AMES — The Iowa State women’s basketball team earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Women’s Tournament and will open postseason play as the No. 8 seed against No. 9 Syracuse in the first round.

The game will be played in Storrs, Conn., as part of the regional hosted by top-seed UConn. The winner will advance to face the winner of the matchup between the host Huskies and No. 16 Texas-San Antonio.

Iowa State enters the tournament with a 22-9 overall record after finishing 10-8 in the Big 12 Conference. The Cyclones fell 77-68 to Arizona State in the conference tournament quarterfinals but still secured their place in the national bracket.

ISU head coach Bill Fennelly said simply earning another NCAA berth is meaningful for the program.

“We’re excited to be part of the NCAA Tournament again,” Fennelly said. “When your name comes up on Selection Sunday, that’s always special and a credit to what our players accomplished all season.”

The Cyclones will face a Syracuse team that enters with a 23-8 record after finishing 12-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Orange advanced to the ACC tournament quarterfinals before falling to Louisville.

The programs have met twice previously, with Syracuse holding a 2-0 edge in the all-time series. The teams last played in November 2023, when the Orange won 81-69.

The Cyclones are making their 24th NCAA Tournament appearance and carry an even 23-23 record all-time in the event.