No. 6 Seed Huskers Head to Corvallis to Face Texas A&M
Photo Credit: NU Athletic Communications
Lincoln - Nebraska claimed the No. 6 seed in the Albany 1 Regional and will face No. 11 seed Texas A&M in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament in Corvallis, Ore.
The Huskers (22-11, 11-7 Big Ten) learned their seeding, opponent and location during the NCAA Selection Show that was televised live on ESPN on Sunday, March 17. Nebraska players and staff were joined by hundreds of fans during a public watch party at Pinnacle Bank Arena, as they celebrated their second NCAA appearance in the past three seasons and third under Head Coach Coach Amy Williams since 2018.
Nebraska, which will be making its 16th NCAA appearance since 1988, enters March Madness after fighting to a runner-up finish in the Big Ten Tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis, March 7-10.
The Huskers defeated Purdue and NCAA Tournament qualifiers Michigan State and Maryland in Minneapolis before falling to NCAA No. 1 seed Iowa in overtime in the championship game. A month early, the Huskers knocked off the No. 2 ranked Hawkeyes, 82-79, at Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln (Feb. 11) - matching the highest ranked opponent the Big Red has ever defeated.
First-team All-Big Ten center Alexis Markowski leads the Huskers with 15.9 points and 10.8 rebounds on the season. The 6-3 post from Lincoln, Neb., averaged 16.5 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists on her way to a spot on the five-player Big Ten All-Tournament Team. She put up 23 points and 13 rebounds in the championship game for her 19th double-double of the season and school-record-tying 40th of her career.
Jaz Shelley also claimed a spot on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team after averaging 20.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 8.5 assists in the tournament, including a double-double of her own with 16 points and a career-high 13 assists in the championship game. Shelley, who was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2023, also erupted for 30 points to go along with nine assists in a semifinal win over Maryland - Nebraska's second win over the perennial power Terrapins in 2024. She is averaging 13.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and team bests of 5.6 assists and 1.7 steals on the year.
A two-time second-team All-Big Ten choice (2022, 2024) since transferring from the University of Oregon following her sophomore season in 2020-21. Shelley and Markowski led Nebraska to an NCAA first-round appearance in 2022.
The Huskers also featured Big Ten Freshman of the Year Natalie Potts. The 6-2 forward from O'Fallon, Mo., was an eight-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and led all Big Ten freshmen in rebounding (5.6 rpg) while ranking second in scoring (10.6 rpg). She started all 33 games alongside Markowski on Nebraska's front line and just missed a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Nebraska will face a Texas A&M squad that went 19-12 overall and 6-10 in the SEC on the season. Head Coach Joni Taylor's team is led by Aicha Coulibaly (13.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.4 spg), Endyia Rogers (12.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.9 apg) and Janiah Barker (12.2 ppg, 7.7 rpg).
The Aggies also feature 6-5 redshirt junior forward Lauren Ware, who averages 9.1 points and a team bests of 7.9 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Ware, who has started 30 of 31 games for A&M, is from the same high school as Nebraska Big Ten All-Freshman Team guard Logan Nissley. The Husker 6-0 guard has started the last eight games for the Big Red and is averaging 6.7 points and 2.0 rebounds on the year.
Nebraska and Texas A&M spent the 1996-97 through 2010-11 seasons together in the Big 12 conferences before the Huskers joined the Big Ten and the Aggies shifted to the SEC. The Aggies defeated the Huskers in their last regular-season Big 12 Conference game in College Station on March 5, 2011.
Since then, the Huskers have faced Texas A&M only once, an NCAA Tournament Second Round between No. 6 seed Nebraska and the hosts from No. 3 seed and AP No. 9 Texas A&M at Reed Arena in College Station. The No. 24 Huskers upset the Aggies, 74-63, on March 25, 2013 to advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Nebraska owns a 15-9 edge in the all-time series with Texas A&M.
If Nebraska can advance past Texas A&M, the Huskers will face the hosts from No. 3 Oregon State or No. 14 Eastern Washington at Gill Coliseum.
Nebraska will start its NCAA Tournament journey with its first-round game on either Friday or Saturday in Corvallis, Ore. Game dates, times and TV designations have not yet been announced by the NCAA.
The Nebraska men and women both earned bids in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday for the first time since 2014, and they will both face Texas A&M. The No. 8 seed Husker men's basketball team will face No. 9 seed Texas A&M in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday at 5:50 p.m. (CT).
