After a tough start to the season, Villanova knew where to turn: the players who’ve been in March Madness before

At the beginning of this season, Villanova did not yet look poised to make the NCAA Tournament.

The Wildcats suffered disappointing losses to Fairfield and Princeton in November, and opened the 2025-26 women’s basketball season with a 2-2 record. Just four games into the season, the team already felt the urge to regroup.

When envisioning how they wanted the rest of the season to go, the Wildcats turned to two players for advice: senior forward Annie Welde and senior guard Maggie Grant. While Welde and Grant get limited playing time in games, their experience — four years in the Villanova program — has been valuable.

“We sat down after those first two losses and were like, ‘What do we want for this year?’” Welde said. “We know that once we progressed as we should throughout the year, we’d look back and realize we learned from those losses. We all had to make the decision to turn it around and not let that carry from game to game, because then, we’d just be average.”

Welde and Grant were part of Villanova’s program during one of its most successful seasons, and the only players left on the roster from the 2022-23 Sweet 16 run. That was the last time the Wildcats were a part of March Madness.

“[Our teammates] know that we’re the only ones that played with all those girls that were at the Sweet 16, and we talk about it all the time,” Welde said. “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.”

The Wildcats quickly changed the momentum of their season with a 10-game winning streak after the Princeton loss. Now, Welde and Grant are on their way back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since their freshman year, as 10th-seeded Villanova (25-7) will face No. 7 seed Texas Tech (25-7) on Friday in Baton Rouge, La. (8:30 p.m., ESPNU).

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Welde and Grant have filled a crucial role of strengthening the team culture, Villanova coach Denise Dillon said. As natives of the Philly suburbs, they are some of the most-familiar players on the team with the tradition of Villanova basketball.

Welde, from Havertown, attended Cardinal O’Hara. Grant, meanwhile, grew up in Downingtown and graduated from Archbishop Carroll. Grant’s connections to Villanova basketball also are family ties, as she is Dillon’s niece.

“I can’t say enough about Annie Welde and Maggie Grant,” Dillon said following Villanova’s senior day game, a 64-39 win over Marquette. “They don’t see as many minutes or stats on paper, but they have really committed to what Villanova is, the community, and making this program better.”

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Welde was named a team captain for this season alongside sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe and graduate forward Kylee Watson. Her impact on Villanova athletics extends beyond the team; she serves as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which promotes student-athlete campus involvement and service.

“The coaches constantly stress playing for the university and the name across your chest, and representing the university with whatever you do,” Grant said. “We’re here to play basketball and be students but also try to get involved on campus. You want to be a part of Villanova for as long as you can; so even after you graduate, try to maintain connections here.”

Now in their fourth year, Welde and Grant credit some of their Sweet 16 teammates for setting the example of how to stay connected with the program and represent Villanova on and off the court.

Two 2023 alumni haven’t strayed far from the program. Maddy Siegrist works with the team in a player development role in her WNBA offseason, while Brooke Mullin returned this season as assistant director of women’s basketball operations.

“Maddy is around all the time, and everyone strives to be like her,” Welde said. “Having Brooke on staff now, who was on that Sweet 16 team as well, helps to see what it takes and the effort that she’s willing to still put in, especially for the younger girls.”

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The team, and the landscape of women’s college basketball overall, look much different from when Welde and Grant were freshmen.

But as they prepare for the NCAA Tournament once again, carrying past success into the present has been a source of fuel across the team.

“I think it’s just the culture of Villanova, you love to talk about what people did in past years,” Welde said. “Seeing crucial members of that [Sweet 16] team in particular back here, and talking with them, goes a long way. They make a point to get to know the younger girls. That definitely helps bridge the gap.”