March Madness is heading to the Sweet 16! Here is what to know about a women’s NCAA Tournament that has already seen two of the top teams ousted before the regional semifinals:
TOP SEEDS
The top four seeds in the tournament were given to South Carolina, Indiana, Stanford and Virginia Tech. Stanford was the first to bow out and Indiana was ousted a day later — with both teams losing at home.
GREENVILLE I REGION: South Carolina, the undefeated defending national champion, is the No. 1 overall seed and they look every bit a juggernaut, advancing to the regional semis without serious challenge. South Carolina is loaded, with two-time Southeastern Conference player of the year Aliyah Boston and leading scorer Zia Cooke. Up next: No. 2 Maryland will play No. 3 Notre Dame in one semifinal while No. 4 seed UCLA will face the Gamecocks.
GREENVILLE II REGION: Indiana landed the top seed and won its opener by 30 points only to be stunned in the second round by ninth-seeded Miami, 70-68. Up next: No. 2 seed Utah will play No. 3 seed LSU and the Hurricanes will face No. 4 seed Villanova and scoring sensation Maddy Siegrist.
SEATTLE 3 REGION: ACC tourney champion Virginia Tech got the top seed and will take a 13-game winning streak to the Sweet 16 behind star center Elizabeth Kitley. Up next: The Hokies will face No. 4 seed Tennessee and No. 2 seed UConn will play No. 3 seed Ohio State.
SEATTLE 4 REGION: The committee looked to Stanford’s steadiness for much of the season in giving it the top seed. But the Cardinal instead became the first No. 1 to fall short of the Sweet 16 since 2009, ousted 54-49 by 8-seed Ole Miss and its stingy defense. Up next: No. 2 seed Iowa will play No. 6 seed Colorado and the Rebels will face No. 5 seed Louisville, which is coming off a rout of Texas.
GAMES TO WATCH
No. 1 seed Virginia Tech (29-4) vs. No. 4 seed Tennessee (25-11), Seattle, Friday
A rematch of a Dec. 4 game won by the Hokies 59-56 in Knoxville, although the Lady Vols were without star forward Rickea Jackson in that game. Star power abounds with the Hokies having All-American and two-time ACC player of the year Elizabeth Kitley and guard Georgia Amoore and the Lady Vols having Jackson and plenty of scoring. Virginia Tech is in just its second Sweet 16 – the first came in 1999 – while the Lady Vols will be in their 36th.
No. 3 seed LSU (30-2) vs. No. 2 seed Utah (27-4), Greenville, S.C., Friday
Kim Mulkey has the Tigers headed to the second weekend for the first time since 2014, and first-team All-American Angel Reese had a huge hand it that in LSU’s second-round rout of Michigan with 25 points, 24 rebounds, six blocks, four assists and three steals. The Utes have an All-American, too, in Alissa Pili, who had 28 points and 10 rebounds in a 63-56 victory against Princeton. Utah had not been to the Sweet 16 since 2006.
No. 5 seed Louisville (25-11), vs. No. 8 seed Mississippi (25-8), Seattle, Friday
The Cardinals didn’t get to host the first weekend like they usually do, but it hardly seemed to matter as they routed Texas 73-51 on the Longhorns’ home floor to reach the Sweet 16 for the sixth consecutive year. In Ole Miss they will face a defensive-minded team that pulled the first huge upset, never trailing in a 54-49 victory over No. 1 seed Stanford to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in 16 years.
No. 2 Iowa (28-6) vs. No. 6 Colorado (25-8), Seattle, Friday
First-team All-American Caitlin Clark will continue to be a handful for Iowa opponents after her 22 points and 12 assists led them past Georgia 74-66 and on to the Sweet 16. The Buffaloes needed overtime in a 61-53 victory at Duke. Quay Miller came up huge to help Colorado get to its first Sweet 16 in 20 years with 17 points and 14 rebounds.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
The women’s tournament field is filled with stars, including South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston, last season’s AP player of the year who is back in hopes of winning a second straight national title and has more than 80 double-doubles in her incredible career. She will have plenty of competition for the honor this year, including sharp-shooting Iowa star Caitlin Clark.
The Cavinder twins, gym rats who are wildly popular on social media, made their first tournament after transferring from Fresno State to Miami. The Hurricanes are headed to their first Sweet 16 since 1992.
