Colorado State Women Return to March Madness After 10 Years

After a decade of waiting, the Colorado State women's basketball team is headed back to March Madness.

The Rams clinched their first NCAA Tournament berth since 2016 with a 56-42 victory over Air Force at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. The win capped off a hard-fought Mountain West Championship game between two teams separated by just 133 miles back home in Colorado.

Defense won the day for Colorado State, the league's best defensive team all season. Junior Marta Leimane played all 40 minutes shadowing Air Force's star guard Milahnie Perry, who had been unstoppable throughout the tournament.

Perry entered the game having set a tournament scoring record with 92 points across four games. But Leimane held her to just six made shots on 18 attempts, her lowest output of the entire tournament.

"The Latvian Bear," as Coach Ryun Williams called Leimane, never let Perry get comfortable. She studied Perry's signature crossover pull-up and positioned herself perfectly all night, fighting through screens and forcing tough shots.

Leimane added eight points herself, but her defensive effort sealed the deal. "I think I kind of studied that before and just locked in on D," she said. "It was a good day for defense."

Why This Inspires

The Rams showed incredible resilience all season, playing without league newcomer of the year Lexus Bargesser in the championship game. Senior Madelyn Bragg stepped up when it mattered most, scoring 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting and earning a spot on the all-tournament team.

Bragg's confidence never wavered, even when the game felt tight. "I've never doubted it," she said. "We're scrappers. We've got all the pieces to be successful."

Hannah Carlson led all scorers with 17 points and joined Bragg on the all-tournament team. She struggled early but came alive in the final stretch, scoring eight crucial points as the Rams pulled away.

The victory marks a turning point for a program that has battled through adversity all season. With a 27-7 record and their first March Madness appearance in 10 years, the Rams proved that defense, determination, and trust in each other can overcome any obstacle.

March Madness awaits, and Colorado State is ready to keep their inspiring run going.