The 2026-27 women’s college basketball season is underway, and Florida women’s basketball is already in the early NCAA Tournament conversation, though the Gators have little room for error.
With the regular season just getting started, the Orange and Blue are already projected to be among the final teams selected for March Madness, according to ESPN’s latest women’s basketball bracketology.
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Florida is listed among the last four in, joining Arizona, Kansas State and Iowa State as teams narrowly projected to make the NCAA Tournament field. While the early projection offers an encouraging outlook for the Gators, it also highlights how important their season performance will be in securing a postseason berth.
ESPN projects Florida to compete in the Region 3 First Four in South Bend, Indiana, where the Gators would face Iowa State for the No. 12 seed. The winner would advance to the first round against projected No. 5 seed Illinois.
If Florida advances past the Fighting Illini, they would face the winner of a matchup between No. 4 seed Notre Dame and No. 13 seed Miami (Ohio), setting up a potentially challenging path through the opening rounds.
Although these projections are preliminary, Florida’s inclusion in the field suggests the Gators have an opportunity to return to the NCAA Tournament conversation as the season progresses. However, with the program sitting firmly on the bubble, building a strong resume during nonconference play and navigating a competitive SEC schedule will be crucial.
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Head Coach Tammi Reiss reacts during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against Bucknell at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Head Coach Tammi Reiss reacts during the second half of an NCAA basketball game against Bucknell at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Kiyomi McMiller (32) drives on Bucknell Kaila Richards (1) during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Kiyomi McMiller (32) blocks Bucknell Ella Kreuzer (22) during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Jordan Jones (4) blocks Bucknell Kaila Richards (1) during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Head Coach Tammi Reiss reacts to Florida Vanessa Harris (23) during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
7 / 20
PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Jordan Jones (4) tries to stay inbounds during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Jordan Jones (4) reacts while she waits to enter the game during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
9 / 20
PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Vanessa Harris (23) pressures Bucknell Ella Kreuzer (22) during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Kiyomi McMiller (32)drives against Bucknell Elana Weisman (33) during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Kiyomi McMiller (32) drives against Bucknell during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Head Coach Tammi Reiss leads the time out during the second half of an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. Florida won 83-60 [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Kiyomi McMiller (32) drives on Bucknell Kaila Richards (1) during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Taliyah Parker (21) drives during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Jordan Jones (4) drives against Bucknell Reese Zemitis (20) during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Jordan Jones (4) drives during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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Florida’s Kiyomi McMiller lands on ESPN’s top 50 players list
Florida Kiyomi McMiller (32) drives on Bucknell Tessa Liggio (0) during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Head Coach Tammi Reiss reacts with Florida Moriah Murray (3) during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Taliyah Parker (21) drives during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
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PHOTOS: Top highlights from Florida women’s basketball vs Bucknell
Florida Jade Weathersby (1) rebounds during an NCAA basketball game at Steven C. O’Connell Center Exactek arena in Gainesville, FL on Monday, November 2, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]
(Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co)
SEC schools in ESPN’s 2027 women’s bracketology
The Southeastern Conference is once again expected to be among the nation’s strongest women’s basketball conferences, with 12 programs projected to make the 2027 NCAA Tournament. Only the Big Ten has more representatives, leading all conferences with 13 projected tournament teams.
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South Carolina headlines the SEC as the projected No. 1 overall seed, continuing the Gamecocks’ position among the nation’s elite programs. Texas and LSU follow as No. 2 seeds, while Kentucky and Vanderbilt are both projected to earn No. 3 seeds.
In Region 1, South Carolina leads as the top seed, followed by Kentucky (No. 3), Tennessee (No. 7), and Georgia (No. 11). Texas represents the conference in Region 2 as a projected No. 2 seed, while Region 3 features LSU (No. 2), Ole Miss (No. 6) and Florida, which would have to win its First Four matchup to claim the No. 12 seed.
Rounding out the conference’s projected field in Region 4 are Vanderbilt (No. 3), Oklahoma (No. 5), Alabama (No. 10) and Mississippi State (No. 11).
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