Selection Sunday has come and gone, which means we have a bracket to digest before games begin later this week.
The committee crowned undefeated UConn as the NCAA tournament’s top overall seed. That normally wouldn’t be a surprise as the lone remaining unbeaten, but the other team with a case was UCLA, which had the much tougher schedule and hasn’t lost since November, a defeat that came against another one-seed in Texas. We’ll have to wait until the end of the tournament to see whether we get a Final Four rematch from last year between the two powerhouses.
South Carolina rounded out the top seeds with a bit of a tough draw ahead for the Gamecocks. Dawn Staley’s group has either USC or Clemson in round two, then likely West Virginia or Kentucky in the Sweet 16 and Michigan or Louisville in the Elite Eight. No path to the Final Four is easy, but the selection committee provided us with some intriguing matchups before any nets can get cut and plane tickets to Phoenix can be booked.
Now that we have a bracket, here’s a breakdown of each region in the women’s NCAA tournament:
Regional 1 – Fort WorthNo. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSANo. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 SyracuseNo. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray StateNo. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western IllinoisNo. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 FairfieldNo. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 HowardNo. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 ColoradoNo. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point
Undefeated UConn is the tournament’s top seed. Sarah Strong, Azzi Fudd and the Huskies could see Audi Crooks, the second-highest scorer in the nation, in the second round. In case you thought it would get easier for Geno Auriemma’s squad from there, think again. If the region goes chalk, UConn would see Vanderbilt and the country’s top scorer in Mikayla Blakes for a trip to the Final Four in Phoenix.
The first region is made up of some of the best players in the country with Hannah Hidalgo leading six-seed Notre Dame in addition to Strong, Fudd, Crooks and Blakes.
Regional 2 – SacramentoNo. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 California BaptistNo. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 PrincetonNo. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 GonzagaNo. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Green BayNo. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska/RichmondNo. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 CharlestonNo. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 VillanovaNo. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville
UCLA was the team with the best case for the tournament’s top seed besides UConn. The Bruins have had the toughest schedule in the nation and went 31–1 with their only loss at the hands of Texas, another No. 1 seed. The No. 2 seed in UCLA’s region is LSU, who went 27–5 on the year. Kim Mulkey could face her former program should the Tigers advance to the Sweet 16 and meet Baylor, which would need to upset third-seeded Duke along the way.
Minnesota gets to host first- and second-round games as the Golden Gophers were teetering around the four-line heading into Selection Sunday. Home court will certainly help should the Gophers meet Cotie McMahon and Ole Miss in the round of 32.
Regional 3 – Fort WorthNo. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri State/Stephen F. AustinNo. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia TechNo. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James MadisonNo. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (OH)No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode IslandNo. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 VermontNo. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 TennesseeNo. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross
Vic Schaefer has the Longhorns back as a No. 1 seed, now for the third year in a row. Texas’s only three losses this season were to conference powers South Carolina, LSU and Vanderbilt. The Longhorns defeated LSU in the second meeting between the schools and Texas got the best of the Gamecocks earlier in the season and then again in the SEC tournament final. The school’s best win came in November against another top seed, though, in UCLA.
West Virginia has hit a stride at the right time, winning the Big 12 tournament and getting to play host to start the NCAA tournament. The Mountaineers would bring a fun matchup for Texas should they be able to get past Kentucky and advance to the Sweet 16. If the region goes chalk, we’ll see if Michigan’s sophomore pair of Olivia Olson and Syla Swords are enough to topple the giants in Texas.
Regional 4 – SacramentoNo. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Southern/SamfordNo. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USCNo. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado StateNo. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 IdahoNo. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota StateNo. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San DiegoNo. 7 Georgia vs. No. 10 Virginia/Arizona StateNo. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson
The last region has a fun potential second-round matchup between where USC star freshman Jazzy Davidson could take on Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks. Getting through Clemson first is no easy feat for the Trojans, however. Elsewhere, the final region is swimming with stars like TCU’s Olivia Miles and Marta Suárez, plus another standout freshman in Oklahoma’s Aaliyah Chavez.
South Carolina is the team to beat, but the Gamecocks will have some intriguing matchups along their potential path to the Final Four.
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