(WIAA) – The 50th Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Girls Basketball State Tournament will take place Thursday-Saturday, March 12-14, at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wis.
STATE TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE: The single elimination tournament features a five-division format with four teams qualifying in each of the five divisions.
Thursday, March 12
Division 3
#1 Oostburg (28-0) vs. Mosinee (24-4) – 1:35 p.m.
#2 Kettle Moraine Lutheran (27-1) vs. #3 Wisconsin Dells (28-0)*
Division 4
#1 Neillsville (27-1) vs. #4 Lomira (22-6) – 6:35 p.m.
#2 St. Mary Catholic (25-3) vs. #3 Albany/Monticello (26-2)*
Friday, March 13
Division 5
#1 Eleva-Strum (29-0) vs. #4 Fall River (17-11) – 9:05 a.m.
#2 Pacelli (23-4) vs. #3 Barneveld (22-7)*
Division 2
#1 Rice Lake (25-3) vs. #4 Beaver Dam (22-6) – 1:35 p.m.
#2 Whitefish Bay (24-4) vs. #3 Elkhorn (24-4)*
Division 1
#1 Wauwatosa East (28-0) vs. #4 Notre Dame (24-4) – 6:35 p.m.
#2 Arrowhead (26-2) vs. #3 Pewaukee (24-4)*
Saturday, March 14
3-Point Challenge – 9:30 a.m.
Division 5 Championship Game – 11:05 a.m.
Division 4 Championship Game*
Division 3 Championship Game*
Division 2 Championship Game – 6:35 p.m.
Division 1 Championship Game*
*Note: Subsequent games of each session will begin approximately 15 minutes following the previous game.
STATE TOURNAMENT ON THE AIR: The State Tournament will be televised live on WKOW Madison, WAOW Wausau, WXOW La Crosse, WQOW Eau Claire, WCWF in Green Bay/Fox Valley and WVTV in Milwaukee. The finals will also be streamed live on the State Television Network’s websites and on Fox11online.com. Also, download the WIAA Sports Live app for live streaming video, scores, highlights and more about the WIAA State Basketball Tournaments. Live coverage of the tournaments on iOS or Android phones and tablets are also available on the app.
POST-GAME MEDIA CONFERENCES STREAMED: The post-game media conferences will be shown live without subscription on the WIAA.tv portal of the NFHS Network immediately following each game.
CELEBRATING 50 YEARS: The celebration of the 50 years of the State Girls Basketball Tournament will continue through the tournament in Green Bay. The programs and activities planned include the “Future Champions Team Experience” with group promotions and fan engagement for youth teams attending the State Tournament. Other celebration activities feature team-exclusive Tournament Series shooting shirts available for all schools; a social media campaign highlighting the history of the tournament; an in-game, commemorative t-shirt toss; a recognition of prominent athletes, coaches and officials of past tournaments; and giveaways sponsored by Discover Green Bay. Discover Green Bay has a public exhibit honoring the 50-year history of the WIAA Girls Basketball State Tournament at the Visitor Center at 1945 Argonne St. The exhibit includes curated historical stories, visual displays, and artifacts, including the 2026 Division 1 championship trophy, for visitors to view.
TEAM TOURNAMENT HISTORY: The first WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament was held in 1976. The tournament was held at the UW Field House from 1976-97 and also in 1999, 2000 and 2002. The championships were held at the Kohl Center in 1998, 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2010-12, and at the Alliant Energy Center in 2004 and 2006-09. The Resch Center in Green Bay has been the home of the tournament since 2013, except during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021 when the State Tournament was held at two separate locations, the La Crosse Center and the Menominee Nation Arena in Oshkosh. The tournament featured a three-class format until 1991, when a four-division format was adopted. In 2011, a fifth division was added. Cuba City has won the most State titles over the years with 12, followed by Barneveld and Notre Dame with six, and then Kimberly and Milwaukee Washington with five. There have been 106 different schools that have won championships. Cuba City has the distinction of having appeared in the most State Tournaments with 18. Newman Catholic, and now Barneveld and Arrowhead are next on the list with 13; and Durand-Arkansaw, Fall Creek, Janesville Parker, Kimberly , Middleton and now Notre Dame and Oostburg have qualified 12 times. Then comes Monroe, having qualified for 11 State Tournaments.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 1 FIELD: Wauwatosa East, the 2025 champion in Division 2, moves up a division and is the #1 seed in the bracket. The Red Raiders qualify for the the fifth time overall and for the third year in a row. They have won two State championships with last season’s title and a Class A championship in 1981. This season, they are the champions of the Greater Metro Conference. The Red Raiders earned another trip to the Resch with a convincing 97-60 win over Kenosha Bradford in the final of the Greenfield Sectional. Arrowhead is making its third straight appearance at State and the Warhawks’ 13th overall. They have claimed three championships in their 12 previous appearances, including 1988, 1991 and 2024. They finished atop the Classic 8 Conference standings this season. The Warhawks are the representatives out of the Sun Prairie West Sectional following their 74-51 win over Brookfield East in the final. Third-seeded Pewaukee returns to State for the third time in the past four seasons and for the fifth time overall. The Pirates won the Division 2 championship in the most recent appearance in 2024 after finishing runner-up in 2022 and 2023. The Pirates also qualified in 2020 prior to the cancellation of games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This season, they defeated Hartford in the Whitefish Bay Sectional final to earn their return to the tourney field. The Pirates are the champions in the West Division of the Woodland Conference this season. Notre Dame returns to the tournament as the #4 seed. The Tritons are making their fifth appearance in the past six seasons and their 12th overall. They finished runner-up in Division 2 in their most recent State experience in 2024. The Tritons won three straight Division 2 championships from 2021-23. The Tritons have six State titles overall, earning the gold trophy in the program’s first-ever appearance at State in 2001 and also back-to-back titles in 2013-14. They also added runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2024. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Tritons were the Division 1 runners-up in 1994 as a former member of WISAA. This season, they are the champions of the Fox River Classic Conference and qualify for the Division 1 semifinals following a convincing 69-54 win over SPASH in the D.C. Everest Sectional final.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 2 FIELD: Rice Lake is the top seed in the bracket after the Warriors qualified for the first time in the program’s history last season, which resulted in a loss in the semifinals. They were the victors of the Stevens Point Sectional following their 59-45 win over Shawano in the final. The Warriors tied Hudson for first place in the Big Rivers Conference this winter. The #2 seed, Whitefish Bay, has eight previous appearances in the State Tournament with the last coming in 2019. The Blue Dukes’ best outcome in any of the previous tournament experiences was a runner-up finish in Class A in 1986. They defeated Whitnall 78-51 in the final of the Waukesha North Sectional. The Blue Dukes finished the regular season as champions of the North Shore Conference. Elkhorn, the #3 seed, makes the program’s second appearance at State after its first experience resulted in a Division 2 championship in 1997. The Elks are the champions of the Southern Lakes Conference this season. They advance to the State semifinals after defeating Milton 66-47 in the final of the Janesville Craig Sectional final. Beaver Dam, the fourth seed, qualifies for the seventh time. The most recent was when they qualified for the tournament that was canceled because of the COVID-19 virus pandemic in 2020. The Golden Beavers were attempting to become the first girls basketball program in WIAA history to win four consecutive State titles. In addition to the three championships they won from 2017-19, they also advanced to the title game in Division 1 in 1991 and finished runner-up. Their return to the tournament comes by virtue of a 67-43 win over Xavier in the Sheboygan South Sectional final. The Golden Beavers were the runner-up in the Large Division of the Badger Conference this season.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 3 FIELD: Defending champion Oostburg is the top seed in the bracket. The Lady Dutch will be participating in the State Tournament for the 12th time in program history. They have won four championships in their 11 previous State experiences. In addition to last season, they earned Division 3 titles in 1994 and 2008, and the Class C crown in 1990. The Lady Dutch also advanced to the State final in 2010 and 2012 and finished runner-up. This season, they are the champions of the South Division of the Big East Conference. Oostburg earned its return to State with a 62-43 victory over Winneconne in the Manitowoc Lincoln Sectional final. Second-seeded Kettle Moraine Lutheran returns to the field for the fourth time and for the first time since 2024. The Chargers won their only State title in 2014, which was their first-ever appearance. This season, they are the champions of the Glacier Trails Conference. The Chargers beat Milwaukee Academy of Science 70-43 in the Brown Deer Sectional final to earn their berth in the semifinals. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Chargers won a WISAA Class B championship in 1990 and finished runner-up on four other occasions. Wisconsin Dells, the third seed, will make its second appearance in the State Tournament following a 57-51 victory over Edgerton in the Portage Sectional final. The only other experience in the tournament for the Chiefs resulted in a loss in the 2018 Division 3 semifinals. During the regular season, they were the champions of the South Central Conference. Fourth-seeded Mosinee will make its sixth appearance in the tournament and its first since 2006. The Indians have advanced to the title game twice in their previous experiences, winning the Division 2 championship in 2000 and finishing runner-up in 1998. They finished at the top of the Great Northern Conference standings this season. Their journey to the Resch Center was paved through the Eau Claire North Sectional, defeating St. Croix Central 69-53 to advance to the State semifinals.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 4 FIELD: Top-seeded Neillsville will make its seventh appearance and its first since 2022. The Warriors made three consecutive State appearances from 2012-14 and back-to-back experiences in 2006 and 2007. They won the Division 4 championship in 2012 and finished runner-up in Division 3 in 2014. They are the champions in the Cloverbelt Conference this season. The path for their return to the Resch Center came through the Altoona Sectional, which culminated with 42-30 win over Cameron. Second-seeded St. Mary Catholic, last season’s runner-up, will make its fourth State appearance overall. The Zephyrs also advanced to the championship game in 2008 and 2009, winning the title in 2009 and finishing runner-up in 2008. The Zephyrs are the champions in the North Division of the Big East Conference this season, and they advanced through the Brillion Sectional with a 58-56 overtime victory over Kewaunee in the final. As a former member of WISAA, St. Mary Central, as it was previously named, won the Division 2 title in 1998. Third-seeded Albany/Monticello makes the co-op’s second appearance in the State Tournament, two seasons removed from winning the Division 5 championship in 2024 in its first experience. It’s also notable that Albany had its first experience as a stand-alone program at State in 2023, which resulted with a loss in the semifinals. Monticello also has a history in the State Tournament as a stand-alone program, winning the Division 4 championship in their only appearance in 1991. The Space Stallions advance to the State semifinals this season by cruising to a 60-30 win over Pardeeville in the Middleton Sectional final. They were the champions in the East Division of the Six Rivers Conference this season. Lomira, the #4 seed, is appearing in its third State Tournament overall and its first since 1993. The Lions won the Class B title in their first-ever tourney experience in 1978. This year, they finished runner-up in the Wisconsin Flyway Conference. The Lions defeated Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic 61-57 in the final of the Germantown Sectional to earn their trip to Green Bay.
ABOUT THE DIVISION 5 FIELD: The top seed in the bracket is Eleva-Strum, making its second State appearance and its first since the Cardinals qualified in 2008. That experience resulted in a loss in the Division 4 semifinals. They claimed the title in the Dairyland Conference this season. The Cardinals downed Webster 64-44 in the Somerset Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals. Second-seeded Pacelli will make its first-ever appearance in the State Tournament after defeating Florence 75-46 in the Pulaski Sectional final. The Cardinals are the champions of the South Division of the Central Wisconsin Conference this year. As a former member of WISAA, Pacelli recorded a runner-up finish in Class A in 1983. Last season’s runner-up Barneveld, the #3 seed, qualifies for the State Tournament for the 13th time overall. The Golden Eagles have won six State titles, capturing the Division 4 crowns in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2005 and the Division 5 titles in 2014 and 2015. In addition, they have a Division 4 runner-up finish in 2007 to go with two Division 5 second-place outcomes in 2013 and 2016. They finished second in the East Division of the Six Rivers Conference during the regular season. The Golden Eagles defeated Independence/Gilmanton 38-34 in the final of the Mauston Sectional for another opportunity to win program’s seventh title. Fall River, the fourth seed, qualifies for the State Tournament for the fourth time and for the first time since 2019. The Pirates are seeking to advance from the semifinals for the first time. They beat Lourdes Academy 58-48 in the Markesan Sectional final to earn their return to the tourney. During the regular season, Fall River placed third in the West Division of the Trailways Conference.
THREE-POINT CHALLENGE PARTICIPANTS: The 3-Point Challenge will be held prior to Saturday’s championship games beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Resch Center. A ticket for the Division 3, 4 and 5 championship games session is required for admittance into the event. The top two players per division were selected for the contest based on the best 3-point field goal percentage with a minimum of 75 attempts during the regular season. The contestants representing Division 1 are Claudia Asman of Kimberly and Kardyn Peppler of Hortonville. Representing Division 2 are Kinley Petersen of Fox Valley Lutheran and Riley Ward of Whitnall. The Division 3 participants are Grace Mitchell of Winneconne and Breanna Heller of Mauston. Division 4 will be represented by Brooklyn Talmage of Boyceville and Zoey Siders of Valders, and the Division 5 contestants are Aubrey Schettle of Lourdes Academy and Elly Gardner of Columbus Catholic. Visit the information on the WIAA website for more details about the 3-Point Challenge.
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