NAPERVILLE — The 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Basketball Championship field is set following the conclusion of the regular season on Saturday afternoon. Through conference tiebreak procedures (CCIW won-loss record over the final eight games of the conference schedule), Carroll (21-4 overall) earned the No. 1 seed and will host the semifinal and championship rounds at Van Male Fieldhouse for the first time in program history.
 
Admission to each night – Tuesday, Friday and Saturday -- is $10 for adults and $5 for seniors (65+), students, and children ages 6 and older. Children ages 5 and under, along with current CCIW students with a valid conference ID, will be admitted free. Please note that conference passes will not be accepted for postseason competition. Fans unable to attend in person can follow all tournament games live on the CCIW Network. 
 
Carroll and Illinois Wesleyan finished as CCIW co-champions with identical 15-1 conference records. Illinois Wesleyan (20-5 overall) enters the tournament as the No. 2 seed. Both programs will receive byes into the semifinal round. 
 
The tournament will begin with quarterfinal games on Tuesday, Feb. 24, hosted by the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds. In one quarterfinal, No. 6 Wheaton will travel to No. 3 North Central for a 7 p.m. tipoff. The teams split the regular-season series, with North Central winning the first meeting, 67-55, on Jan. 10, and Wheaton winning the second meeting, 64-57, on Feb. 7. 
 
In the other quarterfinal, No. 5 Elmhurst will play at No. 4 Carthage at 7 p.m. Those teams also split their regular-season series, with Elmhurst winning 78-63 on Jan. 3 and Carthage winning the second meeting, 73-70, on Jan. 14.
 
The semifinal round will be held Friday, Feb. 27, at Van Male Fieldhouse in Waukesha. The highest remaining seed from the quarterfinals will face No. 2 Illinois Wesleyan at 5 p.m., while the lowest remaining seed will play No. 1 Carroll at 7:30 p.m. The championship game is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 28, at 7 p.m. at Van Male Fieldhouse.
 
No. 1 Carroll Pioneers (21-4, 15-1 CCIW)
Carroll secured a share of the regular-season title and the No. 1 seed with a 68-65 win over Carthage in its regular-season finale. The Pioneers lead the CCIW in scoring (72.3 points per game), field goal percentage (.460) and three-point percentage (.338). Carroll is led by senior Natalie Gricius, the conference’s leading scorer at 22.0 points per game, and Emilie Wizner, who leads the league in three-pointers made per game at 2.79. Carroll is seeking its second CCIW Tournament title in three seasons after winning the program’s first tournament championship in 2024 as the No. 2 seed.
 
No. 2 Illinois Wesleyan Titans (20-5, 15-1 CCIW)
Illinois Wesleyan enters the postseason on a six-game winning streak after an 86-68 win over Augustana to secure its third consecutive regular-season title. The Titans lead the conference in scoring defense (58.9 points allowed per game) and carry a league-best +7.08 turnover margin. Senior Ava Bardic ranks second in the conference in scoring at 19.2 points per game, while Sawyer White leads the CCIW in steals at 3.6 per game. Illinois Wesleyan owns 11 CCIW Tournament championships (2003, 2008-12, 2018-20, 2022, 2025), the most in conference history.
 
No. 3 North Central Cardinals (14-11, 8-8 CCIW)
North Central earned the No. 3 seed through the tiebreaker process in a three-way tie at 8-8 in conference play. The Cardinals rank second in the CCIW in three-pointers made at 6.9 per game. Jocelyn Trotter leads the team and ranks among the top 15 in the conference in both scoring (11.9 points per game) and rebounding (7.4 rebounds per game). North Central has reached the CCIW Tournament championship game once, finishing as runner-up to Wheaton in 2015.
 
No. 4 Carthage Firebirds (14-10, 8-8 CCIW)
Carthage enters the tournament as the conference’s top three-point shooting team by volume, averaging 7.5 made three-pointers per game. The Firebirds also rank second in the CCIW in assists (14.6 per game) and blocked shots (3.3 per game). Malia Green leads Carthage in scoring at 15.4 points per game, while Nora Ahram averages 2.8 assists per game. Carthage has won two CCIW Tournament championships, capturing back-to-back titles in 2013 and 2014.
 
No. 5 Elmhurst Bluejays (12-12, 8-8 CCIW)
Elmhurst is led by Kristin Bukata, who tops the CCIW in assists (7.6 per game) and assist/turnover ratio (2.36). The Bluejays also feature the conference’s leading rebounder in Anna Kleszynski, who averages 8.5 rebounds per game. Elmhurst’s best finish in the CCIW Tournament came in 2010, when the Bluejays advanced to the championship game as the No. 3 seed before falling to Illinois Wesleyan.
 
No. 6 Wheaton Thunder (11-14, 7-9 CCIW)
Wheaton claimed the final tournament berth and ranks second in the conference in steals at 10.8 per game. Kate Oliver leads the Thunder in multiple categories, including scoring (12.8 points per game), blocks (1.0 per game) and steals (2.0 per game). Wheaton is tied for the second-most CCIW Tournament championships with six (2004, 2006-07, 2015-17) and has made 12 appearances in the tournament final.