Preview: North Carolina A&T and William & Mary Meet in CAA Women’s Basketball Championship

WASHINGTON (Interstat) — The William & Mary Tribe and North Carolina A&T Aggies will open play in the 2026 Colonial Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Championship on Thursday, March 12, at Entertainment and Sports Arena.

The No. 7-seeded Tribe (16-13) enter the tournament having won three of their last four games, including a narrow 61-60 road victory at Hampton on Saturday. The No. 10-seeded Aggies (12-17) aim to rebound from a 70-64 home loss to College of Charleston in their regular-season finale.

William & Mary, which holds the better seed and record, also won the lone regular-season meeting between the teams, a 60-49 victory in Greensboro, North Carolina, on Jan. 2.

The matchup features two of the conference’s standout performers. For North Carolina A&T, junior forward Chaniya Clark has been a dominant force, averaging a double-double in recent weeks. She is coming off a 12-rebound, 3-block performance against Charleston and scored 26 points in a win at Monmouth on Feb. 27. Her interior presence will be critical for the Aggies.

William & Mary counters with senior guard Cassidy Geddes, who is playing her best basketball of the season. Geddes poured in 22 points and dished 5 assists in the win at Hampton and has averaged 17.3 points over her last three contests. Her backcourt leadership and scoring punch fuel the Tribe’s offense.

The Aggies have shown a capacity for tight games, with a triple-overtime win over Northeastern and a close overtime loss at Drexel in recent weeks. William & Mary’s path has been marked by similar volatility, including a 22-point road loss to College of Charleston followed by a 19-point road win at UNC Wilmington.

Thursday’s winner will advance to face the tournament’s seed in the quarterfinal round on Friday. The game is scheduled for a 2 p.m. EST tip-off.