The first-ever Players Era Women’s Championship delivered on its promise, and South Carolina has already committed to participate again for the next two years.
Held over two days at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas, the four-team showcase featured a collection of preseason top-10 programs. Although Duke slipped from the rankings before the event began, the tournament still produced marquee matchups, including no. 3 UCLA vs. no. 4 Texas on Wednesday and no. 1 South Carolina vs. no. 4 Texas on Thursday.
The championship came down to a dramatic finish, with Texas edging South Carolina 66–64 on a stunning game-winner with just 0.7 seconds remaining. UCLA rolled past Duke in the consolation matchup.
“We’ll be back for two more years,” Dawn Staley said. “(It’s a) positive, you get great competition. You’re able to get some quality wins. Even in this loss, it’s a quality loss. So it doesn’t really hurt us.”
Texas coach Vic Schaefer later confirmed that his program has agreed to a four-year deal with the event.
The tournament was initially introduced as a round-robin with three games per team, but organizers shifted to a two-game format. There are already discussions about expanding the women’s field for next season.
The Players Era Men’s Championship, which launched in 2024 with eight teams, has grown rapidly — moving to 18 teams this year and set to expand again to 32 teams next season. Michigan claimed the $1 million NIL prize for the men’s title, while Gonzaga earned $500,000 as the runner-up.
Throughout the week, both the men’s and women’s participants have access to additional NIL opportunities. With elite competition paired with lucrative NIL potential, the Players Era Championship has quickly emerged as one of the most significant events on the college basketball calendar.
The NIL payouts for the women’s side have not yet been announced.
