2026 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament schedule & preview

AppletonSportsPage.com

GREEN BAY – The 50th annual WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament will be held Thursday, March 12, through Saturday, March 14, at the Resch Center.

Play begins with Division 3 semifinals and Division 4 semifinals on March 12. Semifinals in Division 5, 2 and 1 will be played March 13, with the five championship games on March 14.

Ticket price for the tourney is $11 per session when purchased at the Resch Center. Tickets for the tournament will be available for purchase online at the Ticket Star website or by calling Ticket Star at 1-800-895-0071. Tickets can also be obtained through a link on the WIAA website at: https://ticketstar.evenue.net/events/WIAA1.

Games will be televised locally on WOAW-TV 9 of Wausau and WCWF of Green Bay.

Tournament notebook courtesy of the WIAA:

DIVISION 1: Wauwatosa East, the 2025 champion in Division 2, moves up a division and is the No. 1 seed in the bracket. The Red Raiders qualify for the fifth time overall and for the third year in a row. They have won two state championships with last season’s title and a Class A championship in 1981. This season, they are the champions of the Greater Metro Conference. The Red Raiders earned another trip to the Resch with a convincing 97-60 win over Kenosha Bradford in the final of the Greenfield Sectional…Hartland Arrowhead is making its third-straight appearance at state and the Warhawks’ 13th overall. They have claimed three championships in their 12 previous appearances, including 1988, 1991 and 2024. They finished atop the Classic 8 Conference standings this season. The Warhawks are the representatives out of the Sun Prairie West Sectional following their 74-51 win over Brookfield East in the final…Third-seeded Pewaukee returns to state for the third time in the past four seasons and for the fifth time overall. The Pirates won the Division 2 championship in the most recent appearance in 2024 after finishing runner-up in 2022 and 2023. The Pirates also qualified in 2020 prior to the cancellation of games because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This season, they defeated Hartford in the Whitefish Bay Sectional final to earn their return to the tourney field. The Pirates are the champions in the West Division of the Woodland Conference this season…Green Bay Notre Dame returns to the tournament as the No. 4 seed. The Tritons are making their fifth appearance in the past six seasons and their 12th overall. They finished runner-up in Division 2 in their most recent state experience in 2024. The Tritons won three-straight Division 2 championships from 2021-23. The Tritons have six state titles overall, earning the gold trophy in the program’s first-ever appearance in 2001 and also back-to-back titles in 2013-14. They also added runner-up finishes in 2005 and 2024. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Tritons were the Division 1 runners-up in 1994 as a former member of WISAA. This season, they are the champions of the Fox River Classic Conference and qualify for the Division 1 semifinals following a convincing 69-54 win over SPASH in the D.C. Everest Sectional final.

DIVISION 2: Rice Lake is the top seed in the bracket after the Warriors qualified for the first time in the program’s history last season, which resulted in a loss in the semifinals. They were the victors of the Stevens Point Sectional following their 59-45 win over Shawano in the final. The Warriors tied Hudson for first place in the Big Rivers Conference this winter…The No. 2 seed Whitefish Bay has eight previous appearances in the state Tournament with the last coming in 2019. The Blue Dukes’ best outcome in any of the previous tournament experiences was a runner-up finish in Class A in 1986. They defeated Whitnall 78-51 in the final of the Waukesha North Sectional. The Blue Dukes finished the regular season as champions of the North Shore Conference…Elkhorn, the No. 3 seed, makes the program’s second appearance at state after its first experience resulted in a Division 2 championship in 1997. The Elks are the champions of the Southern Lakes Conference this season. They advance to the state semifinals after defeating Milton 66-47 in the final of the Janesville Craig Sectional final…Beaver Dam, the fourth seed, qualifies for the seventh time. The most recent was when they qualified for the tournament that was canceled because of the COVID-19 virus pandemic in 2020. The Golden Beavers were attempting to become the first girls basketball program in WIAA history to win four consecutive state titles. In addition to the three championships they won from 2017-19, they also advanced to the title game in Division 1 in 1991 and finished runner-up. Their return to the tournament comes by virtue of a 67-43 win over Xavier in the Sheboygan South Sectional final. The Golden Beavers were the runner-up in the Large Division of the Badger Conference this season.

DIVISION 3: Defending champion Oostburg is the top seed in the bracket. The Lady Dutch will be participating in the state tournament for the 12th time in program history. They have won four championships in their 11 previous state experiences. In addition to last season, they earned Division 3 titles in 1994 and 2008, and the Class C crown in 1990. The Lady Dutch also advanced to the state final in 2010 and 2012 and finished runner-up. This season, they are the champions of the South Division of the Big East Conference. Oostburg earned its return to state with a 62-43 victory over Winneconne in the Manitowoc Lincoln Sectional final…Second-seeded Kettle Moraine Lutheran returns to the field for the fourth time and for the first time since 2024. The Chargers won their only state title in 2014, which was their first-ever appearance. This season, they are the champions of the Glacier Trails Conference. The Chargers beat Milwaukee Academy of Science 70-43 in the Brown Deer Sectional final to earn their berth in the semifinals. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Chargers won a WISAA Class B championship in 1990 and finished runner-up on four other occasions…Wisconsin Dells, the third seed, will make its second appearance in the state tournament following a 57-51 victory over Edgerton in the Portage Sectional final. The only other experience in the tournament for the Chiefs resulted in a loss in the 2018 Division 3 semifinals. During the regular season, they were the champions of the South Central Conference…Fourth-seeded Mosinee will make its sixth appearance in the tournament and its first since 2006. The Indians have advanced to the title game twice in their previous experiences, winning the Division 2 championship in 2000 and finishing runner-up in 1998. They finished at the top of the Great Northern Conference standings this season. Their journey to the Resch Center was paved through the Eau Claire North Sectional, defeating St. Croix Central 69-53.

DIVISION 4: Top-seeded Neillsville will make its seventh appearance and its first since 2022. The Warriors made three consecutive state appearances from 2012-14 and back-to-back experiences in 2006 and 2007. They won the Division 4 championship in 2012 and finished runner-up in Division 3 in 2014. They are the champions in the Cloverbelt Conference East this season. The path for their return to the Resch Center came through the Altoona Sectional, which culminated with 42-30 win over Cameron…Second-seeded Neenah St. Mary Catholic, last season’s runner-up, will make its fourth state appearance overall. The Zephyrs also advanced to the championship game in 2008 and 2009, winning the title in 2009 and finishing runner-up in 2008. The Zephyrs are the champions in the North Division of the Big East Conference this season, and they advanced through the Brillion Sectional with a 58-56 overtime victory over Kewaunee in the final. As a former member of WISAA, St. Mary Central, as it was previously named, won the Division 2 title in 1998…Third-seeded Albany/Monticello makes the co-op’s second appearance in the state tournament, two seasons removed from winning the Division 5 championship in 2024 in its first experience. It’s also notable that Albany had its first experience as a stand-alone program at state in 2023, which resulted with a loss in the semifinals. Monticello also has a history in the state tournament as a stand-alone program, winning the Division 4 championship in their only appearance in 1991. The Space Stallions advance to the state semifinals this season by cruising to a 60-30 win over Pardeeville in the Middleton Sectional final. They were the champions in the East Division of the Six Rivers Conference this season…Lomira, the No. 4 seed, is appearing in its third state tournament overall and its first since 1993. The Lions won the Class B title in their first-ever tourney experience in 1978. This year, they finished runner-up in the Wisconsin Flyway Conference. The Lions defeated Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic 61-57 in the final of the Germantown Sectional to earn their trip to Green Bay.

DIVISION 5: The top seed in the bracket is Eleva-Strum, making its second state appearance and its first since the Cardinals qualified in 2008. That experience resulted in a loss in the Division 4 semifinals. They claimed the title in the Dairyland Conference this season. The Cardinals downed Webster 64-44 in the Somerset Sectional final to advance to the State semifinals…Second-seeded Stevens Point Pacelli will make its first-ever appearance in the ttate Tournament after defeating Florence 75-46 in the Pulaski Sectional final. The Cardinals are the champions of the South Division of the Central Wisconsin Conference this year. As a former member of WISAA, Pacelli recorded a runner-up finish in Class A in 1983…Last season’s runner-up Barneveld, the No. 3 seed, qualifies for the state tournament for the 13th time overall. The Golden Eagles have won six state titles, capturing the Division 4 crowns in 1995, 1998, 1999, 2005 and the Division 5 titles in 2014 and 2015. In addition, they have a Division 4 runner-up finish in 2007 to go with two Division 5 second-place outcomes in 2013 and 2016. They finished second in the East Division of the Six Rivers Conference during the regular season. The Golden Eagles defeated Independence/Gilmanton 38-34 in the final of the Mauston Sectional for another opportunity to win program’s seventh title…Fall River, the fourth seed, qualifies for the state tournament for the fourth time and for the first time since 2019. The Pirates are seeking to advance from the semifinals for the first time. They beat Oshkosh Lourdes Academy 58-48 in the Markesan Sectional final to earn their return to the tourney. During the regular season, Fall River placed third in the West Division of the Trailways Conference.

2026 WIAA State Girls Basketball Tournament
Thursday, March 12, through Saturday, March 14
At Resch Center, Green Bay
Thursday, March 12
Division 3 Semifinals
No. 1 Oostburg (28-0) vs. No. 4 Mosinee (24-4), 1:30 p.m.
No. 2 Kettle Moraine Lutheran (27-1) vs. No. 3 Wisconsin Dells (28-0), 3:15 p.m.
Division 4 Semifinals
No. 1 Neillsville (27-1) vs. No. 4 Lomira (22-6), 6:30 p.m.
No. 2 Neenah St. Mary Catholic (25-3) vs. No. 3 Albany/Monticello (26-2), 8:15 p.m.
Friday, March 13
Division 5 Semifinals
No. 1 Eleva-Strum (29-0) vs. No. 4 Fall River (17-11), 9 a.m.
No. 2 Stevens Point Pacelli (23-4) vs. No. 3 Barneveld (22-7), 10:45 a.m.
Division 2 Semifinals
No. 1 Rice Lake (25-3) vs. No. 4 Beaver Dam (22-6), 1:30 p.m.
No. 2 Whitefish Bay (24-4) vs. No. 3 Elkhorn (24-4), 3:15 p.m.
Division 1 Semifinals
No. 1 Wauwatosa East (28-0) vs. No. 4 Green Bay Notre Dame (24-4), 6:30 p.m.
No. 2 Hartland Arrowhead (26-2) vs. No. 3 Pewaukee (24-4), 8:15 p.m.
Saturday, March 14
Championship Games
Division 5, 11 a.m.
Division 4, 12:45 p.m.
Division 3, 2:30 p.m.
Division 2, 6:30 p.m.
Division 1, 8:15 p.m.