Six women’s college basketball powerhouses are set to take part in the Players Era Women’s Basketball Showcase in December in Las Vegas.
The two-day event will take place Dec. 19-20 at Michelob Ultra Arena at the Mandalay Bay and features South Carolina, Duke, USC, Texas, UCLA and Notre Dame, Players Era announced Monday.
Each of the six teams is projected to be in the Top 25 when the season begins, with the event including a national title rematch between South Carolina and UCLA and a showdown between Notre Dame and USC, pitting two of the top players in the country against each other in JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo.
The event also offers the women’s players a seven-figure NIL financial pool, one of the largest in women’s college sports history, according to event organizers.
“We’re happy to be back in the Players Era Women’s Championship for another year,” UCLA women’s head basketball coach Cori Close said in a statement. “We’re excited for rematches with South Carolina and Texas, and the opportunity to play some elite competition at this exceptional event. It will be the premier non-conference tournament and have a lot of eyeballs with some great programs going head-to-head. We’re honored to be back.”
The six games will be aired live on ESPN and ESPN2 and include on Dec. 19: Duke vs. Texas, UCLA vs. South Carolina and Notre Dame vs. USC. On Dec. 20 the games include: Texas vs. UCLA, Notre Dame vs. South Carolina and USC vs. Duke.
“Women’s college basketball is thriving, and ESPN is committed to helping grow the sport by showcasing its biggest stars and best matchups,” Dan Margulis, ESPN’s senior director of programming and acquisitions, said in a statement. “With six elite programs competing on a national stage, this event reflects the depth of talent and competition that continues to drive the game forward.”
Tickets for the Players Era Women’s Basketball Showcase start at $109 and are available as an all-tournament pass, providing access to all six games of the event. Tickets will go on sale to the public at 10 a.m. on Thursday via AXS.com.
“We are excited to be back for the second year of the Players Era Women’s Championship with an expanded field,” South Carolina women’s head basketball coach Dawn Staley said in a statement. “From elite matchups on the court, to great accommodations and opportunities for our team and our fans off it, it will be great to get back to Las Vegas and a full weekend highlighting women’s basketball.”
Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on X.
