Two sites to host region semifinals
March Madness has reached the Sweet 16! There is a twist this year for the women’s tournament: The NCAA picked two regional sites instead of four, with Greenville, South Carolina, and Seattle each hosting eight teams. Here is what to know:
Games to watch
No. 4 Villanova (30-6) vs. No. 9 Miami (21-12), 2:30 p.m. today
(ESPN): Fresno State transfers and NIL stars Haley and Hanna Cavinder can play, too, and have helped Miami earn a matchup with on-court star and first-team All-American Maddy Siegrist. She’s topped 1,000 points this season and is averaging 33 points for the upstart Wildcats in the tournament. Miami ousted No. 1 seed Indiana in the second round on Destiny Harden’s shot in the lane with 3.5 seconds left to get to its first Sweet 16 since 1992. The Wildcats’ only previous trip came in 2003.
No. 2 Maryland (27-6) vs. No. 3 Notre Dame (27-5), 11:30 a.m. Saturday (ESPN): Neither team is a stranger to deep runs in the tournament. The Terrapins had their hands full against Arizona in the second round until their second team All-American, Diamond Miller, took over. She scored 13 of her 24 in the third period and Maryland pulled away en route to its 11th Sweet 16. The Fighting Irish have lost their second-team All-American, point guard Olivia Miles, with a knee injury, but the ACC regular-season champs used defense and inside domination — two players with at least 15 rebounds and a 49-32 advantage — in dispatching Mississippi State. They’ll play in their 19th Sweet 16.
No. 1 South Carolina (34-0) vs. No. 4 UCLA (26-7), 2 p.m. Saturday (ESPN): The young Bruins are coming off a stirring victory against Oklahoma and now get to cross the country to face the uber-experienced Gamecocks, defending national champs, winners of 40 in a row and playing not far from home. The Bruins hope to show charisma — Charisma Osbourne, that is — whose 36 points led them back after they blew an 18-point lead against the Sooners. Reigning AP Player of the Year Aliyah Boston leads South Carolina, but with plenty of support.
No. 3 Ohio State (27-7) vs. No. 2 Connecticut (31-5), 4 p.m. Saturday (ESPN): The Buckeyes are heading to the Sweet 16 for the second year in a row and will face a Huskies team that has been there 29 straight years. Gritty Ohio State has made a second-half comeback in four straight postseason games and beat North Carolina on Jacy Sheldon’s short jumper with 1.8 seconds left. UConn has been bolstered by the return of Azzi Fudd from a knee injury. She scored 16 of her 22 points in the third quarter to break open a tie game in their victory against Baylor. UConn’s Gena Auriemma leads all women’s coaches with 11 championships.
Top teams
The top four seeds in the tournament were given to South Carolina, Indiana, Stanford and Virginia Tech. Stanford was the first to bow out last weekend, and Indiana got ousted a day later by Miami.