All four No. 1 seeds remain alive but one No. 2 seed has departed as the NCAA Tournament in women’s basketball heads to the regional semifinals.
Defending national champion UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Texas are the top seeds in their respective regions and all advanced to the Sweet 16 without much trouble. The tournament’s big surprise is Virginia, the first women’s team ever to go from the First Four to the Sweet 16. 57-55 in the First Four and 82-73 in overtime in the round of 64. Then the Cavaliers pulled off an 83-75, over Iowa, the No. 2 seed in the Sacramento 4 Region.
UConn is seeking its 13th national title. are attempting to return to the Final Four as well.
ճ that is the opens the door for thousands of fans to fill out and take a shot at winning
For the first time, the NCAA is punishing teams that do not provide Fines start at $10,000. And if you like the tourney at 68 teams, enjoy the moment! Discussions continue on whether to by at least four teams and possibly more.
The betting favorites
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the favorite to win the national championship is UConn (minus-300). The teams with the next-best odds are UCLA (plus-475), Texas (plus-700) and South Carolina (plus-900). LSU (plus-1700) is the next on the list.
Games to watch
Vanderbilt (29-4) vs. Notre Dame (24-10), Friday, 2:30 p.m. Eastern. This Fort Worth 1 Region semifinal features two of the nation’s top players in Vanderbilt’s and Notre Dame’s Blakes is the top Division I scorer, while Hidalgo is third. Hidalgo also leads Division I in steals.
LSU (29-5) vs. Duke (26-8), Friday, 10 p.m. Make sure to stay up late and catch this Sacramento 2 Region matchup. at Duke on Dec. 4 as part of the Blue Devils’ 3-6 start. Duke has gone 23-2 since.
Michigan (27-6) vs. Louisville (29-7), Saturday, 12:30 p.m. Louisville gutted out a over Alabama to earn a Fort Worth 3 Region semifinal meeting with Michigan and its high-scoring duo of Olivia Olson and Syla Swords.
TCU (31-5) vs. Virginia (22-11), Saturday, 8:30 p.m. Both teams survived close calls to reach this Sacramento 4 Region semifinal. While Virginia has played three overtime sessions in its last two games, TCU also needed overtime to 62-59 on Sunday. Virginia’s in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000.
How to watch the tournament
Every game of the women’s tournament will be aired — — on ESPN’s networks and streaming services. The championship game will be aired on ABC for a fourth straight season.
Who is playing
There were for league tournament champions. The selection committee then picked 37 at-large teams. ճ was revealed March 15. The Sweet 16 includes UConn, Duke, Kentucky, LSU, Louisville, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, TCU, UCLA, Vanderbilt and Virginia.
When the Madness continues
The second week of the tournament takes place at two sites: Fort Worth and Sacramento. The Sweet 16 matchups will take place March 27-28, with regional finals March 29-30.
The Final Four in Phoenix on Friday, April 3, begins at 7 p.m. Eastern and the championship game begins at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, April 5.
AP March Madness bracket: and coverage:
