ACC Women’s Basketball 2025-26: Major Disappointments and Season Analysis

The 2025-26 women’s college basketball season has been a wild ride—sometimes exciting, sometimes just plain frustrating. Sure, we’ve seen a few breakout stars and some unexpected wins, but honestly, a lot of teams and conferences just haven’t met the hype.

This post digs into the biggest letdowns of the season. We’ll call out the underachievers and try to make sense of what’s gone wrong, especially for the ACC and teams like Duke, NC State, and Iowa State.

The ACC’s Struggles: A Conference in Decline

Early on, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) seemed set for a strong year. Two teams landed in the top 10, and five made the AP top 25.

But as the weeks ticked by, the ACC just couldn’t keep it together.

Initial Rankings and Rapid Decline

Duke opened at No. 7, NC State at No. 9, North Carolina at No. 11, Notre Dame at No. 15, and Louisville at No. 20. By Week 3, not a single ACC team stayed in the top 10.

By Week 5, only three teams were left in the rankings. Louisville clawed back into the top 10 by Week 9, but after that, just two ACC programs held on in the top 25.

Comparative Performance

Stack the ACC up against other conferences, and the difference is kinda glaring. This week, the SEC sent a record 10 teams into the poll, while the Big Ten had seven and the Big 12 had four.

Bracketologist Connor Groel at CBS Sports thinks only Louisville will snag a top-four seed for the ACC. It’s wild to see a conference that used to dominate women’s basketball now just trying to keep pace.

North Carolina’s Disappointments: Duke, NC State, and UNC

Three of the ACC’s biggest flops this year all come from North Carolina: Duke, NC State, and UNC. Last season, each hosted an NCAA Tournament first-round game and reached the Sweet 16.

This season’s been a different story—one most fans would rather forget.

Duke’s Rocky Start

Duke came out of the gate at 3-6, facing tough teams like No. 16 Baylor, No. 2 South Carolina, No. 3 UCLA, and No. 5 LSU. But the real gut punches were a loss at South Florida and a bizarre game at West Virginia, where the Blue Devils fell apart even after seven Mountaineers got ejected before halftime.

NC State’s Underperformance

NC State’s season feels pretty much the same. Their tough nonconference slate and some shaky play left them at 5-4, including a brutal home loss to Rhode Island.

Even though they’re still getting some AP poll votes, it’s hard to call this season anything but a letdown.

North Carolina’s Inconsistencies

UNC started off alright, going 10-2 with losses only to No. 3 UCLA and No. 4 Texas. But overtime heartbreakers at home to Louisville and Stanford, plus a blowout loss at Notre Dame, knocked the Tar Heels out of the top 25.

Other ACC Teams: Stanford, Cal, Clemson, Florida State, and Notre Dame

Stanford and Cal haven’t moved the needle much in their second ACC season. Clemson shows some fight but can’t stay consistent.

Florida State’s been spiraling since Ta’Niya Latson left, and Notre Dame’s a mess that not even Hannah Hidalgo can save. With so few ranked teams in conference play, Quad 1 wins are rare, making things even tougher for the ACC.

Iowa State Cyclones: From Unbeaten to Unranked

Just a month back, Iowa State looked unstoppable at 14-0. Audi Crooks seemed like the best player in the country.

Then 2026 hit, and everything fell apart.

January’s Downturn

In January, the Cyclones dropped five straight conference games. They lost to No. 22 Baylor and unranked Cincinnati, West Virginia, Colorado, and Oklahoma State.