FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Triple Crown Sports announced the brackets for the 2026 Women's National Invitational Tournament on Monday. Utah Valley will open the 2026 WNIT on Thursday, Mar. 19 at 7 p.m. MT | 6 p.m. PT.
 
The winner of the Utah Valley–San Francisco matchup will face Big Sky runner-up Montana State in the second round.
 
The Dons finished the 2025-26 season with an 18-14 overall record and a 9-9 mark in the West Coast Conference. They are led by Candy Edokpaigbe, who averages 17.8 points per game and earned First Team All-WCC honors. She was joined by freshman guard Aina Cargol, who received Honorable Mention All-WCC recognition and Freshman Team honors.
 
The Wolverines went 2-0 this season against West Coast Conference opponents, earning a 64-60 win over regular-season champion LMU in Los Angeles and a 85-56 victory over Pepperdine at the UCCU Center. The Waves finished the season 19-12.
 
The Wolverines are set to compete in the WNIT for the second consecutive season after making the second round last season, after beating Air Force for the program's first postseason win.