2012 Women's National Invitation Tournament Explained

Type:	WNIT
Gender:	Women's
Year:	2012
Teams:	64
Finalfourarena:	Gallagher-Iba Arena
Finalfourcity:	Stillwater, Oklahoma
Champions:	Oklahoma State
Titlecount:	1st
Runnerup:	James Madison
Gamecount:	1st
Coach:	Jim Littell
Coachcount:	1st
Mop:	Toni Young
Mopteam:	Oklahoma State
Attendance:	6,157 (championship game)

The 2012 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) was a single-elimination tournament of 64 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2012 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. The tournament were played entirely on campus sites. The highest ranked team in each conference that did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament received an automatic bid to this tournament. The remaining slots were filled by the WNIT Selection Committee. The Oklahoma State Cowgirls won their first WNIT title, defeating the James Madison Dukes in the championship game, 75–68.^[1] Toni Young of Oklahoma State was named tournament MVP.

Preseason WNIT

The pre-season 2011 is the 18th edition of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT), an annual event hosted entirely at campus sites. The championship game had the No. 1-ranked Baylor hosting the No. 2-ranked Notre Dame. The WNIT MVP Brittney Griner scored 32 points for Baylor in a win over Notre Dame.^{[2] [3]}

Championship Bracket

Source:^[4]

Consolation Brackets

Source:^[5]

Consolation Rounds 1 & 2

• Games Played at Akron

Consolation Rounds 1 & 2

• Games Played at McNeese State

Consolation Round 3

• Quarterfinal Losers

Team listed on top is home team

Post-Season Tournament

The post-season 2012 Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) is a single-elimination tournament of 64 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I teams that did not participate in the 2012 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. The tournament is played entirely on campus sites. The highest ranked team in each conference that did not receive a bid to the NCAA Tournament received an automatic bid to this tournament. The remaining slots were filled by the WNIT Selection Committee.

The Oklahoma State Cowgirls won their first WNIT title by the score of 75–68 over the James Madison Dukes. Oklahoma State was coached by Jim Littell, who took over following the death of head coach Kurt Budke in a plane crash on November 17, 2011.^[6]

Participants

Automatic bids

In addition to the 31 automatic bids from respective conferences, 33 teams, with a winning record, will receive an at-large bid to the tournament.

At-Large bids

Bracket

Source:^[7]

Team listed on top is home team

Semifinals and championship game

Played at host schools

All-tournament team

• Toni Young, Oklahoma State (MVP)
• Liz Donohoe, Oklahoma State
• Kirby Burkholder, James Madison
• Tarik Hislop, James Madison
• Kayla Alexander, Syracuse
• Dominique Conners, San Diego

Source:^[8]

See also

• 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament
• 2012 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
• 2012 Women's Basketball Invitational

Notes and References

1. Web site: 2012-03-31. WNIT: OSU women end tragic season with championship. 2021-04-25. Oklahoman.com. en-US.
2. Web site: Notre Dame vs. Baylor - Game Recap - November 20, 2011 - ESPN. 2021-04-25. ESPN.com. en.
3. Web site: Brice. Cherry. Griner lifts Lady Bears past Notre Dame for WNIT title. 2021-04-25. WacoTrib.com. en.
4. Web site: 2011 Preseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament. 2021-04-25. womensnit.com. en.
5. Web site: 2011 Consolation Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament. 2021-04-25. womensnit.com. en.
6. Web site: Griffin. David. OSU Women's Basketball Coach, Assistant Killed In Plane Crash. 2021-04-25. www.news9.com. en.
7. Web site: 2012 Postseason Bracket (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament. 2021-04-25. womensnit.com. en.
8. News: Oklahoma State captures WNIT title . womensnit.com . March 31, 2012 . March 28, 2022.