William & Mary waltzes into its first Big Dance already wearing Cinderella's slipper. The Tribe face High Point in NCAA Women's Tournament First Four action after rolling off a remarkable four straight wins at the Coastal Athletic Association Championship. 

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Having gone into D.C. as the CAA's No. 9 seed, William & Mary emerged as the league's automatic entrant into March Madness. The Tribe look to keep it rolling and earn a matchup with regional top seed Texas. 

Get to know more about William & Mary ahead of its historic NCAA Tournament showdown against High Point. 

WILLIAM & MARY TO THE CAA CHAMPIONSHIP 🏆

The Tribe defeated Drexel 76-54 to advance to the CAA Championship for the first time since 1993.#CAAHoops | @CAABasketball | @WMTribeWBB pic.twitter.com/9Ytu1UKwXy

— FloCollege | Basketball (@FloCollegeHoops) March 15, 2025

65 Is A Magic Number For William & Mary 

Of its 15 wins heading into the NCAA Tournament, William & Mary recorded 10 when putting up 65 or more points in regulation. Overall, the Tribe went 10-3 when reaching 65 points. 

Although not in regulation each time — the quarterfinal upset of regular-season CAA champion North Carolina A&T was knotted at 64 when it went to overtime — William & Mary did surpass the magic total of 65 through all four of its conference championship victories. 

That says as much about the William & Mary defense as it does the Tribe offense, too. In wins this season, William & Mary held opponents to an average of 58.1 points per game. Only once did the Tribe come out on top when surrendering more than 66 points. 

Bella Nascimento Catching Fire At The Right Time

Of her 14 games scoring 20-plus points this season, Bella Nascimento has logged eight since the beginning of February and 12 since the New Year. That includes her Most Valuable Player-winning performance at the CAA Championship with showings of 20 points against Drexel and a career-high 33 points in the title-game win over Campbell. 

Nascimento also shot 5-of-12 in those games. She's hit multiple triples in four of the Tribe's nine most recent contests, including a 4-of-9 showing in a thriller against Charleston late in the regular season. 

"I'm so proud of her," said Tribe head coach Erin Dickerson. "She has achieved the things she's come here to do and I can't wait to see her dancing." 

Youngsters Stepping Up 

Sophomores Cassidy Geddes, Jana Sallman and Monet Dance have played key roles for William & Mary all season and were especially clutch in the CAA Championship run. Geddes is the team's second-leading scorer for the season at 9.5 points per game; Dance earned All-Tournament honors after scoring in double-figures in 3-of-4 William & Mary wins, most notably her sensational performance against North Carolina A&T. 

Dance erupted for 27 points, hitting 7-of-9 from 3-point range. Having that secondary high-volume scoring option to complement Nascimento will be crucial for the Tribe to continue their Cinderella story. 

Likewise, the youthful frontcourt with Sallman and the freshman Natalie Fox can play pivotal roles, especially on the glass. Sallman returned to the lineup after missing the Tribe's first two CAA Championship contests to put up seven points and eight rebounds against North Carolina A&T. Sallman missed the championship tilt vs. Campbell, so her availability against High Point could be something to watch closely. 

Fox, meanwhile, comes into the Big Dance off of a six-rebound showing vs. Drexel and having contributed a blocked shot in the championship win. As the 66-63 defeat of Campbell emphasis, every contribution matters, and William & Mary can expect plenty to come from its underclassmen. 

Comeback Kids 

One key takeaway from the CAA Championship, and its rebound this season overall, is that William & Mary is not a team to count out. Dickerson said following the title game that the Tribe have "been through hell this year," so a 14-point deficit like what they faced against Campbell "is nothing." 

Indeed, William & Mary also rallied from a 12-point deficit in the third quarter to take down North Carolina A&T. The team's resilience and ability to bounce back is fundamental to William & Mary appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time. It could also be the quality that carries the Tribe beyond the First Four. 

William & Mary Women's Basketball Roster 2024-2025 

• #0 Alexa Mikeska – Guard – 5'8" Jr. – Carlsbad, Calif. – Carlsbad 
• #1 Cassidy Geddes – Guard – 6'1" – 185 lbs – So. – Hickory, N.C. – Newton-Conover 
• #2 Monet Dance – Guard – 5'3" – So. – Roswell, Ga. – Mount Pisgah Christian School 
• #3 Kayla Beckwith – Center – 6'1" – Gr. – Laurel, Md. – The Bullis School 
• #5 Bella Nascimento – Guard – 5'8" – Sr. – Grafton, Mass. – Worcester Academy (Manhattan)
• #10 Marley Long – Forward – 6'2" – Fr. – Washington, D.C. – Sidwell Friends School 
• #11 Aislin Gibson – Guard – 6'2" – So. – Hingham, Mass. – Tilton School (Maine)
• #12 Jana Sallman – Center – 6'3" – So. – Cairo, Egypt – Western Reserve Academy (Memphis) 
• #13 Sophie LeGoullon– Guard – 6'1" – Fr. – Bedford, N.H. – Tilton School
• #14 Rebekah Frisby-Smith – Forward – 5'11" – Gr. – Adelaide, South Australia – Adelaide
• #21 Natalie Fox – Forward – 6'4" – Fr. – LaGrangeville, N.Y. – Millbrook
• #23 Kayla Rolph – Forward – 6'2" – Jr. – Great Falls, Va. – The Potomac School
• #24 Emma West – Guard –5'10" – Fr. – Great Falls, Va. – Georgetown Visitation
• #35 Anahi-Lee Cauley – Forward – 6'0" – Sr. – Windsor, Conn. – Kent School (Villanova)

When Does The 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament Start?

The First Four games of the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament will take place March 19-20.

The first round of the tournament is March 21-22. The second round is March 23-24. 

The Sweet 16 is set for March 28-29. The Elite Eight is March 30-31. 

The Final Four is on April 4.

The championship game is scheduled for April 6 at 3 p.m. Eastern, live on ABC.

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