James Madison University secured the 2026 Sun Belt Conference Women’s Basketball Championship and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship for the 14th time in program history, according to an April 10 announcement.
The victory marks James Madison’s first conference championship since 2023, highlighting a successful season for the team. The Dukes’ achievement reflects their consistent performance throughout the year and reinforces their status as a leading program in women’s college basketball.
In the Sun Belt title game on March 9, Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes combined for 47 points and both recorded double-doubles as James Madison defeated Troy with a score of 69-52. McDaniel was named the Sun Belt Championship Most Outstanding Player after finishing with 28 points, ten rebounds, four assists, and four steals. Barnes joined her on the All-Tournament Team with nineteen points, twelve rebounds, and four assists. The Dukes started strong with a thirteen-point run before Troy scored its first basket midway through the opening quarter.
As a No. 4 seed in their conference tournament, James Madison won three games in three days against South Alabama (79-54), Georgia Southern (81-53), and Troy (69-52). The team held opponents to an average of fifty-three points per game during this stretch while outscoring them by seventy points overall. According to tournament records, JMU was one of five teams seeded fourth or lower in their conference tournaments to earn an automatic qualification into this year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship.
The Dukes also achieved key regular-season victories over Virginia Tech (65-56), Boston College (73-53), and Wisconsin (69-50) following losses to Villanova and Texas early in the season. After starting conference play at three wins and three losses, JMU went on an eleven-out-of-twelve-game winning streak that included notable performances from players such as Bree Robinson.
Head Coach Sean O’Regan led his squad through a twelve-game winning streak heading into postseason play. O’Regan now holds a record of 236 wins against ninety losses—the most by any coach through ten seasons at James Madison University. He was selected for the Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award Midseason Watch List during this campaign.
Peyton McDaniel concluded her career ranked third all-time in scoring at JMU with over two thousand career points while ranking among leaders in rebounds, three-pointers made, free throw percentage, and steals. Ashanti Barnes finished among national leaders in total rebounds and double-doubles; Brianna McLeod ranked nationally for blocks; Bree Robinson tied for forty-ninth nationally with eighty-two steals.
Looking ahead, James Madison’s strong showing positions them well within national rankings: they placed eleventh nationally in rebounds per game while also appearing high on lists measuring scoring margin and field goal percentage defense.
