Uconn women up to No. 10 in committee top 16, 3-seed in Portland 4
Uconn women’s basketball is up to No. 10 in the NCAA Tournament selection committee’s top 16 rankings revealed Thursday, placing the Huskies as a No. 3 seed in the Portland 4 regional.
The Huskies climbed two spots from No. 12 in the committee’s first reveal on Feb. 29, and they shifted from the Albany 1 region as the bottom-ranked 3-seed to the second-best team on the line. Uconn’s new position matches their ranking in the AP Top 25 this week, where they rejoined the top 10 for the first time since Jan. 22.
The committee projects UCLA as the top seed in the Portland 4 region with Uconn, though the Bruins are in a challenging position with four fellow Pac-12 teams also appearing in the top 16. The Bruins beat Uconn 78-67 on Nov. 24, but the other top seeds in Portland 4 would be new opponents for the Huskies. The committee placed Virginia Tech as the 2-seed and Gonzaga as the 4-seed with the Bulldogs making their debut in the top 16.
The Huskies have played the most difficult schedule in the country this season and have a 4-5 record against top-25 opponents, but they have yet to record a win against a team in the top 15. South Carolina remains the top overall seed in the committee’s second reveal as the lone undefeated squad in the country. Texas and NC State, the other top-16 teams to beat the Huskies this season, are projected as the 2- and 3-seeds respectively in the Portland 3 regionals.
Uconn has competed in 32 consecutive tournaments dating back to 1989 with 22 Final Four appearances and a record 11 national titles under Auriemma. The Huskies were a 2-seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament but were eliminated in a Sweet 16 upset by 3-seed Ohio State.
The Huskies could see another ranked opponent before the NCAA Tournament if it faces No. 21 Creighton in the Big East Tournament, but Uconn will first conclude the regular season as heavy favorites in a road matchup with Providence on Saturday (7 p.m., SNY).