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2026 Linfield vs Whitman - Women's

Five Things To Know About Northwest Conference Women's Basketball In 2026-27

Five Things To Know About Northwest Conference Women's Basketball In 2026-27

The NCAA D3 college basketball season is almost here. While teams gear up for tip off, here is a look at the NWC Women's division before the season unfolds.

Oct 27, 2026 by Madelyn Mendoza
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Replay: Willamette vs Pacific Lutheran - 2026 Willamette vs Pacific (OR) | Jan 24 @ 5 PM1:56:12

The Northwest Conference enters the 2026-27 women’s basketball season with several programs looking to make their mark after a competitive 2025-26 campaign. 

Linfield established itself as the team to beat during the regular season, finishing with a 15-1 conference record. Whitman, meanwhile, captured the NWC Tournament championship and continued its postseason run in the NCAA Division III tournament. 

Puget Sound  and George Fox University also proved they could compete with the conference’s best, giving the league a strong group of contenders entering the new season. With another conference race ahead and the tournament title up for grabs, here are five things to know before tipoff.

1. Linfield Set The Standard During The Regular Season

Linfield enters the new season after an outstanding 2025-26 campaign. The Wildcats finished 15-1 in conference play and 22-4 overall, claiming the NWC regular-season championship and earning the top seed in the conference tournament.

Linfield’s success came from its ability to perform consistently against league opponents. The Wildcats averaged 69.4 points per game in conference play while allowing just 53.5, giving them the conference’s best scoring margin at 15.9 points per game.

Despite their regular-season dominance, the Wildcats did not finish the job in the conference tournament. George Fox upset Linfield 59-57 in the semifinals, ending its championship hopes on its home floor.

That loss provides a clear motivation for the upcoming season. Linfield has already shown it can control the conference race over a full schedule, but returning to the top of the standings and converting that success into a tournament title will be the next challenge.

2. Whitman Remains The Team To Beat In March

Whitman finished third in the conference standings with a 13-3 NWC record and a 21-8 overall mark, but the Blues delivered when the postseason arrived.

Whitman opened the 2026 NWC Tournament with a 69-56 semifinal victory over Puget Sound. Briana Andrade led the way with 23 points and eight rebounds, while Emma Lena Baker recorded a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

The Blues then faced George Fox in the championship game and came away with a convincing 67-51 victory. Whitman’s defense helped set the tone, holding the Bruins to 51 points while pulling away in the second half.

The championship continued Whitman’s strong postseason tradition and earned the program the conference’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship.

Whitman won its NCAA tournament opener against Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, 70-54, before its season ended with a 56-35 loss to Hardin-Simmons. The Blues will enter 2026-27 with championship experience and another postseason run to build on.

3. Puget Sound And George Fox Are Serious Contenders

While Linfield and Whitman headline the early conversation, Puget Sound and George Fox have shown they can challenge the conference’s leading programs.

Puget Sound finished 13-3 in conference play and 20-6 overall, matching Whitman’s league record. The Loggers earned the third seed in the 2026 tournament through the conference’s tiebreaking procedures. Their season ended in the semifinals with a 69-56 loss to Whitman, but their strong regular-season record established them as one of the conference’s top teams.

George Fox took a different path. The Bruins finished fourth at 10-6 in conference play and 15-12 overall, then produced one of the tournament’s biggest results by defeating top-seeded Linfield on the road. George Fox ultimately fell to Whitman in the championship game, 67-51.

The two programs give the NWC a compelling group of challengers behind its recent champions. Puget Sound will look to turn its regular-season consistency into a deeper tournament run, while George Fox will try to build on its semifinal upset and make another push for the title.

4. The Battle For The Tournament Field Starts With Conference Consistency

The 2025-26 standings show how competitive the middle of the NWC can be. 

Behind the top four teams, Willamette finished fifth at 7-9 in conference play, followed by Pacific at 5-11, Whitworth at 4-12, Lewis & Clark  at 3-13 and Pacific Lutheran at 2-14.

Those records illustrate the importance of building momentum during conference play. The NWC tournament features four teams, making each league win especially valuable as the season progresses.

Willamette will look to climb back into the upper half of the standings after finishing with a winning record in several stretches of league play. Pacific, Whitworth, Lewis & Clark and Pacific Lutheran will each have opportunities to improve on last season and put pressure on the teams ahead of them.

For those programs, the goal is not simply to compete with the top four. It is to put together the kind of consistent conference performance that earns a place in the postseason field. A strong start, improved play on the road and head-to-head wins against nearby rivals in the standings could make a significant difference.

5. November Begins The Road To The 2027 Championship

The 2026-27 schedule gives NWC teams an opportunity to establish themselves through nonconference competition before the conference race takes shape. George Fox is scheduled to open its season November 7 against Hardin-Simmons in Santa Cruz, California, followed by a matchup with UC Santa Cruz the next day. Puget Sound’s schedule also includes nonconference tests against McMurry and Hardin-Simmons in November.

Those early games will help teams develop rotations, evaluate new contributors and prepare for the demands of conference play. Once the NWC schedule gets underway, every result will matter in the race for one of the four tournament spots.

The 2027 NWC Basketball Tournament is listed on the conference’s tournament page, with the regular-season race expected to determine the teams competing for the championship and the league’s automatic NCAA Division III bid.

Linfield will aim to return to the top after its semifinal disappointment, Whitman will try to defend its tournament crown, and Puget Sound and George Fox will look to make another run at the title. With several proven contenders and limited room in the tournament field, the 2026-27 season promises another competitive race for the Northwest Conference championship.

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