Three years ago, Denise Dillon celebrated with her team as Villanova was selected as a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament on March 12, 2023.
Last Sunday, Dillon got to cheer again as Villanova’s name was called in the NCAA Selection Show for the first time since that day. This season marks Dillon’s third tournament appearance as Villanova’s head coach, a role she began in 2020-21.
Yet, for Dillon, the 2025-26 selection show felt “very different” from the last, and not only because Villanova earned a No. 10 seed this time around.
“I’m not sure why, but it feels a little different,” Dillon said. “That year, we were top 16, so we knew we were hosting. But there’s the excitement of a new group heading off, and we’re going to hit the road. It feels different every time, which is unique and special. I’m fortunate to be able to experience it in different time frames.”
The program entered a period of uncertainty after the 2022-23 season concluded with a heartbreaking 70-65 loss to Miami in the Sweet 16 on March 24, 2023. Notably, the loss marked the end of Maddy Siegrist’s collegiate career. Siegrist, an All-American forward, finished her five years in the program as a Villanova legend and went on to join the Dallas Wings in the WNBA.
One of the main challenges for Dillon in the 2023-24 campaign was carrying on without Siegrist in the early years of the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) and transfer portal era. The Wildcats, led by guard Lucy Olsen, finished that season with a 22-13 overall record.
Despite missing an NCAA Tournament bid, they battled to the championship game of the inaugural Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT). Villanova ultimately fell to the University of Illinois, 71-57, on April 3, 2024.
An exodus of players in the offseason due to the transfer portal and graduation made Villanova’s NCAA Tournament hopes slim once again. Olsen and forward Christina Dalce, who each departed the program through the portal, left sizable gaps in the roster as the 2024-25 season approached.
The addition of guard Jasmine Bascoe, who led the Wildcats in scoring as a freshman, generated high hopes for the program’s future. Villanova again found itself in the WBIT, finishing its 2024-25 campaign with a 21-15 overall record. The Wildcats lost to Belmont, 66-57, in the WBIT semifinals on March 31, 2025.
Yet members of the program were optimistic as the 2025-26 season began. Bascoe’s return, junior forward Brynn McCurry’s full recovery from an ACL tear, along with the additions of players like freshman guard Kennedy Henry and transfer junior guard Kelsey Joens, set the scene for a resurgence of Villanova women’s basketball.
When Dillon gathered her new team for summer preseason training, the coaching staff agreed that there was “something special” about this year’s group of players.
However, this season did not come without its struggles, especially during the non-conference portion of the schedule. Villanova suffered a pair of concerning losses to Fairfield and Princeton in November. But the early season took a positive turn as Villanova soundly defeated then-ranked No. 25 West Virginia, 81-59, on Dec. 1. West Virginia is now a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
With a 25-7 overall record and 16-4 conference record, finishing second in the Big East behind No. 1 seed UConn, the Wildcats piled up the wins they needed to see March Madness again.
Sunday’s selection was a gratifying moment not just for Dillon, but also for the players who stayed through the team’s failure to make the Tournament the last two years, and remained resilient during early-season disappointments and a challenging schedule.
“You don’t get to play UConn three times in a season very often,” Bascoe said. “We’re fortunate that we played some great teams during the [Big East] postseason, and even our non-conference games, like West Virginia. Our coaches did a good job of setting us up [for the NCAA Tournament]. We played some tough teams.”
Senior guard Denae Carter, who transferred to Villanova from Mississippi State for the 2023-24 season, has also been part of the team’s evolution over the past three years.
“From the start of the season to now, we’ve competed our hardest, and we talk about it all the time that we still haven’t played our best basketball,” Carter said. “So all those games combined, and now entering March, where it’s win or go home, it’s really big for us. So I think we’re ready for the moment and excited.”
Only two players from the original Sweet 16 roster remain on the team now: senior forward Annie Welde and senior guard Maggie Grant.
In Dillon’s view, while the senior duo often do not get minutes in games, their presence has been crucial to bridge the gap between Villanova’s previous NCAA Tournament team and this year’s squad.
“Our veterans, Annie Welde and Maggie Grant, were a part of that Sweet 16 team, and they understand what the culture is and what it’s all about,” Dillon said.
While the team looks toward its upcoming matchup against No. 7 seed Texas Tech, the Selection Sunday celebration and the chemistry among the team were part of what Dillon envisioned at the beginning of the season.
“This team certainly put together the resumé they needed to get into March Madness, and we were confident that we were getting here,” Dillon said. “You put [the seeding] aside at this point. You just prepare for what’s ahead. You’re happy to be in there; you want to battle and prove yourself, so that’s our position right now.”
