# 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season

The 2009–10 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began in November 2009 and ended with the 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament's championship game on April 6, 2010 at the Alamodome in San Antonio. The tournament opened with the first and second rounds on Thursday through Sunday, March 18–21, 2010. Regional games were played on Thursday through Sunday, March 28–31, 2010, with the Final Four played on Sunday and Tuesday, April 4 and 6, 2010.
The Connecticut Huskies successfully defended their national title from the previous season, defeating Stanford 53–47 in the final. This was the Huskies' second consecutive unbeaten championship season, unprecedented since the NCAA began to organize women's basketball in the 1981–82 season.

## Season headlines

* May 4:The tenth annual 2009 US Virgin Islands Paradise Jam is a women's basketball tournament that will take place on November 26–28, 2009. Eight teams from the NCAA have been invited to participate in the tournament. The teams will be separated into two brackets, the Reef Division and the Island Division. The Reef Division will consist of Mississippi State, Rutgers, Southern California and Texas. The Island Division will consist of Notre Dame, Oklahoma, San Diego State and South Carolina
* May 5: The Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big Ten Conference announced the pairings for the annual Big Ten/ACC Challenge for women's basketball, which is in the third year of a four-year agreement. The 2009 Challenge, which will take on a two-day format this year, will open on Wednesday, Dec. 2. The Big Ten/ACC Women's Basketball Challenge matches 11 teams from each conference in head-to-head competition traditionally on the first Wednesday, Thursday and Friday after Thanksgiving, following the men's basketball Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The Big Ten and ACC have been among the most successful conferences in women's basketball. During the 2008–09 season, the ACC was represented by six teams in the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship. It was the seventh straight year the league has had at least six teams in the tournament. Maryland advanced to the 2009 NCAA Regional Finals, giving the ACC at least one team in the Elite Eight for the eighth consecutive year. In 2005–06, the ACC became the first conference to send three teams: Duke, Maryland and North Carolina – to the same Final Four. Overall, the ACC has made 11 Final Four trips, including six in the past 13 years.
* May 28, 2009: NBA referee Violet Palmer was hired as coordinator of women's basketball officials for the West Coast Conference and will remain with the NBA, where she has worked for 12 seasons.
* July 1: Rutgers will play in the eighth annual Jimmy V Women's Classic when the Scarlet Knights host Florida on Dec. 7. This marks the fourth straight season the Scarlet Knights will take part in the game. They beat Georgia 45-34 last season. The games are part of the fundraising effort for the V Foundation for Cancer Research, which is named for the late Jim Valvano, who led North Carolina State to the national championship in 1983.
* July 7: Pat Summitt and C. Vivian Stringer will oppose each other in the fourth annual Maggie Dixon Classic. The women's doubleheader will be played Dec. 13 at Madison Square Garden. The two Hall of Fame coaches teams will meet in regular season play for the seventh straight year. Baylor and freshman star Brittney Griner will face Boston College in the other contest. The two teams played once before at Madison Square Garden. Tennessee won 68-54 in 1999. Baylor will be making its first appearance at MSG.
* August 4: Joan Bonvicini was introduced as the new women's basketball coach at Seattle University. She is one of only 18 coaches in Division I history with more than 600 victories.
* August 18: On January. 16, Notre Dame and Connecticut will be part of the first-ever ESPN women's basketball College GameDay broadcast. The game will be broadcast from Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn. The matchup between the Fighting Irish and Huskies will tip off at 9 p.m. (ET) and will be televised live to a national cable audience by ESPN.
* September 8: The West Coast Conference (WCC) and its multi-media rights partner, IMG College, announced Zappos.com as the official title sponsor of the WCC Men's and Women's Basketball Championships. The deal is effective through the 2011–12 season, and signifies the WCC's first-ever title sponsorship.

## Preseason
### Preseason "Wade Watch" list

* On July 30, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), on behalf of the Wade Coalition, announced the 2009–2010 preseason "Wade Watch" list for The State Farm Wade Trophy Division I Player of the Year. The nominees are made up of top NCAA Division I student-athletes who best embody the spirit of Lily Margaret Wade. This is based on the following criteria: game and season statistics, leadership, character, effect on their team and overall playing ability. The list are as follows:
* Jayne Appel, Stanford
* Jessica Breland, North Carolina
* Tina Charles, Connecticut
* Alysha Clark, Middle Tennessee
* Allyssa DeHaan, Michigan State
* Alexis Gray-Lawson, California
* Tiffany Hayes, Connecticut
* Allison Hightower, LSU
* Ashley Houts, Georgia
* Jantel Lavender, Ohio State
* Danielle McCray, Kansas
* Jacinta Monroe, Florida State
* Maya Moore, Connecticut
* Jené Morris, San Diego State
* Deirdre Naughton, DePaul
* Kayla Pedersen, Stanford
* Ta'Shia Phillips, Xavier
* Jeanette Pohlen, Stanford
* Samantha Prahalis, Ohio State
* Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State
* Danielle Robinson, Oklahoma
* Jenna Smith, Illinois
* Carolyn Swords, Boston College
* Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga
* Monica Wright, Virginia

### Preseason Wooden Award nominees

* August 21: The 2009–10 preseason candidates list for the Women's Wooden Award was released, naming 31 student athletes.
| Name | Height | Class | Position | School |
| Jayne Appel | 6-4 | Sr. | F/C | Stanford |
| Erica Beverly | 6-0 | Sr. | F | Hartford |
| Angie Bjorklund | 6-0 | Jr. | G/F | Tennessee |
| Heather Bowman | 6-2 | Sr. | F | Gonzaga |
| Jessica Breland* | 6-3 | Sr. | F | North Carolina |
| Tina Charles | 6-4 | Sr. | C | Connecticut |
| Alysha Clark | 5-10 | Sr. | F | Middle Tennessee |
| Allyssa DeHaan | 6-9 | Sr. | C | Michigan State |
| Tyra Grant | 5-11 | Sr. | G | Penn State |
| Alexis Gray-Lawson | 5-8 | Sr. | G | California |
| Allison Hightower | 5-10 | Sr. | G | LSU |
| Ashley Houts | 5-6 | Sr. | G | Georgia |
| Ify Ibekwe | 6-1 | Jr. | F | Arizona |
| Jantel Lavender | 6-4 | Jr. | C | Ohio State |
| Gabriela Marginean | 6-1 | Sr. | F | Drexel |
| Danielle McCray | 5-11 | Sr. | G/F | Kansas |
| Nicole Michael | 6-2 | Sr. | F | Syracuse |
| Jacinta Monroe | 6-4 | Sr. | F/C | Florida State |
| Maya Moore | 6-0 | Jr. | F | Connecticut |
| Jené Morris | 5-9 | Sr. | G | San Diego State |
| Dierdre Naughton | 5-10 | Sr. | G | DePaul |
| Ta‘Shia Phillips | 6-6 | Jr. | C | Xavier |
| Jeanette Pohlen | 6-0 | Jr. | G | Stanford |
| Samantha Prahalis | 5-7 | So. | G | Ohio State |
| Andrea Riley | 5-5 | Sr. | G | Oklahoma State |
| Danielle Robinson | 5-9 | Jr. | G | Oklahoma |
| Jenna Smith | 6-3 | Sr. | C | Illinois |
| Ashley Sweat | 6-2 | Sr. | F | Kansas State |
| Carolyn Swords | 6-6 | Jr. | C | Boston College |
| Courtney Vandersloot | 5-8 | Jr. | G | Gonzaga |
| Monica Wright | 5-11 | Sr. | G | Virginia |

### Preseason WNIT

Ohio State headlines a field of 16-teams for the 2009 Preseason Women's National Invitation Tournament. The field includes 11 teams that played in the postseason last spring: Arkansas-Little Rock, Bowling Green, Florida Gulf Coast, Georgia Tech, Marist, New Mexico, North Carolina A&T, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, West Virginia, and Winthrop. They will be joined in the Preseason WNIT field by Chicago State, Eastern Illinois, Northern Colorado, Towson, and UTEP.
The Preseason WNIT features a three-game guarantee format. The event opens Friday, November 13 with first-round games. Second-round games will be played November 15 and 16. The semifinals will be on November 18 and 19. The championship is set for Sunday, November 22. Teams that lose in the first two rounds will play consolation games on the second weekend, November 20–22. All games are hosted by participating schools, and sites are announced by the end of the preceding round. In last year's Preseason WNIT, North Carolina defeated Oklahoma 80-79.
* First-round Preseason WNIT games to be held on Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
** Eastern Illinois (24-9) at Ohio State (29-6), 5 p.m. ET
** UTEP (18-12) at Florida Gulf Coast (26-5), 7 p.m. ET
** Arkansas-Little Rock (26-7) at Oklahoma State (17-16), 7 p.m. ET
** Towson (17-13) at West Virginia (18-15), 7 p.m. ET
** Winthrop (16-16) at Georgia Tech (22-10), 7:30 p.m. ET
** Chicago State (16-13) at Bowling Green (29-5), 7:30 p.m. ET
** North Carolina A&T (26-7) at Marist (29-4), 7:30 p.m. ET
** Northern Colorado (12-18) at New Mexico (25-11), 9 p.m. ET

## Season outlook

* Nov. 11: The Big Ten and Big 12 Conferences announced the formation of an annual inter-conference challenge for women's basketball. The challenge will span at least two years and will begin in the fall of 2010. The series will feature a home-and-home format over the initial two-year agreement, and each of the Big 12's teams will play in each Challenge, while one Big Ten team, Wisconsin, will play two Challenge games each year.

### Pre-season polls

'Associated Press' :
| Ranking | School | Points |
| 1 | Connecticut | 1000 |
| 2 | Stanford | 951 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 862 |
| 4 | Notre Dame | 799 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 798 |
| 6 | Duke | 772 |
| 7 | Baylor | 744 |
| 8 | Tennessee | 676 |
| 9 | LSU | 600 |
| 10 | Michigan State | 521 |
| 11 | Xavier | 492 |
| 12 | Texas | 487 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 444 |
| 14 | Virginia | 394 |
| 15 | Florida State | 385 |
| 16 | Arizona State | 317 |
| 17 | DePaul | 301 |
| 18 | California | 294 |
| 19 | Georgia Tech | 262 |
| 20 | Kansas | 241 |
| 21 | Georgia | 201 |
| 22 | Vanderbilt | 165 |
| 23 | Louisville | 156 |
| 24 | Middle Tennessee | 143 |
| 25 | Rutgers | 138 |
USA Today :
| Ranking | School | Points |
| 1 | Connecticut | 775 |
| 2 | Stanford | 739 |
| 3 | Ohio State | 653 |
| 4 | Baylor | 649 |
| 5 | North Carolina | 561 |
| 6 | Duke | 547 |
| 7 | Notre Dame | 438 |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 416 |
| 9 | Tennessee | 412 |
| 10 | Michigan State | 353 |
| 11 | Arizona State | 328 |
| 12 | Florida State | 323 |
| 13 | California | 314 |
| 14 | Texas | 311 |
| 15 | Xavier | 303 |
| 16 | Texas A&M | 302 |
| 17 | LSU | 298 |
| 18 | Virginia | 246 |
| 19 | Louisville | 232 |
| 20 | Vanderbilt | 223 |
| 21 | Maryland | 209 |
| 22 | Pittsburgh | 127 |
| 23 | Purdue | 126 |
| 24 | Iowa State | 125 |
| 25 | DePaul | 121 |

### Preseason All-Americans

* Jayne Appel, Stanford
* Tina Charles, Connecticut
* Jantel Lavender, Ohio State
* Maya Moore, Connecticut
* Monica Wright, Virginia
** November 3: Maya Moore became just the seventh unanimous choice on The Associated Press' preseason All-America team. She received all 40 votes from a national media panel. It's the third straight year a player has been a unanimous choice in the preseason. Moore was joined on the preseason squad by teammate Tina Charles. It was the fifth time that two players from the same team made the All-America squad. Connecticut has also had two of the four other pairs of teammates on a preseason team – Jen Rizzotti and Kara Wolters in 1995–96 and Shea Ralph and Svetlana Abrosimova in 2000–01.

### Preseason All-Conference teams
#### Big Ten

* 2009–10 Big Ten Preseason Player of the Year
** Jantel Lavender
* Preseason All-Big Ten Coaches Team
** Jenna Smith, Sr., F, ILL
** Allyssa DeHaan, Sr., C, MSU
** JANTEL LAVENDER, Jr., C, OSU
** Samantha Prahalis, So., G, OSU
** Tyra Grant, Sr., F, PSU
* Preseason All-Big Ten Media Team
** Jenna Smith, Sr., F, ILL
** Allyssa DeHaan, Sr., C, MSU
** JANTEL LAVENDER, Jr., C, OSU
** Samantha Prahalis, So., G, OSU
** Tyra Grant, Sr., F, PSU

#### Conference USA

* 2009–10 C-USA Preseason PLAYER OF THE YEAR
** Emma Cannon, UCF
* 2009–10 C-USA Preseason Team
** Courtney Taylor, Houston
** Brittany Gilliam, SMU
** Pauline Love, Southern Miss
** Emma Cannon, UCF
** Jareica Hughes, UTEP

## Regular season
### 2009 Big Ten/ACC Challenge schedule

| Date | Visiting Team | Home Team | Score | Leading Scorer | Attendance |
| Dec. 2/09 | Georgia Tech | Penn State | G Tech 64-60 | Tyra Grant, PSU (20) | TBD |
| Dec. 2/09 | Illinois | Wake Forest | Illinois, 65-50 | Jenna Smith, Illinois (27) | TBD |
| Dec. 2/09 | Boston College | Iowa | BC, 72-67 | Kamilee Wahlin, Iowa (23) | TBD |
| Dec. 3/09 | Michigan | Virginia Tech | Mich, 71-51 | Veronica Hicks, Michigan (19) | TBD |
| Dec. 3/09 | Clemson | Northwestern | CLEM, 69-68 | Kirstyn Wright, Clemson (22) | TBD |
| Dec. 3/09 | Minnesota | Maryland | MD, 66-45 | Kim Rodgers, Maryland (14) | TBD |
| Dec. 3/09 | North Carolina | Michigan State | MSU, 72-66 | Italee Lucas, North Carolina (29) | TBD |
| Dec. 3/09 | Ohio State | Duke | Duke, 83-67 | Jasmine Thomas, Duke (29) | TBD |
| Dec. 3/09 | Purdue | Virginia | VA, 56-49 | Brittany Rayburn, Purdue (19) | TBD |
| Dec. 3/09 | Florida State | Indiana | FSU, 82-74 | Jori Davis, Indiana (23) | TBD |
| Dec. 3/09 | Wisconsin | NC State | Wisc, 53-48 | Taylor Wurtz, Wisconsin (13) | TBD |

### Early season tournaments

| Name | Dates | Num. teams | Location | Championship |
| Aggie Hotel Encato Classic | Nov. 27-28 | 4 | Las Cruces, New Mexico | New Mexico State Aggies |
| ASU Classic | Dec. 4-5 | 4 | Tempe, Arizona | |
| Bahamas Tournament | Dec. 19-20 | 4 | Nassau, Bahamas | |
| Basketball Travelers Tip-Off Tournament | Nov. 27-29 | 4 | Lubbock, Texas | |
| Big Easy Classic | Dec. 4-5 | 4 | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| BTI Classic | Nov. 20-22 | 4 | West Lafayette, Ind. | Dayton Flyers |
| BTI Tip-Off Tournament | Nov. 27-28 | | | |
| Buckeye Classic | Nov. 28-29 | 4 | Columbus, Ohio | Ohio State Buckeyes |
| Cal Poly Holiday Beach Classic | Nov. 28-29 | 4 | San Luis Obispo, California | Illinois Fighting Illini |
| Caribbean Challenge | Nov. 26-27 | 4 | Cancún, Mexico | Duke Blue Devils |
| Commerce Bank Wildcat Classic | Dec. 4 | | | |
| Desert Sun Classic | Dec. 19-20 | 4 | Las Vegas | |
| Great Alaska Shootout | Nov. 24-25 | 4 | Anchorage | Alaska-Anchorage Seawolves |
| Holiday Inn & Suites Express Thanksgiving Tournament | Nov. 27-28 | 4 | Albuquerque, New Mexico | Toledo Rockets |
| Hukilau Tournament | Dec. 4-5 | | Laie, Hawai'I | |
| Iona Tip-Off Tournament | Nov. 14-15 | 4 | New Rochelle, New York | Arizona Wildcats |
| Jack in the Box Rainbow Wahine Classic | Nov. 27-29 | 4 | Honolulu, HI | Arizona State Sun Devils |
| Junkanoo Jam | Nov. 27-28 | | Bahamas | Michigan State Spartans |
| KCRG-TV9 Hawkeye Challenge | Nov. 14-15 | 4 | Iowa City, Iowa | Iowa Hawkeyes |
| Lady Eagle Thanksgiving Classic | Nov 27-28 | 4 | Hattiesburg, Mississippi | Georgia Lady Bulldogs |
| Las Vegas Hoops Classic (Duel in the Desert) | Dec. 19-20 | 4 | Las Vegas | Baylor Lady Bears |
| LIU Thanksgiving Tournament | Nov. 27-28 | 4 | Brooklyn, New York | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets |
| Maggie Dixon Classic | Dec. 13 | 2 | New York | Baylor Lady Bears |
| Maine Classic | Nov. 27-28 | 4 | Orono, Maine | Penn State Lady Lions |
| Mildred and Roger L. White Invitational | Nov. 29-Dec. 2 | | Evanston, Ill. | |
| Navy Classic | Nov. 20-21 | 2 | Annapolis, Maryland | Navy Midshipmen |
| Northwestern Tournament | Nov. 27-28 | 4 | Evanston, Ill. | Iowa State Cyclones |
| Nugget Classic | Nov. 7-8 | 4 | Reno, Nevada | West Virginia Mountaineers |
| Omni Hotels Classic | Nov. 27-28 | | Boulder, Colorado | Colorado Buffaloes |
| Paradise Jam Tournament | Nov. 25-28 | 8 | US Virgin Islands | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| Saint Mary's Hilton Tournament | Nov. 27-29 | 4 | Moraga, California | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
| San Diego Surf and Slam | Dec. 28-30 | | San Diego, California | |
| Seminole Classic | Nov. 27-29 | 4 | Tallahassee, Florida | Florida State Seminoles |
| SMU Tournament | Nov. 27-28 | 4 | Dallas, Texas | Boston College Eagles |
| Subway Basketball Classic | Nov. 21-22 | 4 | Minneapolis | Minnesota Golden Gophers |
| Terrapin Classic | Dec. 27-29 | | College Park, Maryland | |
| Tulane DoubleTree Classic | Dec. 28-29 | 4 | New Orleans, Louisiana | |
| University of Miami Thanksgiving Tournament | Nov. 27-28 | 4 | Coral Gables, Florida | Miami Hurricanes |
| University of Miami Holiday Tournament | Dec. 28-29 | | Coral Gables, Florida | |
| Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament | Nov. 27-28 | 4 | Nashville, Tennessee | Vanderbilt Commodores |
| Villanova Tournament | Dec. 28-29 | | Villanova, Pennsylvania | |
| Waikiki Beach Marriott Classic | Dec. 29-30 | | Honolulu, HI | |
| WBCA Classic | Nov. 27-Nov. 29 | 4 | | Connecticut Huskies |
| Women of Troy Classic | Dec. 19 – Dec. 20 | | Galen Center | |
| World Vision Classic | Nov. 27-Nov. 29 | 4 | Waco, Texas | Baylor Lady Bears |
| World Vision Invitational | Nov. 27-Nov. 29 | 4 | Eugene, Oregon | Wisconsin Badgers |

### Conference winners and tournaments

Thirty athletic conferences each end their regular seasons with a single-elimination tournament. The teams in each conference that win their regular season title are given the number one seed in each tournament, with tiebreakers applied if more than one team tops the season standings. In the table below, if teams tied for the regular-season title, the first team listed won the tiebreaker for top seed in the tournament.
The winners of these tournaments receive automatic invitations to the 2010 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament. The Ivy League does not have a conference tournament, instead giving their automatic invitation to their regular-season champion. The Great West Conference began play in 2009–10 and does not receive an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
| Conference | Regular Season Winner | Conference Player of the Year | Conference Tournament | Tournament Venue (City) | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | Hartford | Diana Delva, Hartford | 2010 America East women's basketball tournament | All games before final at Chase Family Arena (West Hartford, Connecticut) Final at highest remaining seed | Vermont |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Xavier | Amber Harris, Xavier | 2010 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament | The Show Place Arena (Upper Marlboro, Maryland) | Xavier |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Duke & Florida State | Monica Wright, Virginia | 2010 ACC women's basketball tournament | Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, North Carolina) | Duke |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | East Tennessee State | Siarre Evans, East Tennessee State | 2010 Atlantic Sun women's basketball tournament | University Center (Macon, Georgia) | East Tennessee State |
| Big 12 Conference | Nebraska | Kelsey Griffin, Nebraska | 2010 Big 12 women's basketball tournament | Municipal Auditorium (Kansas City, Missouri) | Texas A&M |
| Big East Conference | Connecticut | Tina Charles, Connecticut | 2010 Big East women's basketball tournament | XL Center (Hartford, Connecticut) | Connecticut |
| Big Sky Conference | Eastern Washington | Julie Piper, Eastern Washington | 2010 Big Sky women's basketball tournament | Reese Court (Cheney, Washington) | Portland State |
| Big South Conference | Gardner–Webb | Margaret Roundtree, Gardner–Webb | 2010 Big South Conference women's basketball tournament | Millis Center (High Point, North Carolina) | Liberty |
| Big Ten Conference | Ohio State | Jantel Lavender, Ohio State (coaches and media) | 2010 Big Ten Conference women's basketball tournament | Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis) | Ohio State |
| Big West Conference | UC Davis | Kristina Santiago, Cal Poly | 2010 Big West Conference women's basketball tournament | Anaheim Convention Center (Anaheim, California) | UC Riverside |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Old Dominion | Elena Delle Donne, Delaware | 2010 CAA women's basketball tournament | JMU Convocation Center (Harrisonburg, Virginia) | James Madison |
| Conference USA | Tulane | Courtney Taylor, Houston | 2010 Conference USA women's basketball tournament | Reynolds Center (Tulsa, Oklahoma) | Tulane |
| Great West Conference | North Dakota | Kayla Bagaason, North Dakota | 2010 Great West Conference women's basketball tournament | McKay Events Center (Orem, Utah) | Utah Valley |
| Horizon League | Green Bay | Melanie Thornton, Butler | 2010 Horizon League women's basketball tournament | First round and quarterfinals at campus sites, Final Four at Kress Events Center (Green Bay, Wisconsin) | Cleveland State |
| Ivy League | Princeton | Judie Lomax, Columbia | No Tournament | No Tournament | No Tournament |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Marist | Rachele Fitz, Marist | 2010 MAAC women's basketball tournament | Times Union Center (Albany, New York) | Marist |
| Mid-American Conference | Bowling Green (East & overall) Toledo (West) | Lauren Prochaska, Bowling Green | 2010 MAC women's basketball tournament | Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio) | Bowling Green |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | North Carolina A&T | Corin Adams, Morgan State | 2010 MEAC women's basketball tournament | Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum (Winston-Salem, North Carolina) | Hampton |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Illinois State | Casey Garrison, Missouri State | 2010 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament | The Family Arena (St. Charles, Missouri) | Northern Iowa |
| Mountain West Conference | TCU | Helena Sverrisdóttir, TCU | 2010 MWC women's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center (Paradise, Nevada) | San Diego State |
| Northeast Conference | Robert Morris | Angela Pace, Robert Morris | 2010 Northeast Conference women's basketball tournament | Quarterfinals and semifinals at DeGol Arena (Loretto, Pennsylvania) Final at highest remaining seed | Saint Francis |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Eastern Illinois | Chynna Bozeman, Morehead State | 2010 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites, Final Four at Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) | Austin Peay |
| Pacific-10 Conference | Stanford | Nnemkadi Ogwumike, Stanford (coaches and media) | 2010 Pacific-10 Conference women's basketball tournament | Galen Center (Los Angeles) | Stanford |
| Patriot League | Lehigh & American | Michelle Kirk, American | 2010 Patriot League women's basketball tournament | Quarterfinals and semifinals at Hart Center (Worcester, Massachusetts) Final at highest remaining seed | Lehigh |
| Southeastern Conference | Tennessee | Victoria Dunlap, Kentucky | 2010 SEC women's basketball tournament | Arena at Gwinnett Center (Duluth, Georgia) | Tennessee |
| Southern Conference | Chattanooga | Shanara Hollinquest, Chattanooga (coaches and media) | 2010 Southern Conference women's basketball tournament | Bojangles' Coliseum (first two rounds) Time Warner Cable Arena (semifinals and final) (Charlotte, North Carolina) | Chattanooga |
| Southland Conference | Stephen F. Austin (East) Lamar (West & overall #1 seed by tiebreaker) | Jenna Plumley, Lamar | 2010 Southland Conference women's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center (Katy, Texas) | Lamar |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Southern | Katrich Williams, Alabama A&M | 2010 SWAC women's basketball tournament | CenturyTel Center (Bossier City, Louisiana) | Southern |
| The Summit League | Oral Roberts | Kevi Luper, Oral Roberts | 2010 Summit League women's basketball tournament | Sioux Falls Arena (Sioux Falls, South Dakota) | South Dakota State |
| Sun Belt Conference | Middle Tennessee (East) UALR (West & overall #1 seed by tiebreaker) | Alysha Clark, Middle Tennessee | 2010 Sun Belt women's basketball tournament | Summit Arena (Hot Springs, Arkansas) | Middle Tennessee |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Courtney Vandersloot, Gonzaga | 2010 West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena (Paradise, Nevada) | Gonzaga |
| Western Athletic Conference | Fresno State | Shanavia Dowdell, Louisiana Tech | 2010 WAC women's basketball tournament | Lawlor Events Center (Reno, Nevada) | Louisiana Tech |

### Final season rankings
## Post-season tournaments
### Women's Basketball Invitational

This season saw the debut of a third national postseason tournament in the Women's Basketball Invitational, a 16-team affair with all games played on home courts.
The inaugural title was won by Appalachian State, who came back from a 19-point deficit to defeat Memphis 79–71 in the final held on the Mountaineers' home floor in Boone, North Carolina.

## Awards and honors
### Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: Tina Charles, Connecticut
* Naismith Award: Tina Charles, Connecticut
* Wade Trophy: Maya Moore, Connecticut

### Major coach of the year awards

* Kay Yow Award: Connie Yori, Nebraska
* Maggie Dixon Award: Teresa Weatherspoon, Louisiana Tech
* Naismith College Coach of the Year: Connie Yori, Nebraska
* WBCA National Coach of the Year: Connie Yori, Nebraska

### Other major awards

* Nancy Lieberman Award (Best point guard): Andrea Riley, Oklahoma State
* Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (Best player 5'8"/1.73 m or shorter): Alexis Gray-Lawson, California
* Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (top senior): Kelsey Griffin, Nebraska

## Conference standings

2009–10 America East Conference women's basketball standings :
| 2009–10 America East Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Hartford16–0 1.00027–5  .844 Vermont †13–3 .81327–7  .794 Boston U.11–5 .68816–15  .516 Stony Brook7–9 .43810–20  .333 Binghamton7–9 .43811–19  .367 UMBC7–9 .43813–17  .433 Albany4–12 .25011–19  .367 Maine4–12 .2508–21  .276 New Hampshire3–13 .1889–22  .290 † 2010 America East tournament winner | 2009–10 ACC women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Duke12–2 .85730–6  .833 Florida State12–2 .85729–6  .829 Virginia9–5 .64321–10  .677 Georgia Tech8–6 .57123–10  .697 North Carolina State7–7 .50020–14  .588 Wake Forest7–7 .50018–14  .563 North Carolina6–8 .42919–12  .613 Boston College6–8 .42917–15  .531 Maryland5–9 .35721–13  .618 Miami4–10 .28622–14  .611 Virginia Tech4–10 .28615–15  .500 Clemson4–10 .28613–18  .419 † 2010 ACC Tournament winner Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Big 12 Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 4 Nebraska16–0 1.00032–2  .941 No. 16 Iowa State11–5 .68825–8  .758 No. 12 Oklahoma11–5 .68827–11  .711 No. 9 Texas A&M †10–6 .62526–8  .765 No. 17 Texas10–6 .62522–11  .667 No. 14 Baylor9–7 .56327–10  .730 No. 20 Oklahoma State9–7 .56324–11  .686 Texas Tech5–11 .31318–15  .545 Kansas State5–11 .31314–18  .438 Kansas5–11 .31317–16  .515 Colorado3–13 .18813–17  .433 Missouri2–14 .12512–18  .400 † 2010 Big 12 Tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2009–10 Big East Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Connecticut16–0 1.00039–0  1.000 West Virginia13–3 .81329–6  .829 Georgetown13–3 .81326–7  .788 St. John's12–4 .75025–7  .781 Notre Dame12–4 .75029–6  .829 Rutgers9–7 .56319–15  .559 DePaul9–7 .56321–12  .636 Providence7–9 .43819–15  .559 Syracuse7–9 .43825–11  .694 Marquette6–10 .37517–16  .515 South Florida6–10 .37515–16  .484 Pittsburgh5–11 .31316–15  .516 Louisville5–11 .31314–18  .438 Cincinnati4–12 .25012–18  .400 Villanova3–13 .18814–16  .467 Seton Hall1–15 .0639–21  .300 † 2010 Big East tournament winner | 2009–10 Big Ten women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 8 Ohio State†15–3 .83331–5  .861 No. 24 Michigan State12–6 .66723–10  .697 Wisconsin10–8 .55621–11  .656 Iowa10–8 .55620–14  .588 Purdue9–9 .50015–17  .469 Michigan8–10 .44420–13  .606 Penn State8–10 .44417–14  .548 Illinois7–11 .38919–14  .576 Northwestern7–11 .38918–15  .545 Indiana7–11 .38914–16  .467 Minnesota6–12 .33313–17  .433 † 2010 Big Ten tournament winner As of 3-27-2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 Mid-American Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT Bowling Green †14–2 .87527–6  .818 Kent State12–4 .75020–10  .667 Akron11–5 .68818–13  .581 Miami (OH)6–10 .3759–22  .290 Ohio4–12 .2508–22  .267 Buffalo3–13 .1887–23  .233 West Toledo12–4 .75024–8  .750 Eastern Michigan11–5 .68822–8  .733 Central Michigan8–8 .50012–18  .400 Ball State7–9 .43814–17  .452 Northern Illinois4–12 .25010–19  .345 Western Michigan4–12 .2509–21  .300 † 2010 MAC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll |
| 2009–10 Pacific-10 Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 2 Stanford †18–0 1.00036–2  .947 No. 23 UCLA15–3 .83325–9  .735 USC12–6 .66719–12  .613 California11–7 .61124–13  .649 Arizona State9–9 .50018–14  .563 Oregon7–11 .38918–16  .529 Washington7–11 .38913–18  .419 Arizona6–12 .33314–17  .452 Washington State3–15 .1678–22  .267 Oregon State2–16 .11111–20  .355 † 2010 Pacific-10 Tournament winner As of April 6, 2010 Rankings from AP Poll | 2009–10 SEC women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT No. 3 Tennessee$^†$15–1 .93832–3  .914 No. 19 Kentucky11–5 .68828–8  .778 Mississippi State9–7 .56321–13  .618 No. 21 LSU9–7 .56321–10  .677 Vanderbilt9–7 .56323–11  .676 No. 23 Georgia9–7 .56325–9  .735 Florida7–9 .43815–17  .469 South Carolina7–9 .43814–15  .483 Ole Miss7–9 .43817–15  .531 Auburn5–11 .31315–16  .484 Alabama4–12 .25012–18  .400 Arkansas4–12 .25012–18  .400 † 2010 SEC tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | 2009–10 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball standings vteConfOverall TeamW L PCTW L PCT East Division Middle Tennessee†17–1 .94425–6  .806 Western Kentucky14–4 .77821–11  .656 Florida Atlantic10–8 .55614–15  .483 FIU9–9 .50014–16  .467 South Alabama9–9 .50015–16  .484 Troy5–13 .27812–17  .414 West Division Arkansas–Little Rock17–1 .94427–6  .818 Denver12–6 .66718–13  .581 Arkansas State7–11 .38913–18  .419 North Texas5–13 .2789–22  .290 New Orleans4–14 .22212–20  .375 Louisiana–Monroe4–14 .22210–19  .345 Louisiana–Lafayette4–14 .22210–22  .313 † Tournament winner Rankings from Coaches |