WBB: Season Review
It was another successful run for Kelly Graves’ squad, and there’s something to build on.
Oregon Ducks head coach Kelly Graves high-fives Oregon Ducks forward Mia Jacobs (1) on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, during a Big Ten women's basketball tournament game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The ending of the 2024 campaign was like some sort of nightmare for Oregon Women’s Basketball, but coach Kelly Graves showed the following season that he still knew exactly what he was doing. In 2025 the Ducks finished 20-12, 10-8 in the Big Ten, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, narrowly missing out on the Sweet Sixteen.
It seemed like a good gig to build on, the only thing was some of their most productive players had been Seniors. It was time to reload. The team started the season like a rocket blasting off, going 11-0 with the only close contest being on the road at Auburn.
They were humbled by UCLA, the eventual National Champion, but bounced right back, going 2-1 heading into conference play with 13 wins already in tow. That’s when things got tougher. The Ducks lost five of their next seven, although they were all close defeats and three happened against Top 15 opponents.
Among that stretch, an upset of #21 USC helped bolster their resume. A four-game winning streak, including a dub over #16 Maryland, set them up well welcoming Top 10 Ohio State to town, but the Buckeyes prevailed, and Oregon followed up by losing to the hated Huskies of Washington. The Ducks finished 2-2 in the home stretch heading into the Big Ten Tournament, and a quick out would squelch their tourney chances.