State |
USA Today Coaches :
| Ranking | Team |
| 1 | Connecticut (18) |
| 2 | Notre Dame (8) |
| 3 | South Carolina (3) |
| 4 | Baylor (2) |
| 5 | Maryland |
| 6 | Ohio State |
| 7 | Texas (1) |
| 8 | Louisville |
| 9 | UCLA |
| 10 | Stanford |
| 11 | Mississippi State |
| 12 | Florida State |
| 13 | Syracuse |
| 14 | Tennessee |
| 15 | Washington |
| 16 | Arizona State |
| 17 | Oregon State |
| 18 | Oklahoma |
| 19 | Kentucky |
| 20 | Miami (FL) |
| 21 | DePaul |
| 22 | Michigan State |
| 23 | Texas A&M |
| 24 | Florida |
| 25 | West Virginia |

## New arenas

* South Dakota opened the new Sanford Coyote Sports Center. The completion of the 6,000-seat venue saw the South Dakota men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball teams move out of the considerably larger DakotaDome, which remains home to football, track & field, and swimming & diving. The first women's basketball game in the new arena was the opening leg of a November 13 doubleheader with the men's team, with the Coyotes defeating Stephen F. Austin 80–74.
* North Dakota State opened the renovated Scheels Center. This completion brought the previously outdated Bison Sports Arena up to full Division 1 standards. The arena resumed competition of their men's basketball, women's basketball, and wrestling teams inside the Scheels Center. The renovated arena seats 5,700 people on the North side of NDSU's campus in Fargo, North Dakota. The first women's game played in the renovated arena was an exhibition on November 3, 2016 against NCAA Division II Bemidji State, the Bison winning that game 79-59. The first official women's game was on November 12, 2016; the Bison beat Dickinson State University 70-63.
In addition, Alabama returned women's home games to Coleman Coliseum, home to Alabama men's basketball since the venue's opening in 1968. The Crimson Tide women began play in 1974 at Foster Auditorium, and split home games between the two facilities until moving full-time into the Coliseum in 1981. The women would move back to Foster near the end of the 2010–11 season, and used that as their main venue until returning to the Coliseum.
This proved to be the final season for four Division I teams in their then-current venues.
* DePaul left its current on-campus home of McGrath–Phillips Arena for the new off-campus Wintrust Arena, a 10,000-seat venue that opened in October 2017 at the McCormick Place convention center on Chicago's Near South Side. The new arena also houses the DePaul men's team.
* NJIT left one on-campus venue for another. The aging Fleisher Center (capacity 1,600) was replaced by the Wellness and Events Center (capacity 3,500) for the 2017–18 season.
* Robert Morris closed the Charles L. Sewall Center, home to the Colonials since 1985, in June 2017. The UPMC Events Center is currently being built at the Sewall Center site and is scheduled to open in the middle of the 2018–19 basketball season. Until that time, the Colonials are playing at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, which was built at the school's North Athletic Complex as part of the UPMC Events Center project and opened in September 2017.
* Wofford also moved within its campus, going from Benjamin Johnson Arena (capacity 3,500) to the slightly smaller Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium (capacity 3,400).

## Regular season
### Early preseason tournament
#### Tournament upsets

For this list, an "upset" is defined as a win by a team seeded 7 or more spots below its defeated opponent.
| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Region | Round |
| March 18 | Oregon (10) | 71–70 | Temple (7) | Bridgeport | Round of 64 |
| March 18 | Quinnipiac (12) | 68–65 | Marquette (5) | Lexington | Round of 64 |
| March 20 | Oregon (10) | 74–65 | Duke (2) | Bridgeport | Round of 32 |
| March 20 | Quinnipiac (12) | 85–78 | Miami (FL) (4) | Bridgeport | Round of 32 |
| March 25 | Oregon (10) | 77–63 | Maryland (2) | Bridgeport | Sweet Sixteen |

### Conference winners and tournaments

Each of the 32 Division I athletic conferences ends its regular season with a single-elimination tournament. The team with the best regular-season record in each conference is given the number one seed in each tournament, with tiebreakers used as needed in the case of ties for the top seeding. The winners of these tournaments receive automatic invitations to the 2017 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. This will be the first season in which the Ivy League holds a conference tournament.
| Conference | Regular season winner | Conference player of the year | Conference Coach of the Year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue (city) | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | New Hampshire | Carlie Pogue, New Hampshire | Maureen Magarity, New Hampshire | 2017 America East women's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Albany |
| American Athletic Conference | UConn | Napheesa Collier & Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn | Geno Auriemma, UConn & Tonya Cardoza, Temple | 2017 American Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament | Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, CT) | UConn |
| ASUN Conference | Stetson | Brianti Saunders, Stetson | Lynn Bria, Stetson | 2017 ASUN women's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Florida Gulf Coast |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Dayton George Washington | Jackie Kemph, Saint Louis | Jeff Williams, La Salle | 2017 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites Remainder at Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, VA) | Dayton |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Notre Dame | Alexis Peterson, Syracuse | Wes Moore, NC State | 2017 ACC women's basketball tournament | HTC Center (Conway, SC) | Notre Dame |
| Big 12 Conference | Baylor | Brooke McCarty, Texas | Karen Aston, Texas | 2017 Big 12 Conference women's basketball tournament | Chesapeake Energy Arena (Oklahoma City, OK) | West Virginia |
| Big East Conference | Creighton DePaul | Brooke Schulte, DePaul | Doug Bruno, DePaul | 2017 Big East women's basketball tournament | Al McGuire Center (Milwaukee, WI) | Marquette |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana State North Dakota | Peyton Ferris, Montana State | Travis Brewster, North Dakota | 2017 Big Sky Conference women's basketball tournament | Reno Events Center (Reno, NV) | Montana State |
| Big South Conference | Radford | Emma Bockrath, High Point | Ronny Fisher, Campbell | 2017 Big South Conference women's basketball tournament | Vines Center (Lynchburg, VA) | UNC Asheville |
| Big Ten Conference | Maryland Ohio State | Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State | Kim Barnes Arico, Michigan | 2017 Big Ten Conference women's basketball tournament | Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, IN) | Maryland |
| Big West Conference | UC Davis | Channon Fluker, Cal State Northridge | Jennifer Gross, UC Davis | 2017 Big West Conference women's basketball tournament | First round/Quarterfinals at Walter Pyramid (Long Beach, CA) Remainder at Honda Center (Anaheim, CA) | Long Beach State |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Elon | Precious Hall, James Madison | Charlotte Smith, Elon | 2017 CAA women's basketball tournament | JMU Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, VA) | Elon |
| Conference USA | WKU | Jennie Simms, Old Dominion | Joye Lee-McNelis, Southern Miss | 2017 Conference USA women's basketball tournament | First round/Quarterfinals at Bartow Arena (Birmingham, AL) Remainder at Legacy Arena (Birmingham, AL) | WKU |
| Horizon League | Green Bay | Mehryn Kraker, Green Bay | Katrina Merriweather, Wright State | 2017 Horizon League women's basketball tournament | Joe Louis Arena (Detroit, MI) | Green Bay |
| Ivy League | Penn | Michelle Nwokedi, Penn | Mike McLaughlin, Penn | 2017 Ivy League women's basketball tournament | Palestra (Philadelphia, PA) | Penn |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Quinnipiac | Robin Perkins, Rider | Lynn Milligan, Rider | 2017 MAAC women's basketball tournament | Times Union Center (Albany, NY) | Quinnipiac |
| Mid-American Conference | Kent State (East) Central Michigan (West) | Larissa Lurken, Kent State | Todd Starkey, Kent State | 2017 Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites Remainder at Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, OH) | Toledo |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Bethune–Cookman | Te’Shya Heslip, Howard | Vanessa Blair-Lewis, Bethune–Cookman | 2017 MEAC women's basketball tournament | Norfolk Scope (Norfolk, VA) | Hampton |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Drake | Lizzy Wendell, Drake | Jennie Baranczyk, Drake | 2017 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament | iWireless Center (Moline, IL) | Drake |
| Mountain West Conference | Colorado State | Ellen Nystrom, Colorado State | Joe Legerski, Wyoming | 2017 Mountain West Conference women's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, NV) | Boise State |
| Northeast Conference | Robert Morris | Anna Niki Stamolamprou, Robert Morris | Charlie Buscaglia, Robert Morris | 2017 Northeast Conference women's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Robert Morris |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Belmont | Tearra Banks, Austin Peay | Cameron Newbauer, Belmont | 2017 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball tournament | Nashville Municipal Auditorium (Nashville, TN) | Belmont |
| Pac-12 Conference | Oregon State | Kelsey Plum, Washington | Scott Rueck, Oregon State | 2017 Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament | KeyArena (Seattle, WA) | Stanford |
| Patriot League | Bucknell | Claire DeBoer, Bucknell | Aaron Roussell, Bucknell | 2017 Patriot League women's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Bucknell |
| Southeastern Conference | South Carolina | A'ja Wilson, South Carolina | Robin Pingeton, Missouri | 2017 SEC women's basketball tournament | Bon Secours Wellness Arena (Greenville, SC) | South Carolina |
| Southern Conference | Chattanooga Mercer | Kahlia Lawrence, Mercer | Trina Patterson, UNC Greensboro | 2017 Southern Conference women's basketball tournament | U.S. Cellular Center (Asheville, NC) | Chattanooga |
| Southland Conference | Central Arkansas | Taylor Ross, Stephen F. Austin | Sandra Rushing, Central Arkansas | 2017 Southland Conference women's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, TX) | Central Arkansas |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Grambling State Texas Southern | Britney Wright, Alabama State | Freddie Murray, Grambling State | 2017 SWAC women's basketball tournament | Toyota Center (Houston, TX) | Texas Southern |
| The Summit League | Western Illinois | Emily Clemens, Western Illinois | JD Gravina, Western Illinois | 2017 Summit League women's basketball tournament | Denny Sanford PREMIER Center (Sioux Falls, SD) | Western Illinois |
| Sun Belt Conference | Little Rock | Sharde' Collins, Little Rock | Joe Foley, Little Rock | 2017 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament | Lakefront Arena (New Orleans, LA) | Troy |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Cassie Broadhead, BYU | Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga | 2017 West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV) | Gonzaga |
| Western Athletic Conference | New Mexico State | Moriah Mack, New Mexico State | Mark Trakh, New Mexico State | 2017 WAC women's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Las Vegas, NV) | New Mexico State |
* 1 2 3 4 5 Top seed in conference tournament.

## Award winners
### All-America teams

The NCAA has never recognized a consensus All-America team in women's basketball. This differs from the practice in men's basketball, in which the NCAA uses a combination of selections by the Associated Press (AP), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Sporting News, and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) to determine a consensus All-America team. The selection of a consensus team is possible because all four organizations select at least a first and second team, with only the USBWA not selecting a third team.
However, of the major selectors in women's basketball, only the AP divides its selections into separate teams. The women's counterpart to the NABC, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), selects a single 10-member (plus ties) team, as does the USBWA. The NCAA does not recognize Sporting News as an All-America selector in women's basketball.

### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Kelsey Plum, Washington
* Naismith Award: Kelsey Plum, Washington
* Associated Press Player of the Year: Kelsey Plum, Washington
* Wade Trophy: Kelsey Plum, Washington
* Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's Player of the Year (USBWA): Kelsey Plum, Washington
* espnW National Player of the Year: Kelsey Plum, Washington

### Major freshman of the year awards

* USBWA National Freshman of the Year: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
* WBCA Freshman of the Year (inaugural award): Destiny Slocum, Maryland
* espnW Freshman of the Year: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon

### Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut
* WBCA National Coach of the Year: Geno Auriemma, Connecticut

### Other major awards

* Nancy Lieberman Award: Kelsey Plum, Washington
* WBCA Defensive Player of the Year: Gabby Williams, Connecticut
* Senior CLASS Award: Sydney Wiese, Oregon State
* Maggie Dixon Award (top rookie head coach): Shauna Green, Dayton
* Academic All-American of the Year (top scholar-athlete): Ally Disterhoft, Iowa
* Elite 90 Award (top GPA among upperclass players at Final Four): Brittany McPhee, Stanford
* Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award: Angel Elderkin, head coach, Appalachian State & Holly Rowe, broadcaster, ESPN

## Conference standings

2016–17 American Athletic Conference women's basketball standings :
| 2016–17 American Athletic Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 1 UConn †16–0 1.00036–1  .973 Temple13–3 .81324–8  .750 South Florida11–5 .68824–9  .727 UCF9–7 .56321–12  .636 SMU7–9 .43819–15  .559 Tulane7–9 .43818–15  .545 Cincinnati7–9 .43816–14  .533 Memphis7–9 .43814–16  .467 Tulsa5–11 .31310–21  .323 Houston4–12 .25012–19  .387 East Carolina2–14 .12511–19  .367 † 2017 The American Tournament winner As of March 31, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 America East Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT New Hampshire15–1 .93826–6  .813 Albany †12–4 .75021–12  .636 UMBC10–6 .62515–16  .484 Maine9–7 .56318–16  .529 Binghamton8–8 .50013–17  .433 Hartford7–9 .43817–14  .548 Vermont6–10 .3759–20  .310 Stony Brook5–11 .31312–18  .400 UMass Lowell*0–16 .0003–26  .103 † 2017 America East tournament winner As of March 18, 2017 *ineligible for postseason play due to Div. I transitions Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Atlantic 10 women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Dayton †13–3 .81322–10  .688 George Washington13–3 .81320–10  .667 Saint Louis12–4 .75025–9  .735 Saint Joseph's12–4 .75017–15  .531 Fordham11–5 .68822–12  .647 La Salle9–7 .56317–13  .567 Duquesne8–8 .50018–16  .529 VCU8–8 .50016–15  .516 Richmond7–9 .43813–17  .433 George Mason6–10 .37513–17  .433 St. Bonaventure4–12 .2509–20  .310 Davidson4–12 .2506–23  .207 UMass3–13 .1889–21  .300 Rhode Island2–14 .1256–23  .207 † 2017 A10 Tournament winner As of March 20, 2017 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2016–17 ASUN women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Stetson13–1 .92926–7  .788 Florida Gulf Coast †12–2 .85726–9  .743 Jacksonville11–3 .78623–9  .719 Kennesaw State8–6 .57110–20  .333 NJIT4–10 .28611–19  .367 North Florida3–11 .21410–20  .333 Lipscomb3–11 .2146–24  .200 USC Upstate2–12 .1439–21  .300 † 2017 ASUN Tournament winner As of March 18, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 ACC women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 Notre Dame$^†$15–1 .93833–4  .892 No. 9 Duke13–3 .81328–6  .824 No. 10 Florida State13–3 .81328–7  .800 No. 13 Louisville12–4 .75029–8  .784 No. 17 NC State12–4 .75023–9  .719 No. 21 Syracuse11–5 .68822–11  .667 No. 16 Miami (FL)10–6 .62524–9  .727 Virginia7–9 .43820–13  .606 Wake Forest6–10 .37516–16  .500 Georgia Tech5–11 .31322–14  .611 Virginia Tech4–12 .25020–14  .588 Pittsburgh4–12 .25013–17  .433 Clemson3–13 .18815–16  .484 North Carolina3–13 .18815–16  .484 Boston College2–14 .1259–21  .300 † 2017 ACC tournament winner As of March 29, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Big East Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 19 DePaul*16–2 .88927–8  .771 Creighton16–2 .88924–8  .750 Marquette†13–5 .72225–8  .758 St. John's11–7 .61122–12  .647 Villanova11–7 .61120–14  .588 Georgetown9–9 .50017–13  .567 Providence4–14 .22212–18  .400 Xavier4–14 .22212–18  .400 Seton Hall4–14 .22212–19  .387 Butler2–16 .1116–25  .194 † 2017 Big East tournament winner * Tournament #1 seed As of March 29, 2017 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2016–17 Big Sky women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Montana State †15–3 .83325–7  .781 North Dakota15–3 .83320–11  .645 Northern Colorado14–4 .77822–8  .733 Eastern Washington12–6 .66719–14  .576 Idaho11–7 .61119–15  .559 Idaho State10–8 .55619–14  .576 Portland State8–10 .44416–17  .485 Weber State6–12 .33313–18  .419 Sacramento State6–12 .33310–20  .333 Northern Arizona5–13 .2789–21  .300 Montana4–14 .2227–23  .233 Southern Utah2–16 .1117–23  .233 † 2017 Big Sky tournament winner As of March 23, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Big South women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Radford14–4 .77824–9  .727 Campbell13–5 .72221–8  .724 High Point13–5 .72215–14  .517 Liberty12–6 .66711–16  .407 Charleston Southern11–7 .61116–12  .571 Presbyterian10–8 .55612–17  .414 UNC Asheville†9–9 .50018–15  .545 Gardner-Webb6–12 .33311–17  .393 Winthrop1–17 .0562–28  .067 Longwood1–17 .0564–25  .138 † 2017 Big South tournament winner As of March 17, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Big Ten women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Maryland$^†$15–1 .93832–3  .914 No. 11 Ohio State*15–1 .93828–7  .800 Michigan11–5 .68828–9  .757 Indiana10–6 .62523–11  .676 Purdue10–6 .62523–13  .639 Michigan State9–7 .56321–12  .636 Penn State9–7 .56321–11  .656 Northwestern8–8 .50020–11  .645 Iowa8–8 .50020–14  .588 Minnesota5–11 .31315–16  .484 Illinois3–13 .1889–22  .290 Wisconsin3–13 .1889–22  .290 Nebraska3–13 .1887–22  .241 Rutgers3–13 .1886–24  .200 † 2017 Big Ten tournament winner * Tournament #1 seed Rankings from AP poll |
| 2016–17 Big West women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT UC Davis14–2 .87525–8  .758 Long Beach State †12–4 .75023–12  .657 Cal State Northridge10–6 .62518–14  .563 UC Riverside9–7 .56316–15  .516 UC Santa Barbara9–7 .56316–16  .500 Hawaii7–9 .43812–18  .400 Cal Poly7–9 .43811–18  .379 UC Irvine3–13 .1885–26  .161 Cal State Fullerton1–15 .0634–25  .138 † 2017 Big West tournament winner As of March 23, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Big 12 Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 5 Baylor17–1 .94433–4  .892 No. 14 Texas15–3 .83325–9  .735 No. 23 Oklahoma13–5 .72223–10  .697 No. 24 Kansas State11–7 .61123–11  .676 Iowa State9–9 .50018–13  .581 No. 22 West Virginia †8–10 .44424–11  .686 Oklahoma State6–12 .33317–15  .531 Texas Tech5–13 .27814–17  .452 TCU4–14 .22212–18  .400 Kansas2–16 .1118–22  .267 † 2017 Big 12 tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 CAA women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Elon †16–2 .88927–7  .794 James Madison15–3 .83326–9  .743 Drexel11–7 .61122–11  .667 Delaware10–8 .55616–14  .533 William & Mary9–9 .50020–11  .645 Northeastern8–10 .44412–19  .387 College of Charleston6–12 .3339–21  .300 Hofstra5–13 .27813–18  .419 Towson5–13 .27812–18  .400 UNC Wilmington5–13 .27811–20  .355 † 2017 CAA tournament winner As of March 23, 2017 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2016–17 Conference USA women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT WKU †16–2 .88927–8  .771 Middle Tennessee15–3 .83323–11  .676 Southern Miss13–5 .72223–11  .676 Charlotte12–6 .66721–10  .677 Louisiana Tech12–6 .66718–14  .563 Old Dominion11–7 .61117–14  .548 UTSA10–8 .55614–17  .452 Rice8–10 .44422–13  .629 UAB8–10 .44415–15  .500 North Texas8–10 .44412–19  .387 Marshall5–13 .27813–17  .433 UTEP5–13 .2788–23  .258 FIU3–15 .1675–24  .172 Florida Atlantic0–18 .0004–25  .138 † 2017 C-USA Tournament winner As of March 26, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Horizon League women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Green Bay*$^†$15–3 .83327–5  .844 Wright State15–3 .83324–8  .750 Oakland12–6 .66718–12  .600 Detroit12–6 .66718–14  .563 Milwaukee11–7 .61120–11  .645 Cleveland State9–9 .50014–16  .467 Youngstown State5–13 .2789–21  .300 Northern Kentucky5–13 .2789–22  .290 Valparaiso4–14 .22210–20  .333 UIC2–16 .1116–24  .200 † 2017 Horizon League Tournament winner * Tournament #1 seed As of March 7, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Ivy League women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Penn†13–1 .92922–7  .759 Princeton9–5 .64316–13  .552 Harvard8–6 .57121–9  .700 Cornell7–7 .50016–11  .593 Brown7–7 .50016–12  .571 Yale6–8 .42915–12  .556 Columbia3–11 .21413–14  .481 Dartmouth3–11 .2148–19  .296 † 2017 Ivy League Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2016–17 Mid-American Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Kent State13–5 .72219–13  .594 Ohio12–6 .66722–10  .688 Buffalo10–8 .55622–10  .688 Miami (OH)5–13 .27811–21  .344 Bowling Green4–14 .2228–23  .258 Akron2–16 .1119–21  .300 West Central Michigan15–3 .83323–9  .719 Ball State14–4 .77821–11  .656 Toledo †12–6 .66725–9  .735 Northern Illinois12–6 .66721–12  .636 Western Michigan8–10 .44419–13  .594 Eastern Michigan1–17 .0566–25  .194 † 2017 MAC tournament winner As of March 17, 2017 | 2016–17 MAAC women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Quinnipiac †17–3 .85029–7  .806 Rider16–4 .80024–9  .727 Fairfield13–7 .65017–14  .548 Siena13–7 .65014–16  .467 Iona12–8 .60018–13  .581 Marist11–9 .55015–17  .469 Monmouth9–11 .45015–16  .484 Canisius8–12 .40010–21  .323 Niagara5–15 .2508–22  .267 Manhattan4–16 .2008–22  .267 Saint Peter's2–18 .1003–27  .100 † 2017 MAAC tournament winner As of March 25, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 MEAC women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bethune-Cookman15–1 .93819–9  .679 Howard12–4 .75016–12  .571 Hampton11–5 .68817–12  .586 Norfolk State9–7 .56314–14  .500 Florida A&M9–7 .56311–18  .379 North Carolina A&T8–8 .50012–17  .414 Savannah State8–8 .50011–18  .379 Coppin State8–8 .5008–20  .286 Morgan State7–9 .4389–20  .310 North Carolina Central7–9 .4388–20  .286 Maryland-Eastern Shore6–10 .37512–15  .444 South Carolina State2–14 .1255–22  .185 Delaware State2–14 .1253–26  .103 † 2017 MEAC tournament winner As of March 6, 2017 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2016–17 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 20 Drake †18–0 1.00028–4  .875 Northern Iowa15–3 .83324–8  .750 Missouri State12–6 .66716–14  .533 Southern Illinois10–8 .55616–15  .516 Wichita State9–9 .50015–16  .484 Evansville8–10 .44414–17  .452 Bradley7–11 .38912–19  .387 Indiana State6–12 .33312–18  .400 Illinois State4–14 .2228–23  .258 Loyola–Chicago1–17 .0562–28  .067 † 2017 MVC tournament winner As of March 15, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Mountain West Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Colorado State15–3 .83325–9  .735 Wyoming13–5 .72222–10  .688 Boise State†12–6 .66725–8  .758 UNLV12–6 .66722–11  .667 New Mexico10–8 .55615–15  .500 Utah State9–9 .50017–14  .548 Fresno State8–10 .44418–15  .545 San Jose State7–11 .38911–21  .344 San Diego State6–12 .33311–19  .367 Nevada5–13 .27811–19  .367 Air Force2–16 .1114–25  .138 † 2017 MW Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Northeast Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Robert Morris14–4 .77822–11  .667 Sacred Heart13–5 .72217–15  .531 Saint Francis (PA)13–5 .72217–15  .531 Bryant11–7 .61118–14  .563 Mount St. Mary's10–8 .55612–18  .400 Central Connecticut9–9 .50011–20  .355 Fairleigh Dickinson6–12 .3338–22  .267 St. Francis Brooklyn6–12 .3338–22  .267 LIU Brooklyn5–13 .2786–23  .207 Wagner3–15 .1674–25  .138 † 2017 NEC tournament winner As of March 12, 2017 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2016–17 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Belmont16–0 1.00027–5  .844 Morehead State11–5 .68821–9  .700 SIU Edwardsville9–7 .56314–18  .438 Austin Peay8–8 .50014–16  .467 UT Martin8–8 .50012–20  .375 Murray State7–9 .43815–14  .517 Southeast Missouri State7–9 .43813–17  .433 Eastern Kentucky7–9 .43813–19  .406 Tennessee Tech7–9 .43810–20  .333 Jacksonville State6–10 .37513–15  .464 Tennessee State5–11 .31310–16  .385 Eastern Illinois5–11 .3139–19  .321 † 2017 OVC tournament winner As of March 4, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Pac-12 Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Oregon State16–2 .88931–5  .861 No. 6 Stanford †15–3 .83332–6  .842 No. 12 Washington15–3 .83329–6  .829 No. 15 UCLA13–5 .72225–9  .735 Arizona State9–9 .50020–13  .606 Oregon8–10 .44423–14  .622 California6–12 .33320–14  .588 Washington State6–12 .33316–20  .444 Colorado5–13 .27817–16  .515 Utah5–13 .27816–15  .516 USC5–13 .27814–16  .467 Arizona5–13 .27814–16  .467 † 2017 Pac-12 tournament winner As of March 31, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Patriot League women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bucknell †16–2 .88927–6  .818 Navy14–4 .77824–10  .706 Army12–6 .66722–9  .710 American11–7 .61115–16  .484 Boston University11–7 .61113–17  .433 Colgate7–11 .38910–20  .333 Loyola (MD)6–12 .33311–20  .355 Holy Cross6–12 .3338–21  .276 Lehigh5–13 .27810–20  .333 Lafayette2–16 .1114–28  .125 † 2017 Patriot League tournament winner As of March 4, 2017 Rankings from AP poll |
| 2016–17 Southern Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Mercer12–2 .85725–6  .806 Chattanooga*$^†$12–2 .85721–10  .677 East Tennessee State8–6 .57116–14  .533 UNC Greensboro7–7 .50017–14  .548 Furman7–7 .50014–17  .452 Samford4–10 .28612–19  .387 Wofford3–11 .21413–17  .433 Western Carolina3–11 .2148–22  .267 † 2017 SoCon Tournament winner * Tournament #1 seed | 2016–17 Southland Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Central Arkansas†16–2 .88926–5  .839 Abilene Christian*16–2 .88923–9  .719 Lamar15–3 .83322–8  .733 Stephen F. Austin14–4 .77825–8  .758 New Orleans9–9 .50014–15  .483 McNeese State8–10 .44414–17  .452 Texas A&M-CC8–10 .44414–18  .438 Northwestern State7–11 .38913–17  .433 Nicholls State7–11 .38910–20  .333 Incarnate Word*7–11 .3899–20  .310 Houston Baptist4–14 .2226–22  .214 SE Louisiana3–15 .1675–24  .172 Sam Houston State3–15 .1673–25  .107 † 2017 Southland tournament winner As of March 20, 2017 *ineligible for conference and NCAA tournament postseason play due to Div. I transition Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 SEC women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 South Carolina†14–2 .87533–4  .892 No. 7 Mississippi State13–3 .81334–5  .872 No. 18 Kentucky11–5 .68822–11  .667 No. 25 Missouri11–5 .68821–11  .656 Tennessee10–6 .62520–12  .625 Texas A&M9–7 .56322–12  .647 LSU8–8 .50020–12  .625 Auburn7–9 .43817–15  .531 Georgia7–9 .43816–15  .516 Ole Miss6–10 .37517–14  .548 Alabama5–11 .31322–14  .611 Florida5–11 .31315–16  .484 Vanderbilt4–12 .25014–16  .467 Arkansas2–14 .12513–17  .433 † 2017 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2016–17 SWAC women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Grambling State14–4 .77816–13  .552 Texas Southern†14–4 .77820–9  .690 Alabama State12–5 .70613–14  .481 Southern11–7 .61113–13  .500 Arkansas-Pine Bluff9–9 .50012–17  .414 Alcorn State9–9 .5009–20  .310 Prairie View A&M8–10 .44413–17  .433 Mississippi Valley State7–11 .38910–19  .345 Jackson State5–12 .29411–16  .407 Alabama A&M0–18 .0002–25  .074 † 2017 SWAC tournament winner As of March 4, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Little Rock17–1 .94425–8  .758 UT Arlington14–4 .77822–8  .733 Troy †12–6 .66722–10  .688 Louisiana–Lafayette11–7 .61120–11  .645 Texas State11–7 .61116–14  .533 Georgia Southern9–9 .50013–17  .433 Coastal Carolina8–10 .44413–16  .448 Georgia State8–10 .44412–18  .400 Appalachian State6–12 .33312–19  .387 South Alabama5–13 .27811–20  .355 Arkansas State4–14 .2227–25  .219 Louisiana–Monroe3–15 .1676–24  .200 † 2017 Sun Belt Tournament winner As of March 15, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 Summit League women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Western Illinois †13–3 .81326–7  .788 IUPUI12–4 .75024–9  .727 South Dakota State12–4 .75023–9  .719 South Dakota11–5 .68823–9  .719 Omaha8–8 .50016–15  .516 Oral Roberts7–9 .43815–15  .500 North Dakota State4–12 .2506–24  .200 Denver3–13 .1886–24  .200 Fort Wayne2–14 .1255–24  .172 † 2017 Summit League Tournament winner As of March 19, 2017 Rankings from AP Poll |
| 2016–17 West Coast Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Gonzaga†14–4 .77826–7  .788 BYU13–5 .72220–12  .625 Saint Mary's13–5 .72220–13  .606 San Francisco11–7 .61118–13  .581 Loyola Marymount9–9 .50014–16  .467 Santa Clara9–9 .50014–16  .467 San Diego7–11 .38914–16  .467 Pacific5–13 .27810–21  .323 Pepperdine5–13 .2787–23  .233 Portland4–14 .2226–24  .200 † 2017 WCC tournament winner As of March 18, 2017 Rankings from AP poll | 2016–17 WAC women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT New Mexico State †14–0 1.00024–7  .774 Cal State Bakersfield10–4 .71415–14  .517 Seattle10–4 .71415–18  .455 UTRGV8–6 .57119–14  .576 Grand Canyon*7–7 .50015–12  .556 UMKC4–10 .28610–19  .345 Utah Valley3–11 .2149–22  .290 Chicago State0–14 .0000–29  .000 † 2017 WAC tournament winner As of March 19, 2017 Rankings from AP poll * Ineligible for WAC Basketball Tournament as part of reclassification from Division II |

## Coaching changes

Several teams changed coaches during and after the season.
| Team | Former coach | Interim coach | New coach | Reason |
| Arkansas | Jimmy Dykes | | Mike Neighbors | Dykes resigned at the end of his third season, finishing with a 43–49 overall record and 16–36 in the SEC, capped off with an 11-game losing streak to end this season. Washington's Neighbors was hired as his replacement. |
| Belmont | Cameron Newbauer | | Bart Brooks | Newbauer left to fill the Florida vacancy. DePaul assistant Brooks was hired as his replacement. |
| Cal State Fullerton | Daron Park | | Jeff Harada | Park was fired after 4 seasons in the wake of numerous allegations of misconduct with his players. The school went to Division II for their next hire, tabbing Central Washington's Jeff Harada as the next head coach. |
| Davidson | Michele Savage | | Gayle Coats Fulks | Savage was fired on March 8 after seven seasons. The school hired Wake Forest asst. Fulks as her replacement. |
| Delaware | Tina Martin | Jeanine Radice | Natasha Adair | Martin announced her Retirement on April 28. Asst. Radice was named interim coach during the school coaching search. The school would then hire Georgetown's Adair as the next head coach. |
| Denver | Kerry Cremeans | | Jim Turgeon | Cremeans resigns on March 17. Turgeon was hired as the next coach. |
| Eastern Illinois | Debbie Black | | Matt Bollant | Black was fired after 4 seasons, composing a 34-80 overall record with a 21-43 record in Ohio Valley Conference play. Former Illinois coach Bollant was hired as the next coach. |
| Florida | Amanda Butler | | Cameron Newbauer | Butler was fired on March 6—her 45th birthday—after 10 seasons at her alma mater. Despite being ranked by the AP in the preseason, the Gators finished with their second losing record in three seasons, and remain the only women's team on the campus that has never won a conference championship. Florida hired Belmont head coach Newbauer. |
| Florida Atlantic | Kellie Lewis-Jay | | Jim Jabir | Lewis-Jay was fired on March 6 after five seasons and an overall 73–103 record. Jabir was hired as the next coach. |
| Georgetown | Natasha Adair | | James Howard | Adair left for the Delaware opening. Top assistant Howard was promoted to head coach. |
| Grambling State | Nadine Domond | Freddie Murray | Freddie Murray | Domond left to take an asst. coaching position at Rutgers on July 1, 2016. Asst. coach Murray was named interim coach for 2016-17. He later had the tag removed on April 6, 2017 |
| Grand Canyon | Trent May | Milee Karre | Nicole Powell | May was fired on March 7 after 10 seasons. Top assistant Karre was named interim head coach during the search for May's successor. Oregon asst. coach and former WNBA star Powell was tabbed as the next head coach. |
| Illinois | Matt Bollant | | Nancy Fahey | Bollant was fired on March 14 after five seasons. He went 61–94 overall and 22–62 in Big Ten play, and had been sued in 2015 by seven former players who alleged racial harassment. The Illini turned to Women's Basketball Hall of Fame coach Fahey from Division III Washington (MO), where she led the Bears to five national titles and 737 wins in 31 seasons. |
| Illinois State | Barb Smith | | Kristen Gillespie | Smith was fired on March 13 after four seasons. She inherited a program that had put together seven straight winning seasons, but the Redbirds went 28–93 during her tenure. Illinois State hired Gillespie from Division II in-state school Lewis. |
| Lafayette | Theresa Grentz | C.K. Calhoun | Kia Damon | Grentz was fired on April 4 after two seasons and a 10–51 overall record and 6–30 in conference play. Top assistant Calhoun was named as interim head coach during the search for Grentz' successor. The school would then hire Cincinnati asst. Damon as their next head coach. |
| Long Beach State | Jody Wynn | | Jeff Cammon | Wynn left for the Washington opening. The school hired Colorado asst. Cammon, who was previously an assistant under Wynn for 5 seasons. |
| Maine | Richard Barron | Amy Vachon | | Barron was forced to take an extended medical leave on January 6 due to an as-yet-undetermined, but not life-threatening, neurological condition. Vachon took over on an interim basis at that time. Her interim term was extended after the end of the season in order to allow Barron to seek further treatment and determine if he can return to coaching. |
| Marshall | Matt Daniel | | Tony Kemper | Daniel resigned on March 12 after five seasons, citing family reasons, specifically an opportunity to move back to his home state of Arkansas. Marshall promoted top assistant Kemper to fill the vacancy. |
| Mississippi Valley State | Jessica Kern | | Ashley Walker | Kern left after 1 season for the Tennessee State opening. The school went to the NAIA for their next hire, tabbing Wiley College's Walker as the next coach. |
| Mount St. Mary's | Bryan Whitten | | Maria Marchesano | Whitten was fired on March 22. IUPUI asso. head coach Marchesano was hired as his replacement. |
| Murray State | Rob Cross | | Rechelle Turner | Cross was fired on February 27 after nine seasons. While he led the Racers to an OVC regular-season title in his first season, the Racers never finished higher than fourth in the conference during the rest of his tenure. The Racers went a mere five minutes' drive for their new coach, hiring Turner after 21 seasons as head coach at their city's high school. |
| Nevada | Jane Albright | | Amanda Levens | Albright announced her retirement on March 1, effective at season's end, after 33 seasons as a Division I head coach and nine at Nevada. The Wolf Pack hired top Arizona State assistant Levens, who had been a Nevada assistant from 2003 to 2008. |
| New Mexico State | Mark Trakh | | Brooke Atkinson | Trakh left for the USC vacancy. Atkinson, who served as an assistant at New Mexico State from 2003 to 2011, was hired after serving as an assistant coach at Colorado State for the last three seasons. |
| North Carolina Central | Vanessa Taylor | Kendra Eaton | Trisha Stafford-Odom | Taylor was fired on March 23 after an 8–21 season and a 33–113 overall record in five seasons. The Eagles, after naming assistant Eaton as interim coach during their search for a permanent replacement, hired Stafford-Odom, a former assistant at UCLA, North Carolina, and Duke, from Division II Concordia–Irvine. |
| Old Dominion | Karen Barefoot | | Nikki McCray | Barefoot left for the UNC Wilmington opening. The school hired former WNBA All-Star McCray-Penson, who spent the last 9 seasons as an assistant under Dawn Staley at South Carolina. |
| Pepperdine | Ryan Weisenberg | | DeLisha Milton-Jones | Weisenberg was fired on March 8 after four seasons in which the Waves went 28–94, capped off with a 7–23 record this season. The Waves hired Milton-Jones, who joined the program as an assistant at the start of the season after 17 seasons playing in the WNBA. |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Errol Gauff | | Ayla Guzzardo | Gauff resign from Southeastern Louisiana on March 9. Guzzardo was hired as the next coach. |
| Tennessee State | Larry Joe Inman | | Jessica Kern | Inman resigned as head coach on March 9, 2017, citing personal reasons. Mississippi Valley State coach Jessica Kern was hired as his replacement. |
| UNCW | Adell Harris | | Karen Barefoot | Harris resigned from UNCW on April 12, 2017 to pursue other interests. The school hired Old Dominion's Barefoot as her replacement. |
| USC | Cynthia Cooper-Dyke | | Mark Trakh | Cooper-Dyke resigned after the Trojans' season ended with a first-round loss in the Pac-12 Tournament on March 3. She had led the Trojans to an NCAA appearance in her first season in 2014, but the Trojans posted mediocre records in her other three seasons, ending with a 14–16 mark this season. The Trojans brought back Trakh, who had been their head coach from 2004 to 2009, from New Mexico State. |
| UTEP | Keitha Adams | | Kevin Baker | Adams left for the Wichita State opening. The school hired Baker from Division II Angelo State to be their next head coach. |
| Washington | Mike Neighbors | | Jody Wynn | Neighbors left for the Arkansas opening. The school hired Long Beach State's Wynn as his replacement. |
| Wichita State | Jody Adams-Birch | Linda Hargrove | Keitha Adams | The Shockers parted ways with Adams-Birch on January 22 with the team at 8–10 on the season. She had been temporarily replaced by top assistant Kirk Crawford three days earlier while AD Darron Boatright reviewed the program. Following Adams-Birch's departure, former Shockers head coach Hargrove was brought back to serve for the remainder of the season. Wichita State ultimately hired UTEP head coach Keitha Adams as the permanent replacement. |
| Winthrop | Kevin Cook | Lynette Woodard | Lynette Woodard | The Eagles parted ways with Cook on February 24 after suspending him in January for what the school called a personnel matter. Top assistant Woodard was named interim coach during Cook's suspension, and Winthrop removed the interim tag after the season. |