By Sydney Graber
On Mar. 11, the Horizon League hosted its 39th Women’s Basketball Final Four in Indianapolis.
This event brings together top teams from the conference, with student-athletes battling it out for the championship title.
It’s a chance for these players to show off their skills, fight for pride, and secure their spot in the postseason March Madness tournament.
This year’s championship game featured the second-seeded Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodons facing off against the top-ranked Green Bay Phoenix.
Looking into how Purdue Fort Wayne prepared for the championship, Horizon League Newcomer of the Year Lauren Ross said, “Our coaches prepared us by spending a lot of time watching film and walking through our opponent’s tendencies. This helped us to make sure we were prepared for every possible scenario that we could face in the tournament.”
Both teams are quite familiar with each other, as they split the in-season matchups and battled it out in overtime when they faced off in Green Bay.
Former player, now assistant coach Shayla Sellers said, “Preparing for the horizon league tournament involves a combination of strategy, preparation, scouting, and mental preparation. As coaches, we breakdown film and look for opponent’s strengths and weaknesses.”
Heading into the game both teams were eager to face off and settle who was the best in the Horizon League and who would punch their ticket to March Madness.
To start out the game and throughout the first half, both teams were scoring the ball at will and playing solid on the defensive end. Heading into the locker room at half, the game was tied 40-40. Both teams hoped to carry this energy into the last 20 minutes.
The Phoenix came out firing on both ends, and their First Team All-Horizon League guard, Natalie McNeal, was dominating the midrange game. In the third quarter, Green Bay outscored the Mastodons 20-13 and carried this momentum into the fourth.
Jordan Reid gave the Dons quite a lift coming off the bench going 5-8 from the field for a total of 12 points on the day. Despite the Don’s efforts, it was not enough to overcome the firepower of the Phoenix offense.
The final score was 76-63 in favor of Green Bay, and they awaited their fate on Selection Sunday to see who they would match up against in the round of 64 in March Madness.
The Horizon League Women’s Basketball Tournament is an annual postseason event for teams in the Horizon League, a NCAA Division I conference.
Featuring the top 10 teams from the regular season, the tournament is structured as a single-elimination competition, with higher-seeded teams usually enjoying a home-court advantage in the earlier rounds.
The tournament begins with the first round, where the bottom six seeds compete, followed by the quarterfinals, semifinals, and then the championship game. The winner of the tournament receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Horizon League Women’s Basketball Tournament is critical for teams hoping to make it to the national stage, as it’s often their only path to the NCAA Tournament.
The coaches of these teams, Purdue Fort Wayne specifically, spend the entirety of the year preparing for games in March in hopes of winning and advancing to the March Madness tournament.
Green Bay’s victory underscores the team’s dominance in the conference, having secured multiple championships in recent years. Their performance throughout the tournament, culminating in the championship game, solidifies their status as a formidable force in women’s college basketball.
The Mastodons, while falling short, showcased their growth and competitiveness throughout the season. Their journey to the championship game marked a significant milestone for the program, highlighting their potential in the Horizon League.
