A Historic Climb in Just Two Seasons

UC San Diego women’s basketball returned to the national stage this season — and made history in the process. In their second year of postseason eligibility following the transition to Division I, the Tritons earned a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, becoming only the second program in NCAA women’s basketball history to do so. The run followed the team’s Big West Championship win over Hawai‘i to secure the conference’s automatic bid.

That momentum was felt across campus and beyond. As the team boarded buses to the airport on March 18, students, faculty and staff gathered with signs and cheers to send the team to Fort Worth, Texas. The Tritons faced TCU on March 20 at Schollmaier Arena, while back in San Diego, fans gathered at a campus watch party at Dirty Birds to cheer on the team from afar.

The trip capped a season that included a second straight Big West Championship and a Division I program-record 24 wins. Along the way, UC San Diego rode a six-game winning streak heading into March Madness, marking another milestone in the program’s first years competing at the Division I level.

Want to celebrate the Tritons' back-to-back Big West titles with official championship gear? Choose from Regular Season Champions, Back-to-Back Champions or March Madness tees — available online or in the UC San Diego Bookstore.

“From when I first entered this program to now, there's been just insane growth. A lot of that has to do with the culture that has been created at UC San Diego. It draws people in. It drew me in — the culture that Heidi wanted to create and has continued to build.”

- Erin Condron, All-Big West First Team Selection

Inside the historical run

• Makayla Rose was named The Big West Championship Most Outstanding Player, averaging 18 points, seven rebounds and three steals in the Tritons’ two tournament wins. Rose recorded five steals in the championship game.
• Erin Condron was outstanding in the championship final, earning a spot on The Big West All-Tournament Team. The junior recorded her 11th double-double of the season in the title game, leading the Tritons with 22 points and 14 rebounds — one shy of her career high, playing all 40 minutes for the Tritons.
• UC San Diego had a conference-best six players recognized with All-Big West honors, including Condron and Rose earning a spot on the First Team. Rose was named Defensive Player of the Year and Co-Best Hustle Player. Sabrina Ma, Dymonique Maxie and Rosa Smith were Honorable Mention, while Lev Feiman was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team.

Broad-based basketball success

• UC San Diego made history in 2025, becoming the first program in NCAA Division I history to send both its men’s and women’s programs to March Madness in its first season eligible to do so.
• The men’s and women’s teams have won a combined 97 games over the last two seasons.

“Good teams really play with each other, and great teams play for each other. I thought we have been a great team all season as we developed our chemistry and our connection — and even though the score didn't go our way, I thought that we were a championship team today."

- Head Coach Heidi VanDerveer, following the team's loss to TCU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament

“I knew that this was a really special program from the beginning, and I think that we showed that from the beginning to the end. It's a program where we're all allowed to grow on and off the court, and I think that's very evident in each of us as individuals. None of us are the same player or person that we were when we came into this program, and I will never take my time here for granted. I cherish every single moment I've shared with my teammates and my coaching staff.”

- Makayla Rose, Big West Championship Most Outstanding Player