Southern Cal, Texas nab last two 1 seeds
The thinnest of margins separate four, five and six seeds, which matters because in the NCAA women’s tournament, the first two rounds are still played at home sites. Don’t be surprised if we see home teams falter – and even if it’s not two No. 1 teams being upset, as happened last year, it’ll still be plenty of fun.
A reminder the women’s tournament will have two “super” regionals, meaning there will be four Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight games at each site. This change was made in an effort to draw more fans and worked well last year. Given the star power in the game this season – Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers – you can expect more of the same.
Albany 1 Region
Is South Carolina finally going to get the storybook ending it’s been searching for? The Gamecocks have been on a warpath this season after being upset in the national semifinals last year, falling to Caitlin Clark and Iowa. Many believed they’d take a step back this season after losing three first-round picks in the 2023 WNBA draft. Instead they added one of the best shooters in the country, Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao, and have become significantly better on offense.
Don’t be surprised if they mostly breeze through the bracket until the Elite Eight, where a potential rematch with second-seeded Notre Dame could await.
Are the Irish better now? Could Oregon State play spoiler and meet the Gamecocks for a spot in the Final Four?
South Carolina is nearly everyone’s pick to win the title, and when you see how balanced the Gamecocks are, it’s understandable why.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Notre Dame G Hannah Hidalgo (23.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.6 spg), on-ball defender who can get to the rim whenever she wants; Indiana F Mackenzie Holmes (20.0 ppg, 66.7% FG), a force in the paint; North Carolina G Deja Kelly (16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.3 apg), can take over at any time; South Carolina G Te-Hina Paopao (47.1% from 3), the most impactful transfer of the season; Oregon State G Talia von Oelhoffen (10.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.7 apg), one of the best defensive guards.
Albany 2 Region
Can Clark take Iowa back to college basketball’s promised land? Midway through the season it looked like a definite no, as the Hawkeyes dropped road games to teams they should have beat. But Clark is in postseason mode, and after cruising to the Big Ten tournament championship, Iowa earned a 1 seed.
If the Hawkeyes’ bracket goes chalk, they’ll meet up with UCLA, which looked like a Final Four team early in nonconference play but has a history of underachieving. But there’s also the possibility of a rematch with LSU. And Kansas State already has proved it can beat Iowa.
Given the strength of this bracket’s 1-4 seeds, don’t be surprised if something wacky happens with this region.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: UCLA F Lauren Betts (14.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 65.3% FG), can score at will in the paint; Iowa G Caitlin Clark (31.9 ppg, 8.9 apg), the most complete offensive player in the history of the women’s college game; Kansas State C Ayoka Lee (20.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 62.2% FG), whose size provides problems for every team; LSU G Mikaylah Williams (14.4 ppg, 47.2% FG), a tremendous freshman scorer.
Portland 3 Region
Who would have guessed at the beginning of the season, when Southern Cal was picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12, that the Trojans would earn a 1 seed? In its last year of existence, the Pac-12 was the best conference in the country all season, with numerous teams ranked in the top 10. But it’s a hard league to follow, because so few people have access to the Pac-12 Network. After freshman phenom JuJu Watkins dropped 51 points at Stanford on Feb. 2 though, people started paying attention. Now, can they get to a Final Four?
Ohio State’s vaunted press could cause problems on the way there. And you better believe Paige Bueckers & Co. are hungry to put UConn in a position to win its first title since 2016, an unimaginable drought for the Huskies.
In the meantime, will fourth-seeded Virginia Tech, which made the Final Four last year, have three-time ACC player of the year Liz Kitley after she injured her knee in its regular-season finale?
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Tech G Georgia Amoore (19.2 ppg, 6.9 apg), one of the top floor generals in the country; UConn F Ice Brady (4.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), who more than doubled her scoring output in the Big East Tournament; Southern Cal G Mckenzie Forbes (13.5 ppg, 3.3 apg), who pretty much only hits big shots; Ohio State F Cotie McMahon (14.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg), who plays with a tremendous balance of passion and poise.
Portland 4 Region Virginia
Texas, winners of nine of its past 10 games, earned a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004, edging Pac-12 regular-season champ Stanford. What the Longhorns have done this season after losing All-American guard Rori Harmon to a torn ACL, is remarkable. Freshman guard Madison Booker, the co-Big 12 player of the year, is a big part of why UT is still one of the toughest teams in the country to beat.
But if everything goes chalk, Texas will have to match up with Stanford and twin towers Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen, which will be lots of fun for everyone watching, and probably stressful for everyone sitting on the bench.
North Carolina State is still smarting from its loss two years ago to UConn in the regional final, when North Carolina State was a 1 seed and UConn was a 2 playing in front of a (very) friendly crowd. But do not count out Gonzaga, a team led by three veterans who have played together for years.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Texas G Madison Booker (16.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.9 apg), who doesn’t play like a rookie; Stanford F Cameron Brink (17.8 ppg, 12.0 rpg), the projected No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft who is a handful at both ends of the floor; Iowa State F Audi Crooks (18.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg), one of the strongest, toughest post players; North Carolina State guard Saniya Rivers (12.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.9 apg), whose athleticism is typically good for at least one jaw-dropping highlight per game; Gonzaga twin Gs Kayleigh (11.9 ppg, 4.5 apg) and Kaylynne Truong (11.6 ppg, 5.9 apg), whose stats are nearly identical.