March in Washington, D.C. usually means cherry blossoms and tourists clogging up the Metro, but last year, the real story was the absolute madness unfolding at the Entertainment and Sports Arena. If you followed the CAA women's basketball tournament 2025, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It wasn't just a tournament. It was a demolition derby for brackets.
William & Mary, a team that entered as the 9th seed with a losing conference record, ended up cutting down the nets.
They weren't supposed to be there. Honestly, most people had North Carolina A&T or Charleston penciled into the final. But that’s the thing about the Coastal Athletic Association lately—the regular season is basically just a long, scenic route to a weekend where the rankings don't matter at all.
The Unbelievable Run of the Tribe
Let’s talk about that William & Mary run because it was historic. Literally. It was the first time in the history of the school—men’s or women’s programs—that they punched a ticket to the NCAA Tournament. They did it the hard way, winning four games in four days.
Imagine the legs on those players by Sunday.
They knocked off Hofstra first. Then, they took down the top-seeded North Carolina A&T Aggies in a quarterfinal overtime thriller that had everyone in the building holding their breath. By the time they hit the semifinals against Drexel, they looked like a team of destiny. Bella Nascimento, who eventually took home MVP honors, was essentially unguardable.
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When they met Campbell in the final on March 16, it was a 66-63 slugfest. Campbell had played incredibly well, led by Gianni Boone, but the Tribe just had that late-game "it" factor.
Why the CAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2025 Changed Everything
For years, mid-major tournaments were predictable. You had one or two powerhouses, and everyone else was just happy to be invited to the party. That's dead. The CAA women's basketball tournament 2025 proved that parity isn't just a buzzword; it’s the current reality of the league.
Look at the seeds of the last three champions:
- 2023: Monmouth (7th seed)
- 2024: Drexel (7th seed)
- 2025: William & Mary (9th seed)
If you're a betting person, you're probably throwing your hands up at this point. The "double bye" used to be a golden ticket to the finals. Now, it feels like the teams playing on Wednesday and Thursday are just getting a head start on finding their rhythm while the top seeds are sitting in a hotel room getting rusty.
North Carolina A&T dominated the regular season with a 15-3 record. Charleston was right behind them at 14-4. Both programs were elite. Taryn Barbot for Charleston was a nightmare for defenders all year, eventually being named the CAA Player of the Year. But when the lights got bright in D.C., the pressure of being the hunted vs. the hunter shifted the dynamic.
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The Venue: CareFirst Arena (Entertainment and Sports Arena)
The tournament stayed in Washington, D.C., and honestly, it’s the perfect home for it. The CareFirst Arena has this intimate, loud atmosphere that makes every defensive stop feel like a championship moment. Because it's a neutral site that's relatively central for the East Coast-heavy conference, you get these pockets of traveling fans that make the atmosphere feel like a mini-version of the Final Four.
Key Players Who Defined the Season
You can't talk about the 2025 season without mentioning the stars who made it happen.
Taryn Barbot is the name everyone knows. As a sophomore/junior transition, she was the fastest player in Charleston history to hit 1,000 points. She wasn't just a scorer, though. She led a defense that topped the nation in turnover margin. If you weren't careful with the ball, Barbot was already at the other end of the court finishing a layup before you realized you'd been stripped.
Then there’s Amaris Baker at Drexel. She was the hero of the 2024 tournament and remained a scoring machine in 2025. Drexel plays a specific style—tough, disciplined, and slow—and Baker is the engine that makes it work.
Over at North Carolina A&T, Chaniya Clark was a double-double machine. She’s one of those players who just occupies so much space in the paint that teams have to completely change their offensive game plan.
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Lessons for the 2026 Season and Beyond
If you're a fan of a CAA team, the takeaway from the CAA women's basketball tournament 2025 is simple: don't panic if your team has a rough February.
The tournament is a completely different season.
We are seeing a shift where coaches like Erin Dickerson Davis (William & Mary) are peaking their teams at exactly the right moment. It’s not about who is best in January; it’s about who has the depth and the mental toughness to win four games in 96 hours.
The move to FloHoops for the early rounds and CBS Sports Network for the final has also given the league more eyes. People are starting to realize that the gap between the "high majors" and the top of the CAA is shrinking.
What You Should Do Now
- Watch the VODs: If you missed the W&M vs. NC A&T overtime game, go find the highlights on FloHoops. It’s a masterclass in late-game execution.
- Track the Transfers: The CAA is becoming a hotbed for high-quality transfers looking for more playing time. Keep an eye on the portal this spring; that's where the 2026 champion will likely be built.
- Book Your D.C. Trip Early: The tournament is staying in Washington. If you want to see the 2026 edition, start looking at hotels near Congress Heights now.
- Follow the Mid-Major Rankings: Don't just look at the AP Top 25. Check out the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year watch lists to see which CAA stars are getting national recognition.
The 2025 tournament was a reminder that in college basketball, "impossible" is just a suggestion. Nine seeds aren't supposed to win championships, until they do.