In an NCAA women’s basketball season full of upsets and shifting AP Polls, the March Madness brackets are set. This season has seen a 3% increase in viewership from last season and has recorded the highest views on ESPN since the 2008-2009 season. Last year’s women’s championship had more viewers than the men’s, proof of the growing interest in the game. The stars are out to compete and, if all four number one seeds move on to the Final Four, rematches of the SEC Championship and the Big Ten Championship could ensue.
Spokane Regional 1
With a record of 30-2, the UCLA Bruins have proven themselves to be the team to beat. The Bruins were the last remaining undefeated team in the country, standing at 24-0 before falling to the team’s longtime rival, the USC Trojans, twice. The Bruins are led by a strong junior class, including Lauren Betts, the 6’7’’ Wooden Award Watch List Member, who is averaging 19.7 points per game (ppg), 9.9 rebounds per game (rpg) and 2.5 blocks per game (bpg). Betts is backed by junior guards Kiki Rice, who is averaging 12.8 ppg and 4.5 assists per game (apg), Gabrielle Jaquez, who is averaging 10.1 ppg and 5.1 rpg, and Londynn Jones, who is averaging 8.7 ppg on 35% shooting from behind the arc.
The Bruins have defeated many notable teams this season, including South Carolina, Maryland, Ohio State and defeated USC in the Big Ten Championship, rallying back from a 12-point deficit at halftime.
The Bruins will not face any trouble until the Elite Eight, where they will likely face off against either two-ssed NC State (29-6) or three-seed LSU (28-5). NC State is one of the best teams in the country, but they have proven themselves to be inconsistent. The Wolfpack has beaten top talent like Notre Dame, Duke and Georgia Tech, but have also struggled in games against easier opponents, edging out games by a small margin. The Wolfpack fell in the ACC Championship to Duke after losing a fourteen point lead and being outscored 47-26 in the second half. The difference in the two halves was obvious, once DUke started to pick up shooting percentages, NC State fell apart, something that has been seen to happen in a couple games this season and is something to watch for.
The LSU Tigers have already defeated the Wolfpack once on Nov. 27 and have proven strong against high-level teams. Playing in the SEC, the Tigers have faced difficult opponents, and despite losing, have managed to keep it close against Texas, losing by seven in both games they faced off.
Overall, the Bruins should be able to escape the bracket, but it will be interesting to see if NC State is able to keep composure against the strong offense and defence that LSU brings to the floor.
Birmingham Regional 2
The second one-seed goes to the South Carolina Gamecocks, making this the first time since 2021 the team has not entered the tournament as the overall number one team. When the NCAA selection committee chair Derita Dawkins was asked about why the Gamecocks weren’t the overall number-one seed, she said that the committee looked at the head to head matchup between South Carolina and UCLA, where the Bruins won 77-62, and the 29-point loss the Gamecocks suffered to UCONN.
South Carolina is 31-3 overall, with the two losses above and one to Texas. The Gamecocks beat the Longhorns in the SEC Championship 64-45, bringing the record of South Carolina versus Texas games to 2-1 in the Gamecocks favor.
The team is led by freshman Joyce Edwards, averaging 13.2 ppg and 4.8 rpg, sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley, averaging 12 ppg, junior Chloe Kitts, averaging 10.1 ppg and 7.9 rpg, and senior Te-Hina Paopao, averaging 9.8 ppg and 3 apg. They are coached by Dawn Staley, who has led the Gamecocks to three National Championships in 2017, 2022 and 2024.
With the experience on the Gamecocks squad, they will be able to push back on any pressure from two-seed Duke (27-7) or three-seed UNC (27-7), who they will likely face in the Elite Eight. Duke and UNC have matched up twice in ACC play this season, with UNC winning the first game and Duke winning the second. Duke is coming into the tournament on a hot-streak, first upsetting Notre Dame in the ACC Semifinals and then defeating NC State in the ACC Finals. UNC lost to NC State in the ACC Semifinals, but did defeat NC State in the regular season.
The projected rivalry game between Duke and UNC in the Sweet Sixteen will be an exciting one to watch, but whoever comes up on top will have a challenge against a motivated Gamecock team and fanbase.
Birmingham Regional 3
The Texas Longhorns (31-3) were awarded the third-overall one-seed despite falling to South Carolina in the SEC Championship. Two of the Longhorns losses have come from the Gamecocks, with the other one to Notre Dame, who they might face later in the tournament. The Longhorns are led by sophomore Madison Booker, who’s averaging 16.2 ppg and 6.6 rpg, senior Taylor Jones, who is averaging 12.1 ppg and 7 rpg, senior Rori Harmon, who is in her first season back after an ACL tear and is averaging 9.4 ppg and 5.6 apg, and junior Kayla Oldarce, who is averaging 9.3 ppg and 5.8 rpg.
The Longhorns’ whole game plan is to get it inside the arc, shooting only 371 three-pointers compared to opponents 440. While the team is efficient in scoring inside, when facing off against likely either two-seed TCU (31-3) or three-seed Notre Dame (26-5), who are shooting 37.6% and 39.5% from behind the arc, respectively, the Longhorns will have trouble counteracting the threes with twos.
Notre Dame was number one in the AP Poll released on Feb. 16 before falling to NC State and Florida State. The Fighting Irish are 2-3 in the last five games, but have boasted high quality wins over teams like USC, UCONN and Texas. The TCU Horned Frogs also boast some impressive wins over NC State and Baylor, and have already defeated Notre Dame earlier this season. Both teams have two players on the Wooden Award Watch List, Hannah Hildago and Olivia Miles for Notre Dame, and Sedona Prince and Haley Van Lith for TCU.
This time off before the tournament begins gives Notre Dame a chance to regroup and refocus before the tournament begins, and if they are able to revert back to the basketball they were playing in early February, the Fighting Irish could find ways to upset the Longhorns and the Horned Frogs. WIth that being said, TCU is having one of their best seasons in history and have plenty of momentum to propel them through the tournament. In addition, the Longhorns play in the SEC, so they have faced many tough opponents, including South Carolina, LSU and Alabama, so this region is one that will hold some battles.
Spokane Region 2
With two wins over the first overall seed, the USC Trojans (28-3) take the final one-seed and enter the tournament as a strong contender. The Trojans ended the regular season first overall in the Big Ten before falling to UCLA in the Big Ten Championship. The Trojans have one player on the Wooden Award Watch List, sophomore sensation Juju Watkins, who is averaging 24.6 ppg and 6.9 rpg. She is backed by senior Kiki Iriafen, who is averaging 18.2 ppg and 8.3 rpg, freshman Kennedy Smith, who is averaging 9.5 ppg and 4.4 rpg, and senior Rayah Marshall, who is averaging 7.3 ppg and 8.2 rpg.
Watkins propelled the Trojans to victory over the Bruins in the team’s wins, shown by her 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and eight blocks in the first game against UCLA. When Iriafen and the rest of the Trojans are there to back Watkins up, the Trojans look to be the strongest team in the tournament.
In the Elite Eight, USC will likely face two-seed UCONN (31-3) or three-seed Oklahoma (25-7). The Huskies have top-tier talent in Wooden Award Watch List member Paige Buekers, who plays alongside Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong. The Huskies have struggled in previous years to stay healthy, but with everyone currently able to play, the team is looking strong, shown by the wins over top teams like South Carolina, North Carolina and Ole Miss.
Although the Sooners have some wins over teams like Alabama and Kentucky, the forty point loss to South Carolina leaves UCONN as the favorites in that game. This would bring UCONN and USC to a rematch of a game earlier this season, where USC walked away with a 72-70 win over the Huskies.
The Elite Eight matchup will come down to which team is stronger, a matchup a fully healthy Huskies might be able to edge out. With that said, if Watkins has a performance equal to the one she had against UCLA, the Trojans could walk into a rematch against the Bruins for the fourth time this season.
