In the world of college basketball, Division III programs are often overlooked. Most D-III athletes don’t play for national glory, future NBA careers, or to profit off of their name, image, and likeness. Yet to all those who have found a special community around Division III athletics, the D-III tier — where student-athletes are able to pursue a more well-rounded college experience than Division I athletes —  stands out.

They say “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” but the Division III national championship trophy is coming home to St. Louis with the WashU women’s soccer team. For the second time in program history, the Bears are national champions, after defeating No. 11 William Smith College 3-0 on Dec. 8, 2024, in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

Now, after the 3-0 victory, the Bears will make their second straight National Championship appearance on Sunday, Dec. 8. After losing in last season’s title game, the Bears — who now hold a WashU record with 22 wins in a single season — are looking for one final win in the season’s final game.

At the start of each season, the players on the WashU women’s soccer team create a goal pyramid, starting with listing off small goals that set the building blocks for their larger aspirations. So far this season, the No. 1 ranked Bears have been ticking many of their goals off the list: have an undefeated season at home, win the University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship, and make the Final Four. Now, the Bears have their “top goal” left to achieve: to win the national championship.

Hosts Rishi Chiniga and Elias Kokinos turn up the heat as they sit down with WashU’s head men’s basketball coach, Pat Juckem.

Late in the second half of their Elite Eight matchup against University of Chicago, the No. 1 WashU women’s soccer team was struggling to find a breakthrough. The conference rivals — who had tied their last five matches against each other — were locked in a defensive stalemate on Francis Field with a Final Four spot on the line.

With their two early goals, the Bears lit a flame that never went out. The Bears added three more goals before halftime, and despite conceding mid-way through the second half, defeated the Simpson Storm 5-1. Just a day after kicking off their playoff campaign with a 2-0 victory over DePauw University, the Bears locked up a spot in the round of 16 for the eighth season in a row.

One year later, the Bears are back on the prowl for the program’s second-ever national championship, and their journey to Las Vegas kicks off in St. Louis this weekend.

 In an exit poll conducted by Student Life, 448 voters at the WashU Athletic Complex overwhelmingly supported Democrats, including Kamala Harris for President, Lucas Kunce for Senate, and Wesley Bell for the House of Representatives. Abortion was named a key issue for a majority of voters, and more than 90% of respondents supported Amendment 3.

When the No. 18 WashU women’s basketball team tips off its season on Nov. 15, it won’t just start a new season for the Bears. It’ll start a new era with coach Lisa Stone at the helm.  With two preseason All-Americans — graduate-student guard Jessica Brooks and sophomore center Lexy Harris — leading a deep lineup, Stone’s program, ranked 18th in the country in the preseason d3hoops.com poll, has the potential to run the table in 2024-25.