When the season started, it didn’t look like the Villanova Wildcats had a shot at the NCAA Tournament.
The women’s basketball team’s record was 2-2 after losing to Fairfield and Princeton in November, writes Katie Lewis for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Wildcats turned to senior forward Annie Welde and senior guard Maggie Grant for advice.
They were there the last time the Wildcats were part of March Madness, in the 2022-23 Sweet 16 run.
“They ask what it was like in previous years. And I think it just helps to talk about it, whether it’s through stories or examples. It also helps that some of the coaches have been here for so long and even played here,” Welde said.
The team turned around with a 10-game winning streak.
Welde and Grant are now heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their freshman year. The 10th-seeded Villanova faced No. 7 seed Texas on Friday in Baton Rouge, La.
Villanova coach Denise Dillon said Welde and Grant are most familiar with the tradition of Villanova basketball. Welde, from Havertown, attended Cardinal O’Hara High School. Grant is a graduate of Archbishop Carroll High School and is Dillon’s niece.
Read more about both players and their influence with the Wildcats in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Editor’s Note: This post was initially published on DELCO.Today in March 2026.
