Women’s March Madness: Breaking down the regions

With the final sixteen teams in the Women’s March Madness tournament decided, it’s time to leave home courts and head to neutral tournaments! The bracket will now be split into four different regions in two different locations: Fort Worth 1 and 3, and Sacramento 2 and 4. These regions will host the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight rounds before the winners from each region head to the Final Four in Phoenix the following week.

Let’s break down each region:

Fort Worth 1

No. 1 UConn vs No. 4 North Carolina

While North Carolina battled through a close game against Maryland to book their trip to the Sweet Sixteen, UConn’s journey was… a little easier. The overall No. 1 seed Huskies beat No. 9 Syracuse 98-45 on Monday to advance to the Sweet Sixteen. Starting the game with a 31-0 run, the Huskies scored 65 points in the first half. They will head into the Sweet Sixteen as the favourites, with North Carolina having to pull off something spectacular in order to win this one.

No. 2 Vanderbilt vs No. 6 Notre Dame

While Notre Dame was definitely seeded a bit lower than their talent may suggest, their underdog win against Ohio State in the Round of 32 was a great achievement. The Fighting Irish have been up and down this season, but when Hannah Hidalgo is playing her best, you can’t count them out. They’ll be playing against a tough Vanderbilt team, which has another dynamic scorer on their side in Mikayla Blakes. This game will likely be more of a nail-biter than the other game in this region.

Fort Worth 3

No. 1 Texas vs No. 5 Kentucky

Texas achieved a huge win against Oregon in the Round of 32, scoring 100 points. For a team that usually relies a bit more on defence, it was a huge offensive output for the Longhorns. They get to stay in their home state for the Sweet Sixteen and potentially the Elite Eight, which will help their momentum for sure. Kentucky is a younger team that is just growing, and their one-possession win over West Virginia is sure to boost confidence as they head into a game with a team as forceful as Texas.

No. 2 Michigan vs No. 3 Louisville

Michigan’s trio of super sophomores have been leading their team to new heights for two seasons now. It was the first time the Wolverines had hosted first-round games, and they delivered. Olivia Olson, Syla Swords and Mila Holloway led Michigan to a 92-63 win over NC State in the last round. Louisville had to grit its way past Alabama in a one-point victory to get to the Sweet Sixteen. This is another game to watch as we head into the next round.

Sacramento 2

No. 1 UCLA vs No. 4 Minnesota

Minnesota delivered one of the most memorable moments of the tournament so far when Amaya Battle made the buzzer-beater shot to win the Gophers their last game. In a packed Minnesota arena, the crowd erupted in celebration, which was incredible for the senior Battle, who is from the state. They now have their toughest ‘battle’ ahead of them, facing region No.1 UCLA. UCLA’s victories haven’t been by as big of margins as their fellow No. 1 seeds have been, so Minnesota may have some upset potential here.

No. 2 LSU vs No. Duke

One of the country’s best defenses versus one of the best offenses? You’ll want to be seated for this one. LSU’s star in Flau’Jae Johnson will want to extend her final March Madness as long as possible, and LSU sees a path to the Final Four for itself. Duke, on the other hand, had a slow start to the season but picked it up in the new year and went on to win the ACC Tournament. Their defence will need to be at 100% to stifle a quick and dynamic LSU team.

Sacramento 4

No. 1 South Carolina vs No. 4 Oklahoma

South Carolina has only lost three games this season. Two against Texas, and one against Oklahoma. Which makes this Sweet Sixteen match-up extremely interesting, to say the least. South Carolina had an incredible showing against USC, winning 101-61 against the Trojans, but Oklahoma has more size in the post than them, leading to a trickier matchup

No. 3 TCU vs No. 10 Virginia

Virginia caused the biggest upset of the tournament so far when they beat No. 2 Iowa in a thrilling double overtime victory in the Round of 32. It was truly such an entertaining showing, and a story like a No. 10 seed making it to the Sweet Sixteen is what March is all about. That confidence will give them a fighting chance against TCU, and it will be interesting to see if their Cinderella run can continue.