Dakota Wesleyan Wins 2026 GPAC Women’s Basketball Tournament

(Sioux City, Iowa) – The Dakota Wesleyan Tigers have won the 2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) Women's Basketball Tournament after defeating the Dordt Defenders in the championship game on Tuesday night in Sioux Center, Iowa.

The second-seeded Tigers shot 59.3 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from three to beat the top-seeded Defenders 84-76. Dordt shot 43.1 percent from the field and was held to just 28 percent from behind the arc.

Dordt will receive the GPAC regular season automatic berth to the NAIA National Women's Basketball Championship as the number one seed. Dakota Wesleyan clinched the second automatic berth from the GPAC by way of playing Dordt in the final. 

A field of 64 teams will make the NAIA Women's Basketball Postseason this year.  Games will be played at First and Second Round Sites on March 13-14 (four team pods).  The 16 opening round winners will play in the NAIA Women's Basketball National Championship is set for March 19-24, 2026, in Sioux City, Iowa, at the Tyson Events Center. 

2026 Great Plains Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Post-Season Tournament

GPAC Women's Basketball Quarterfinals – Wednesday, February 25
#1 Dordt 91, #8 Mount Marty 63
#4 Concordia 111, #5 Briar Cliff 70
#3 Hastings 116, #6 Northwestern 88
#2 Dakota Wesleyan 74, #7 Doane 45

GPAC Women's Basketball Semifinals – Saturday, February 28
#1 Dordt 71, #4 Concordia 65
#2 Dakota Wesleyan 86, #3 Hastings 68

GPAC Women's Basketball Championship Tuesday, March 3
#2 Dakota Wesleyan 84, #1 Dordt 76