What’s on the line in the women’s ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 conference tournaments?

Conference tournaments kick off this week with 31 NCAA Tournament autobids on the line and plenty more at stake in terms of seeding and positioning.

Often, the most intriguing part of conference tournament time is how teams can put an exclamation point on their resumes before the selection committee determines NCAA Tournament seeding, but it can be especially impactful on the women’s side since the top 16 teams host the first two rounds. So far through the Top 16 reveal process, we’ve learned that the selection committee is putting high value on head-to-head results and recency, so conference tournament results could elevate (or plummet) a team when it comes to earning a hosting opportunity. In each of the last two years, 13 of the teams in each Sweet 16 were host teams. While it’s not a guarantee that hosting equals a Sweet 16 spot, it’s certainly a good start.

Here are the most burning questions as we enter conference tournament season. (All times listed are Eastern.)

ACC

Wednesday-Sunday | Duluth, Ga.

Championship game: 1 p.m. Sunday,  ESPN

Can North Carolina earn a hosting bid?

In the ACC, no team has been more consistent through the final six weeks than North Carolina. The Tar Heels have gone 12-1 since Jan. 15 with their only loss coming to Duke (a four-point defeat in mid-February), which they avenged with a five-point win on March 1. North Carolina’s ranking is hurt by its overall NET ranking (17) and its 3-5 record in quad one games. Plus, the Tar Heels’ two best chances for marquee out-of-conference wins ended as double-digit losses to UCLA and Texas. As of the last ranking, the Tar Heels were on the outside looking in when it came to hosting. But, given the team’s current momentum and that hosting could be on the line with a few major wins (bonus points for the Tar Heels’ resume if those come over Louisville and Duke, who’ve both been in the committee’s top-16), UNC is a team that has a lot to gain with a good ACC tournament showing.

Big 12

Wednesday- Sunday* | Kansas City, Mo.

Championship game: 5 p.m. Sunday, ESPN

How much will a healthy Addy Brown help Iowa State?

The Cyclones went 6-5 without junior forward Addy Brown, who missed six weeks with an injury from early January to mid-February. Though the Big 12 might not offer a national title contender, Iowa State — when fully healthy — can be a matchup nightmare (especially on a short turnaround) that could bust some brackets. Brown’s ability to impact every part of the game makes Audi Crooks more dangerous, and if the Brown-Crooks connection can spark some flow, then Jada Williams, who stepped up her scoring in Brown’s absence, can also get going. With all those losses, Iowa State picked up the No. 7 seed, but when Crooks, Brown and Williams are hitting on full cylinders, the Cyclones are definitely better than the seventh-best Big 12 team.

* If BYU advances to the championship, the game will be played on Monday.

Big Ten

Wednesday-Sunday| Indianapolis, Ind.

Championship game: 2:15 p.m. Sunday, CBS

Will Ohio State, Maryland and others earn hosting duties?

UCLA is the class of the Big Ten, going undefeated in conference play. Just below the Bruins sit Michigan and Iowa, who are well within the top 16. Those three teams are well worth your viewing time, but the biggest question in the Big Ten tournament will be how Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota and Ohio State fare. Those four were slotted in positions 12 through 16 in the committee’s most recent reveal, meaning their likelihood to host is far from certain. The Buckeyes, Terrapins and Spartans play Thursday in the second round, and because the Gophers secured a double bye, they won’t play until Friday’s quarterfinals. All four teams need at least one conference tournament win to feel confident on Selection Sunday eve, when the committee will release its list of hosting teams. They’ll also be keeping an eye on teams like Kentucky, West Virginia and North Carolina, which could all potentially jump onto the four-seed line with big wins in their respective conference tourneys.

SEC

Wednesday-Sunday | Greenville, S.C.

Championship game: 3 p.m. Sunday, ESPN

Will Texas and Vanderbilt settle No. 1 seed debate in title game?

If all goes to plan for UConn, UCLA and South Carolina, then the Longhorns and Commodores can make at least one decision very easy for the selection committee. From the first two top-16 reveals, we know that head-to-head results matter greatly.  Texas and Vanderbilt appear headed toward a semifinals meeting, which would be like a winner-takes-all matchup for that fourth No. 1 seed. A win for Texas also would mean playing its regional games in Fort Worth instead of Sacramento. A win for Vanderbilt would be a shorter flight, keeping the Commodores in the Central Time Zone.

Big East

Friday-Monday | Uncasville, Conn.

Championship game: 7 p.m. Monday, Peacock

Can any opponent come within 25 points of UConn?

UConn completed its 11th undefeated season in program history and enters the postseason with an average Big East win margin of 37.8 points per game. The only two Big East opponents that came within 20 points of the Huskies were Marquette and Villanova, but postseason UConn is always different. As the Huskies aim to repeat as national champions for the first time since 2016, expect them to lock in and leave nothing to chance. The Big East might not provide an SEC- or Big Ten-level of nightly competition, but UConn should make a statement with some massive wins to build momentum in its quest for national title No. 13.

Atlantic 10

Wednesday-Sunday | Henrico, Va.

Championship game: 4 p.m. Sunday, ESPN2

Will Maggie Doogan lead the Spiders back to the Big Dance?

It’s incredibly difficult for any college player to land on a WNBA roster, and harder still for a mid-major player to make it. Richmond senior forward Maggie Doogan could be that kind of player, though. Last season, she led the Spiders to the NCAA Tournament’s second round, and this season, in an even deeper A-10, Richmond enters the A-10 tournament as an underdog. The Spiders split games against the two teams slotted ahead of them, Rhode Island and George Mason, but they’ll need to win the conference tournament to clinch the Atlantic 10’s autobid, because a double-bid out of the A-10 doesn’t look likely.

Summit League

Wednesday-Sunday | Sioux Falls, S.D.

Championship game: Sun. March 8, 4 p.m. EDT (CBSSN)

Could a team other than South Dakota earn the autobid?

The Summit League tournament title has run through the state of South Dakota since 2018, as either South Dakota or South Dakota State has taken every crown. This season, North Dakota State enters the tournament as the regular-season champion after sweeping South Dakota during the regular season and splitting games against South Dakota State. The Bison have never won the Summit League tournament title (they joined in 2007), but under seventh-year coach Jory Collins, North Dakota State has gone from a middling conference program to the class of the Summit. To take the tournament title, junior Avery Koenen must keep performing as she has all season — shooting 65 percent while averaging 19 points and 11 rebounds per game.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

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