The Portland Pilots women’s basketball team will compete in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), as announced on March 15. This marks the seventh consecutive year that the Pilots have qualified for postseason play.
The announcement is significant for the program, highlighting its consistency in reaching postseason tournaments and building on recent successes. The official bracket for the WNIT will be released on Monday, March 16.
This is the fourth time that Portland has qualified for the WNIT, with their last appearance in 2022 when they secured their first-ever win in the tournament against Colorado State. In total, it is the 14th time in program history that the Pilots have reached a postseason tournament, including seven NCAA Tournament appearances, two Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) berths, one Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), and now four WNIT entries.
The WNIT features a field of 48 teams with automatic qualification for at least one team from each of the NCAA’s 31 Division conferences. Teams automatically qualify if they are the highest-finishing team in their conference not already selected to either the NCAA Tournament or WBIT. First round games are scheduled for March 19-21, followed by subsequent rounds through early April. All games will be played at selected host sites to be revealed along with the bracket.
Last season, Portland participated in the WBIT for the first time and earned wins over Stanford and Seton Hall before falling to Villanova in the quarterfinals. Under head coach Michael Meek, who has led them to five postseason wins over seven seasons after previously having none, this period represents one of sustained achievement for the program. The Pilots finished this regular season with an overall record of 18-14 and an 11-7 mark in West Coast Conference play.
Portland now awaits confirmation on whether it will host any games during this year’s WNIT or travel to other venues. The full bracket reveal is expected Monday.
