Let the madness begin, as they say. Reigning national champion UConn earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, while UCLA, Texas and South Carolina rounded out the remaining top spots. Will there be upsets or will there be chalk? Can the Huskies defend their title, or can a team like UCLA win its first-ever championship? What about Vanderbilt? With arguably the nation’s best player in Mikayla Blakes, can the Commodores cause some chaos and make a deep run in a tough region? Or, will South Carolina find a way to clinch its third title in five years?Here’s a breakdown of the field:[WOMEN’S TOURNAMENT: 1 Thing To Know About Every Team]1. Of the No. 1 seeds, which team has the clearest path to the Final Four? Madison Booker #35 of the Texas Longhorns during the second half against the Georgia Bulldogs. (Photo by Scott Wachter/Getty Images) Texas. The Longhorns beat South Carolina two out of three times this season, including in the SEC championship game. Those wins, plus the overall strength of their résumé, are why Texas earned the third No. 1 seed while South Carolina got the fourth. This detail is important because now the Longhorns will play in the Fort Worth regional, which is only 190 miles north of Austin, instead of traveling to Sacramento.Last year, the Longhorns lost to the Gamecocks in the Final Four. This year, they have a favorable draw to get there again. The toughest potential hurdles they could face on the way would be No. 2 seed Michigan or No. 3 seed Louisville in the Elite Eight. But Texas has more talent and depth than both of those teams, and is playing its best basketball of the year right now, so they should have no problem getting to Phoenix.2. What is the most intriguing first-round matchup in this year’s tournament and why? NC State Wolfpack forward Khamil Pierre (12) during a game against the Clemson Tigers. (Photo by John Byrum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee. Everybody loves a rematch, and these teams started the season playing each other. Both programs were ranked in the top 10 at the time and the Wolfpack won a close game, 80-77. NC State forward Khamil Pierre, who transferred from Vanderbilt, led all scorers with 21 points, while teammates Tilda Trygger had 19 and Zamareya Jones had 18. After losing that season opener, the Volunteers went on to win 14 of their next 16 games. But then things fell apart midseason and Tennessee struggled, going…
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2026-03-16 03:35:56
