2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season
The 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began in November 2019 and concluded prematurely on March 12, 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament was scheduled to end at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana on April 5, 2020, but was ultimately canceled. All other postseason tournaments were canceled as well. It was the first cancellation in the history of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament. Practices officially began in late September 2019.
Season headlines
- June 18 – The ASUN Conference officially announced that Bellarmine University, currently a member of the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Valley Conference, would move to Division I and join the ASUN effective with the 2020–21 school year.
- June 20 – The Summit League announced that the University of Missouri–Kansas City would return to the conference on July 1, 2020 after seven years in the Western Athletic Conference.
- June 21 – The Boston-area sports news website Digital Sports Desk reported that the University of Connecticut was expected to announce by the end of the month that it would leave the American Athletic Conference to rejoin many of its former conference mates in the Big East Conference in 2020. The story was picked up by multiple national media outlets the next day.
- June 27 – The Big East and UConn jointly announced that the school would join the Big East; though the official announcements did not specify a time, it was expected that the Huskies would become members in 2020.
- July 26 – Multiple media reports indicated that UConn and The American had reached a buyout agreement that will lead to UConn joining the Big East in July 2020. The exit fee was reportedly $17 million.
- August 5 – The Horizon League announced that Purdue University Fort Wayne would leave the Summit League to join the Horizon League in July 2020.
- September 30
- * California governor Gavin Newsom signed the Fair Pay to Play Act into law, which upon taking effect in 2023 will prohibit public colleges and universities in the state from punishing their athletes for earning endorsement income. The bill places the state in direct conflict with the NCAA's current business model, which prohibits college athletes from receiving such income. At the time the bill was signed, several other states were proposing similar laws.
- * Officials at Tarleton State University, current members of the Division II Lone Star Conference, announced that the school had accepted an invitation to join the Western Athletic Conference. Full details, including the joining date, were expected to be revealed in the following days, but were delayed by more than a month.
- October 4 – Officials at the University of St. Thomas, a Minnesota school that will be expelled from its longtime athletic home of the NCAA Division III Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 2021, announced that the school had received an invitation to join the Summit League upon its MIAC departure. In order for St. Thomas to directly transition to the Summit, it must receive a waiver of an NCAA rule stating that Division III schools can only transition to Division II.
- October 29 – The NCAA board of governors voted unanimously to begin the process of changing institutional rules so that college athletes can profit from their names, images, and likenesses, while still maintaining a distinction between college and professional sports. The proposal calls for each of the three NCAA divisions to draft new rules consistent with this mandate, with a target date of January 2021.
- October 31 – The Associated Press preseason All-American team was released. Baylor center Lauren Cox and Oregon guard Sabrina Ionescu were unanimous selections. Joining them on the team were Texas A&M guard Chennedy Carter, Miami forward Beatrice Mompremier, and Maryland giard Kaila Charles. All were seniors except for Carter, a junior.
- November 5 – The first day of the regular season saw three players record triple-doubles, the most for a single day of play in NCAA history.
- * Aliyah Boston of South Carolina had 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 10 blocks in the Gamecocks' 103–43 rout of Alabama State. She became the first player ever to record a triple-double in her first career game.
- * Denia Davis-Stewart of Merrimack had 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 12 blocks in the Warriors' first game in NCAA Division I, a 79–64 win over UMass.
- * Chelsea Olson of Youngstown State had 13 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists in the Penguins' 87–59 win over Canisius.
- November 9 – Preseason #1 Oregon defeated the US national team 93–86 in an exhibition, led by Ionescu's 30 points. This marked the first time that Team USA had lost to college competition since a 1999 loss to Tennessee.
- November 12 – The Western Athletic Conference officially announced Tarleton State's entry into the league effective July 1, 2020.
- November 16 – Ionescu became the first NCAA player, regardless of division or sex, to record a triple-double in four different seasons. She had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 14 assists in the Ducks' 99–63 win over Texas Southern, extending her record for career triple-doubles to 19.
- November 21 – Kamiyah Street, the starting point guard for Kennesaw State, was arrested and charged with murder in the July 16, 2019 shooting death of a man whose body was found in the parking deck of an Atlanta apartment complex. Street was immediately suspended once KSU was notified of the charge.
- November 25 – Sierra'Li Wade, a freshman guard for Arkansas–Pine Bluff who had yet to make her debut for the team, was killed in a shooting in her hometown of Lake Village, Arkansas.
- November 30 – The Atlantis Paradise Island resort in The Bahamas announced that the Battle 4 Atlantis, a prominent early-season Division I men's tournament held at the resort, would add a women's tournament starting next season. The women's tournament will feature eight teams, and will be held immediately before the men's tournament.
- February 7 – The Big South Conference officially announced that North Carolina A&T State University would leave its longtime home of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference for the Big South effective with the 2021–22 school year.
- February 18 – The NCAA announced that it was considering a proposal that would allow student-athletes in all sports a one-time waiver to transfer to a new school without having to sit out a season. This would place all NCAA sports under the same transfer rules; currently, first-time transfers are only required to sit out a season in baseball, men's and women's basketball, football, and men's ice hockey. The existing criteria for the waiver would be extended to these five sports—namely, a player must receive a transfer release from his or her previous school, leave that school academically eligible, maintain academic progress at the new school, and not be under any disciplinary suspension.
- Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic:
- * March 10
- ** The Big West Conference announced that its men's and women's conference tournaments, with women's play starting on March 10 at Walter Pyramid at California State University, Long Beach and men's play starting on March 12 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, would be closed to spectators.
- ** The Ivy League canceled its 2020 men's and women's conference tournaments, both originally scheduled for March 14 and 15 at the Lavietes Pavilion on the campus of Harvard University. Regular-season champion Princeton was named the Ivy League's automatic qualifier for the NCAA Men's Tournament.
- ** The Mid-American Conference did not initially cancel its men's and women's tournaments, which had begun on March 9 with first-round games at campus sites, but announced that the remainder of both tournaments, to be held at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland from March 11–14, would be held under what it called a "restricted attendance policy". The only individuals allowed to attend games will be credentialed institutional personnel, credentialed media and broadcast crews, team party members, and family members of players. The conference would ultimately cancel its tournament on March 12.
- * March 11
- **The NCAA announced that both the men's and women's entire NCAA Tournaments would be conducted with "only essential staff and limited family attendance"
- * March 12
- ** All Division I conference tournaments that had yet to be completed were canceled, even those in progress.
- ** Some schools—most notably Duke and Kansas—suspended all athletic travel indefinitely.
- ** The NCAA announced the decision to cancel both the men's and women's NCAA Tournaments, as well as all championship events for the remainder of the 2019–20 academic year.
Milestones and records
Ionescu and Hebard both reached the 1,000-rebound milestone during the season. Hebard reached this milestone in the same game in which Ionescu surpassed the 2,000-point mark. Ionescu reached the mark in Oregon's 74–66 win over Stanford on February 24, 2020, reaching two additional milestones during this game. She recorded her eighth triple-double of the season, tying her own record from last season for the most in a single season in NCAA history for either men or women. Ionescu also became the first player in NCAA basketball history with 2,000 points, 1,000 assists, and 1,000 rebounds in a career. She had previously joined Courtney Vandersloot of Gonzaga as the only Division I players with 2,000 points and 1,000 assists.
On December 18, Baylor guard Juicy Landrum set a new Division I women's record with 14 three-pointers in the Lady Bears' 111–43 rout of Arkansas State. This was more three-pointers than the Lady Bears had previously recorded as a team in a single game.
Four days later, Brittany Brewer of Texas Tech tied the Division I record for blocks in a game, recording 16 as part of a triple-double in the Lady Raiders' 83–38 rout of Louisiana–Monroe. Coincidentally, the previous record-holder, former TCU player Sandora Irvin, also reached that mark as part of a triple-double.
Conference membership changes
Two schools joined new conferences for the 2019–20 season. Both moved between Division I and Division II, with one joining Division I and the other leaving Division I.| School | Former Conference | New Conference |
| Merrimack | Northeast-10 Conference | Northeast Conference |
| Savannah State | Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference |
In addition, two existing Division I teams assumed new athletic identities.
After the 2018–19 school year, Long Island University merged the athletic programs of its two main campuses—the Division I LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds and Division II LIU Post Pioneers—into a single program that now plays as the LIU Sharks. The Sharks inherited the Division I and Northeast Conference memberships of the Brooklyn campus, with some sports to be based in Brooklyn and others at the Post campus in Brookville, New York. Specific to basketball, LIU announced that the unified men's and women's teams in that sport would be based in Brooklyn.
On July 1, 2019, the University of Missouri–Kansas City announced that its athletic program, formerly known as the UMKC Kangaroos, would officially become the Kansas City Roos, with "Roos" having long been used as a short form of the former "Kangaroos" nickname.
Arenas
New arenas
- Robert Morris moved into the new UPMC Events Center after playing last season at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, a facility at the school's North Athletic Complex. The Colonials played their first game there in November 2019.
Arenas closing
- High Point played its final season at the Millis Athletic Convocation Center, home to the Panthers since 1992. They will open the new Nido Quebin Arena and Conference Center for the 2020–21 season.
- James Madison played its final season at the JMU Convocation Center, home to the Dukes since 1982. The final game at the arena on February 29 was a women's game in which the Dukes defeated Delaware 69–64. JMU will open Atlantic Union Bank Center for the 2020–21 season.
- This was Liberty's final season playing games full-time at the Vines Center, home to the Flames since 1990. The school will open the adjoining Liberty Arena, with less than half of the capacity at Vines Center, for the 2020–21 season. The Vines Center will continue to be used for games in which attendance is expected to exceed 4,000.
Temporary arenas
- Immediately after the 2018–19 season, Duquesne began an extensive renovation of the on-campus Palumbo Center. When the venue reopens, expected for the 2020–21 school year, it will be renamed UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse, via a partnership between the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the family foundation of late Duquesne star Chuck Cooper, the first African American selected in an NBA draft. At the time of announcement, the final capacity of the renovated venue had not been determined, but Duquesne's athletic director expected it to have about the same capacity as the pre-renovation Palumbo Center. Duquesne's temporary home venue had also not yet been announced, but it was expected that PPG Paints Arena would be used for at least some men's home games. Duquesne revealed its plans for the 2019–20 women's season in two phases, announcing its non-conference schedule on September 5, 2019 and its conference schedule on September 30. The following four venues will be used:
- * PPG Paints Arena will host two games. The first is the season opener; it will be the second leg of a doubleheader with the men's team. The second will be the opening leg of a doubleheader with the men.
- * One game will be at Donahue Pavilion on the campus of Oakland Catholic High School in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood.
- * The bulk of the women's schedule, nine games in all, will be at the Kerr Fitness Center on the campus of La Roche University in the northern suburb of McCandless.
- * The season finale will be at Robert Morris' new UPMC Events Center.
Season outlook
Pre-season polls
The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.Regular season
Early season tournaments
Upsets
An upset is a victory by an underdog team. In the context of NCAA Division I Women's Basketball, this generally constitutes an unranked team defeating a team currently ranked in the Top 25. This list will highlight those upsets of ranked teams by unranked teams as well as upsets of #1 teams. Rankings are from the AP poll.Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court.
| Winner | Score | Loser | Date | Tournament/Event |
| Missouri State | 77–69 | #23 Minnesota | November 5, 2019 | |
| South Florida | 64–57 | #15 Texas | November 8, 2019 | |
| Tennessee | 74–63 | #15 Notre Dame | November 11, 2019 | |
| Minnesota | 80–66 | #19 Arizona State | November 17, 2019 | |
| Arizona | 83–58 | #22 Texas | November 17, 2019 | |
| Notre Dame | 76–72 | #21 Michigan | November 23, 2019 | |
| California | 84–80 | #20 Arkansas | November 24, 2019 | |
| South Dakota State | 61–50 | #21 South Florida | November 28, 2019 | Cancún Challenge |
| Creighton | 82–75 | #23 West Virginia | November 28, 2019 | Cancún Challenge |
| Florida Gulf Coast | 81–77 | #21 South Florida | November 29, 2019 | Cancún Challenge |
| LSU | 58–56 | #15 Michigan State | November 29, 2019 | Junkanoo Jam |
| Notre Dame | 67–51 | #21 South Florida | November 30, 2019 | Cancún Challenge |
| #8 Louisville | 72–62 | #1 Oregon | November 30, 2019 | Paradise Jam |
| Green Bay | 79–73OT | #18 Syracuse | November 30, 2019 | Greater Victoria Invitational |
| Ohio State | 67–60 | #2 Louisville | December 5, 2019 | ACC–Big Ten Women's Challenge |
| Oklahoma | 90–68 | #25 LSU | December 7, 2019 | Big 12/SEC Women's Challenge |
| West Virginia | 71–65 | #10 Mississippi State | December 8, 2019 | Big 12/SEC Women's Challenge |
| Texas | 66–60 | #17 Tennessee | December 8, 2019 | Big 12/SEC Women's Challenge |
| Syracuse | 77–63 | #19 Michigan State | December 20, 2019 | Florida Sunshine Classic |
| Texas | 69–64 | #1 Stanford | December 22, 2019 | |
| Ohio State | 66–63 | #24 Minnesota | December 31, 2019 | |
| Northwestern | 81–58 | #12 Maryland | December 31, 2019 | |
| Syracuse | 90–89OT | #8 Florida State | January 2, 2020 | |
| Georgia Tech | 61–54 | #23 Miami | January 2, 2020 | |
| TCU | 65–63 | #25 Texas | January 3, 2020 | |
| Nebraska | 72–58 | #24 Minnesota | January 4, 2020 | |
| #6 Baylor | 74–58 | #1 UConn | January 9, 2020 | |
| Ohio State | 78–69 | #24 Michigan | January 9, 2020 | |
| North Carolina | 66–60 | #9 NC State | January 9, 2020 | Rivalry |
| Georgia Tech | 67–52 | #11 Florida State | January 9, 2020 | |
| Iowa | 66–61 | #17 Maryland | January 9, 2020 | |
| LSU | 57–54 | #10 Texas A&M | January 9, 2020 | |
| Arizona State | 72–66 | #2 Oregon | January 10, 2020 | |
| Arizona State | 55–47 | #3 Oregon State | January 12, 2020 | |
| Iowa | 91–852OT | #12 Indiana | January 12, 2020 | |
| Oklahoma | 73–49 | #17 West Virginia | January 15, 2019 | |
| Northwestern | 71–69OT | #15 Indiana | January 16, 2020 | |
| Southern Illinois | 70–68 | #19 Missouri State | January 17, 2020 | |
| USC | 70–682OT | #7 UCLA | January 17, 2020 | Rivalry |
| LSU | 65–59 | #11 Kentucky | January 19, 2020 | |
| Oklahoma State | 57–55 | #25 West Virginia | January 22, 2020 | |
| Georgia | 64–55 | #21 Arkansas | January 23, 2020 | |
| TCU | 73–60 | #25 West Virginia | January 26, 2020 | |
| Boston College | 65–56 | #14 Florida State | January 30, 2020 | |
| Creighton | 63–61 | #11 DePaul | January 31, 2020 | |
| Michigan | 78–63 | #18 Iowa | February 2, 2020 | |
| Florida | 70–62 | #13 Kentucky | February 2, 2020 | |
| LSU | 59–58 | #15 Texas A&M | February 2, 2020 | |
| Saint Mary's | 70–60 | #11 Gonzaga | February 8, 2020 | |
| Syracuse | 59–51 | #5 Louisville | February 9, 2020 | |
| LSU | 75–65 | #25 Tennessee | February 13, 2020 | |
| USC | 72–66 | #11 Oregon State | February 14, 2020 | |
| Duke | 66–64 | #14 Florida State | February 16, 2020 | |
| Georgia Tech | 65–61 | #4 NC State | February 16, 2020 | |
| Ohio State | 80–76 | #20 Indiana | February 16, 2020 | |
| Villanova | 76–58 | #12 DePaul | February 23, 2020 | |
| Alabama | 66–64 | #9 Mississippi State | February 23, 2020 | |
| Colorado | 50–38 | #11 Arizona | February 23, 2020 | - |
| Washington | 74–68 | #8 UCLA | February 23, 2020 | |
| Utah | 75–71 | #21 Arizona State | February 23, 2020 | |
| Florida | 83–80 | #22 Arkansas | February 23, 2020 | |
| Georgia Tech | 65–62 | #17 Florida State | February 23, 2020 | |
| Duke | 70–65 | #8 NC State | February 24, 2020 | Play4Kay |
| Texas | 77–67 | #25 TCU | February 26, 2020 | |
| Alabama | 76–63 | #12 Texas A&M | February 27, 2020 | |
| Illinois State | 78–66 | #21 Missouri State | February 27, 2020 | |
| Rutgers | 78–74OT | #18 Iowa | March 1, 2020 | |
| Texas Tech | 87–83 | #25 TCU | March 1, 2020 | |
| Marquette | 90–83 | #16 DePaul | March 1, 2020 | |
| Vanderbilt | 70–64 | #15 Kentucky | March 1, 2020 | |
| California | 55–54 | #13 Arizona | March 1, 2020 | |
| Notre Dame | 70–67 | #19 Florida State | March 1, 2020 | |
| California | 71–67 | #24 Arizona State | March 5, 2020 | Pac-12 Tournament |
| Michigan | 67–59 | #11 Northwestern | March 7, 2020 | Big Ten Tournament |
| Ohio State | 87–66 | #19 Iowa | March 7, 2020 | Big Ten Tournament |
| Iowa State | 57–56 | #2 Baylor | March 8, 2020 | |
| Portland | 70–69 | #11 Gonzaga | March 9, 2020 | WCC Tournament |
Conference winners and tournaments
Each of the 32 Division I athletic conferences ends its regular season with a single-elimination tournament. The team with the best regular-season record in each conference is given the number one seed in each tournament, with tiebreakers used as needed in the case of ties for the top seeding. The winners of these tournaments receive automatic invitations to the 2020 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament.| Conference | Regular season first place | :Category:NCAA Division I women's basketball conference players of the year|Conference Player of the Year | :Category:NCAA Division I women's basketball conference coaches of the year|Conference Coach of the Year | Conference tournament | Tournament venue | Tournament winner |
| America East Conference | Stony Brook | Kai Moon, Binghamton | Caroline McCombs, Stony Brook | 2020 America East Women's Basketball Tournament | Campus sites | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| American Athletic Conference | UConn | Megan Walker, UConn | Geno Auriemma, UConn | 2020 American Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Mohegan Sun Arena | UConn |
| Atlantic 10 Conference | Dayton | Bre Cavanaugh, Fordham | Shauna Green, Dayton | 2020 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tournament | First round: Campus sites Remainder: UD Arena | Dayton |
| Atlantic Coast Conference | Louisville | Dana Evans, Louisville | Joanna Bernabei-McNamee, Boston College | 2020 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament | Greensboro Coliseum | NC State |
| Atlantic Sun Conference | Florida Gulf Coast | Keri Jewett-Giles, Florida Gulf Coast | Karl Smesko, Florida Gulf Coast | 2020 Atlantic Sun Women's Basketball Tournament | Campus sites | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Big 12 Conference | Baylor | Lauren Cox, Baylor | Kim Mulkey, Baylor | 2020 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Municipal Auditorium | Tournament canceled due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Big East Conference | DePaul | Jaylyn Agnew, Creighton | Megan Duffy, Marquette | 2020 Big East Women's Basketball Tournament | Wintrust Arena | DePaul |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana State | Fallyn Freije, Montana State | Tricia Binford, Montana State | 2020 Big Sky Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | CenturyLink Arena | Tournament canceled due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Big South Conference | Campbell | Camryn Brown, High Point | Ronny Fisher, Campbell | 2020 Big South Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | First round: Campus sites Quarterfinals/semifinals: #1 seed Final: Top surviving seed | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Big Ten Conference | Maryland and Northwestern | Kathleen Doyle, Iowa | Joe McKeown, Northwestern | 2020 Big Ten Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Maryland |
| Big West Conference | UC Davis | Raina Perez, Cal State Fullerton | Jennifer Gross, UC Davis | 2020 Big West Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | First round and quarterfinals: Walter Pyramid Semifinals and final: Honda Center | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Colonial Athletic Association | Drexel and James Madison | Kamiah Smalls, James Madison | Denise Dillon, Drexel & Ed Swanson, William & Mary | 2020 CAA Women's Basketball Tournament | Schar Center | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Conference USA | Rice | Erica Ogwumike, Rice | Nikki McCray, Old Dominion | 2020 Conference USA Women's Basketball Tournament | Ford Center | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Horizon League | IUPUI | Macee Williams, IUPUI | Austin Parkinson, IUPUI | 2020 Horizon League Women's Basketball Tournament | Quarterfinals: Campus sites Semifinals and final: Indiana Farmers Coliseum | IUPUI |
| Ivy League | Princeton | Bella Alarie, Princeton | Carla Berube, Princeton | 2020 Ivy League Women's Basketball Tournament | Lavietes Pavilion | Tournament canceled due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Marist and Rider | Stella Johnson, Rider | Lynn Milligan, Rider | 2020 MAAC Women's Basketball Tournament | Boardwalk Hall | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Mid-American Conference | Kent State Central Michigan | Micaela Kelly, Central Michigan | Heather Oesterle, Central Michigan | 2020 Mid-American Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | First round: Campus sites Remainder: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | Bethune–Cookman | Chanette Hicks, Norfolk State | Ed Davis, Morgan State | 2020 MEAC Women's Basketball Tournament | Norfolk Scope | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Missouri Valley Conference | Missouri State | Becca Hittner, Drake | Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, Missouri State | 2020 Missouri Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | TaxSlayer Center | Tournament canceled due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Mountain West Conference | Fresno State | Maddi Utti, Fresno State | Jaime White, Fresno State | 2020 Mountain West Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Thomas & Mack Center | Boise State |
| Northeast Conference | Robert Morris | Denia Davis-Stewart, Merrimack | Charlie Buscaglia, Robert Morris | 2020 Northeast Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Campus sites | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Ohio Valley Conference | Belmont and UT Martin | Chelsey Perry, UT Martin | Rekha Patterson, Southeast Missouri State | 2020 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Ford Center | Southeast Missouri State |
| Pac-12 Conference | Oregon | Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon | Kelly Graves, Oregon | 2020 Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Mandalay Bay Events Center | Oregon |
| Patriot League | Bucknell | Ellie Mack, Bucknell | Trevor Woodruff, Bucknell | 2020 Patriot League Women's Basketball Tournament | Campus sites | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Southeastern Conference | South Carolina | Rhyne Howard, Kentucky | Dawn Staley, South Carolina | 2020 SEC Women's Basketball Tournament | Bon Secours Wellness Arena | South Carolina |
| Southern Conference | Chattanooga, Samford and UNC Greensboro | Nadine Soliman, UNC Greensboro | Trina Patterson, UNC Greensboro Carley Kuhns, Samford | 2020 Southern Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Harrah's Cherokee Center | Samford |
| Southland Conference | Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | Breanna Wright, Abilene Christian | Royce Chadwick, Texas A&M–Corpus Christi | 2020 Southland Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center | Tournament canceled due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Southwestern Athletic Conference | Jackson State | Ciane Cryor, Texas Southern | Tomekia Reed, Jackson State | 2020 SWAC Women's Basketball Tournament | Quarterfinals: Campus sites Semifinals and final: Bartow Arena | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| Summit League | South Dakota | Ciara Duffy, South Dakota | Dawn Plitzuweit, South Dakota | 2020 Summit League Women's Basketball Tournament | Denny Sanford Premier Center | South Dakota |
| Sun Belt Conference | Coastal Carolina | DJ Williams, Coastal Carolina | Jaida Williams, Coastal Carolina | 2020 Sun Belt Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | First three rounds: Campus sites Semifinals and final: Smoothie King Center | Tournament canceled in progress due to coronavirus pandemic |
| West Coast Conference | Gonzaga | Jill Townsend, Gonzaga | Cindy Fisher, San Diego | 2020 West Coast Conference Women's Basketball Tournament | Orleans Arena | Portland |
| Western Athletic Conference | Kansas City | Ericka Mattingly, Kansas City | Jacie Hoyt, Kansas City | 2020 WAC Women's Basketball Tournament | Orleans Arena | Tournament canceled due to coronavirus pandemic |
Statistical leaders
Postseason
NCAA Tournament
Conference standings
Award winners
All-America teams
The NCAA has never recognized a consensus All-America team in women's basketball. This differs from the practice in men's basketball, in which the NCAA uses a combination of selections by the Associated Press, the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the Sporting News, and the United States Basketball Writers Association to determine a consensus All-America team. The selection of a consensus team is possible because all four organizations select at least a first and second team, with only the USBWA not selecting a third team.Before the 2017–18 season, it was impossible for a consensus women's All-America team to be determined because the AP had been the only body that divided its women's selections into separate teams. The USBWA first named separate teams in 2017–18. The women's counterpart to the NABC, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association, continues the USBWA's former practice of selecting a single 10-member team. The NCAA does not recognize Sporting News as an All-America selector in women's basketball.
Major player of the year awards
- Wooden Award: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
- Naismith Award: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
- Associated Press Player of the Year: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
- Wade Trophy: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
- Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's Player of the Year : Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
- espnW National Player of the Year: Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
Major freshman of the year awards
- Tamika Catchings Award : Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
- WBCA Freshman of the Year: Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
- espnW Freshman of the Year: Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
Major coach of the year awards
- Associated Press Coach of the Year: Dawn Staley, South Carolina
- Naismith College Coach of the Year: Dawn Staley, South Carolina
- USBWA National Coach of the Year: Dawn Staley, South Carolina
- WBCA National Coach of the Year: Dawn Staley, South Carolina
- espnW Coach of the Year: Dawn Staley, South Carolina
Other major awards
- Naismith Starting Five:
- * Nancy Lieberman Award : Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
- * Ann Meyers Drysdale Award : Aari McDonald, Arizona
- * Cheryl Miller Award : Satou Sabally, Oregon
- * Katrina McClain Award : Ruthy Hebard, Oregon
- * Lisa Leslie Award : Aliyah Boston, South Carolina
- WBCA Defensive Player of the Year: DiDi Richards, Baylor
- Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year: DiDi Richards, Baylor
- Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award : Ciara Duffy, South Dakota
- Senior CLASS Award : Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon
- Maggie Dixon Award : Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, Missouri State
- Academic All-American of the Year : Brittany Brewer, Texas Tech
- Elite 90 Award : Not presented due to cancellation of the NCAA Tournament
- Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award: Lauren Cox, Baylor player
Coaching changes
| Team | Former coach | Interim coach | New coach | Reason |
| Alcorn State | Courtney Pruitt | Nate Kilbert | Pruitt's contract was not renewed on March 23, ending her 5-year tenure at Alcorn State with a 49–102 overall record. Former Mississippi Valley State and Arkansas Pine-Bluff coach Kilbert, who was an assistant at Alcorn State from 2001-2011, was name the new head coach of the Lady Braves on May 5. | |
| Brown | Sarah Behn | Monique LeBlanc | Behn announced her resignation from Brown on March 23 after 6 seasons and a 74–96 overall record. On April 10, the Bears hired Merrimack head coach LeBlanc for the position. | |
| Cal State Northridge | Jason Flowers | Lindsey Foster | Flowers announced his resignation from CSUN on April 21 after 11 seasons, leaving as the program's winningest coach with 150 wins. His top assistant, Foster, was named as interim head coach. | |
| Chicago State | Misty Opat | Tiffany Sardin | Opat announced her resignation on April 16 after 2 seasons at Chicago State. Longwood associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Sardin was hired by the Cougars on May 15. | |
| Coppin State | Dewayne Burroughs | Laura Harper | Coppin State parted ways with Burroughs on March 31 after 4 seasons and a 22–95 overall record. High Point assistant coach Harper was named the new head coach of the Eagles on July 20. | |
| Denver | Jim Turgeon | Doshia Woods | Denver announced on June 16 that Turgeon, who had been placed on administrative leave since January, will not return after 2½ seasons with the team. On July 22, The Pioneers hired Tulane assistant coach Woods for the open job. | |
| Detroit Mercy | Bernard Scott | AnnMarie Gilbert | Scott was fired on March 19 after 5 seasons and a 42–109 overall record at UDM. On April 24, the Titans hired Gilbert from D-II Virginia Union as their new head coach. | |
| Drexel | Denise Dillon | Amy Mallon | Dillon left Drexel on March 27 after 17 seasons for the head coaching job at her alma mater Villanova. Not long after Dillon's departure, the Dragons promoted longtime assistant coach Mallon to the head coaching position. | |
| Duke | Joanne P. McCallie | Kara Lawson | On July 2, Joanne P. McCallie stepped down as Duke head coach following 13 seasons. On July 11, Boston Celtics assistant Kara Lawson was hired. | |
| Florida A&M | Kevin Lynum | Shalon Pillow | 9 months after having the interim tag removed and being named new head coach, FAMU parted ways with Lynum on April 22 following a 6-21 record this season. Middle Tennessee assistant coach Shalon Pillow was hired as the new head coach of the Lady Rattlers on May 28. | |
| FIU | Tiara Malcom | Jesyka Burks-Wiley | On April 17, South Florida assistant coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley was named the new head coach at FIU, replacing Tiara Malcom after 4 seasons. | |
| Grand Canyon | Nicole Powell | Molly Miller | Powell left GCU on March 30 after three seasons for the head coaching job at UC Riverside. On April 8, the Antelopes hired Miller from D-II Drury University as their new head coach. | |
| Merrimack | Monique LeBlanc | Kelly Morrone | LeBlanc left Merrimack on April 10 after 9 seasons for the head coaching job at Brown. On July 23, the Warriors hired Morrone from Division II John Carroll as their new head coach. | |
| Mississippi State | Vic Schaefer | Nikki McCray-Penson | On April 5, Texas hired Vic Schaefer away from Mississippi State following 8 seasons with the Bulldogs. On April 9, Old Dominion head coach Nikki McCray-Penson was hired following 3 seasons as the Lady Monarchs' head coach. | |
| Montana | Shannon Schweyen | Mike Petrino | Montana parted ways with Schweyen on April 1 after 4 seasons and a 52-69 overall record. Assistant head coach Petrino was named interim head coach of the Lady Griz for the 2020-21 season. | |
| Navy | Stefanie Pemper | Tim Taylor | Pemper was fired on March 10 after 12 seasons at the Naval Academy, leaving as the program's winningest coach with 214 wins. North Carolina asst. Tim Taylor, who previously spent 3 different stints as an asst. at the University of Virginia, was hired as head coach of the Midshipmen on April 28. | |
| New Hampshire | Maureen Magarity | Magarity left New Hampshire on April 14 after 10 seasons for the Holy Cross head coaching position. | ||
| North Dakota | Travis Brewster | Mallory Bernhard | North Dakota's athletic director announced on March 11 that Brewster would not return as head coach after 9 seasons at UND, in which the Fighting Hawks went 128–120 overall. Associate head coach Bernhard will serve as the interim head coach for the 2020–21 season. | |
| Northwestern State | Jordan Dupuy | Aaron Swinson | Anna Nimz | Dupuy announced his resignation from Northwestern State on January 26 after 3½ seasons. During his tenure, the Lady Demons went 36–60, including a 5–13 overall record and 2–7 record in conference play at the time of his resignation. Assistant coach Swinson served as the team's interim head coach for the rest of the season. On March 18, the school initially hired Missy Bilderback from Jones College of the NJCAA as their new head coach, but on April 6, Bilderback backed out and returned to Jones College. The school would then hire UT Rio Grand Valley associate head coach Nimz on April 11. |
| Notre Dame | Muffet McGraw | Niele Ivey | McGraw retired on April 22 after 33 years at Notre Dame. Following the announcement, former Fighting Irish player and Memphis Grizzlies assistant Niele Ivey was hired. | |
| Old Dominion | Nikki McCray-Penson | DeLisha Milton-Jones | McCray-Penson left for the Mississippi State vacancy on April 9 after 3 seasons as the Lady Monarchs' head coach. On April 17, ODU hired Syracuse assistant Milton-Jones. | |
| Omaha | Brittany Lange | Carrie Banks | Lange's contract with Omaha was not renewed on March 9, ending her 7-year tenure at the school with a 80–124 overall record. Ohio State assistant coach Banks was named the new head coach of the Mavericks on April 8. | |
| Texas | Karen Aston | Vic Schaefer | Aston was dismissed on April 3 despite a 184–83 overall record in eight seasons, including four straight Sweet Sixteen appearances from 2015–18; however, the Longhorns went 1–18 against Baylor during her tenure. On April 5, Texas hired Vic Schaefer away from Mississippi State following 8 seasons with the Bulldogs. | |
| UC Riverside | John Margaritis | Seyram Bell | Nicole Powell | Margartis announced his resignation on September 13 after 15 seasons at UC Riverside, a day after being placed on unpaid leave when the school launched an investigation into accusations of emotional and verbal abuse by current and former UC Riverside players against him. Assistant coach Bell was named interim head coach of the Highlanders for the 2019–20 season. On March 30, the school hired Grand Canyon head coach Nicole Powell. |
| UNC Asheville | Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick | Honey Brown | Mock Kirkpatrick announced her resignation from UNC Asheville on April 7 after 8 seasons and a 117–137 overall record. Almost immediately after Mock Kirkpatrick's resignation, the Bulldogs promoted associate head coach Brown to fill the vacancy. | |
| UNLV | Kathy Olivier | Lindy La Racque | Olivier announced her resignation on March 6 after 12 seasons at her alma mater, finishing with a 182–193 overall record with only one postseason tournament appearance. On March 18, Stanford assistant coach and Las Vegas native La Racque was named the new head coach of the Lady Rebels. | |
| USC Upstate | Tammy George | Becky Burke | George resigned on May 9 after 15 seasons at USC Upstate, leaving as the program's winningest coach with 193 wins. The Spartans went to the Division II ranks for their next hire, naming University of Charleston head coach Burke as their new head coach on June 8. | |
| Utah State | Jerry Finkbeiner | Ben Finkbeiner | Kayla Ard | Finkbeiner, who had been on a medical leave of absence since early November, announced on November 25 that he was stepping down from his head coaching position after 7 seasons at Utah State. His son Ben, the Aggies associate head coach, was named interim head coach for the rest of the season. Denver assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Ard was named Utah State's new head coach on March 23. |
| Villanova | Harry Perretta | Denise Dillon | The then 64-year-old Perretta announced on October 30 that he would retire at the end of the 2019–20 season. His 42 seasons as the Wildcats' head coach tie him with Yvonne Kaufmann, who coached at Division III Elizabethtown from 1971 to 2012, for the most at a single school in NCAA women's history. On March 27, the Wildcats hired Villanova alum Denise Dillon from nearby Drexel as their new head coach. | |
| Winthrop | Lynette Woodard | Semeka Randall-Lay | Woodard was relieved of her head coaching duties on March 24 after 3 seasons at Winthrop, in which the Eagles went 24–70 overall. Associate head coach Randall was named interim head coach of the Eagles for the 2020-21 season. |