Six of the best women’s college basketball programs will descend on Las Vegas this December for the second annual Players Era showcase. The event includes what is believed to be the biggest purse for a single event in women’s college sports history.
UCLA, South Carolina, Texas, Duke, USC and Notre Dame will each compete in two games on Dec. 19 and Dec. 20 in what could be multiple potential postseason previews. After the 2025 event gave teams the opportunity to earn at least $1 million in NIL deals, this season’s showcase has a mid-seven figure pool, according to the tournament organizer.
UCLA, USC, South Carolina among women’s basketball teams in Players Era showcase
The Bruins, who are the defending national champions, will take on the Longhorns and Gamecocks in rematches of the 2026 national semifinal and title game, respectively. UCLA and Texas also faced off in last year’s Players Era showcase, when the Longhorns handed the Bruins in what ended up being their only loss of the season.
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“We’re happy to be back in the Players Era Women’s Championship for another year,” UCLA coach Cori Close said in a news release. “It will be the premier non-conference tournament and have a lot of eyeballs with some great programs going head-to-head.”
The Trojans and Irish are new entrants and will match up against each other on the first day of the showcase as they meet in the non-conference schedule for the third consecutive season.
There is no Players Era championship to be won in 2026, unlike in 2025 when Texas hoisted the crown. The only victory to be gained in Las Vegas is schedule strength when the selection committee decides tournament seeding in March.
Here is the full schedule:
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Session 1, Dec. 19
(All times ET)
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 8 Texas, 6 p.m., ESPN2
No. 13 UCLA vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 8:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 16 Notre Dame vs. No. 5 USC, 11 p.m., ESPN
Session 2, Dec. 20
(All times ET)
No. 8 Texas vs. No. 13 UCLA, 5 p.m., ESPN
No. 16 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 7:30 p.m., ESPN
No. 5 USC vs. No. 3 Duke, 10 p.m., ESPN
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
USC Trojans, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, Duke Blue Devils, UCLA Bruins, South Carolina Gamecocks, Texas Longhorns, Women’s College Basketball
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