
Are we underestimating Dawn Staley and South Carolina this year?
USA Today’s Mackenzie Salmon and Meghan Hall talk about how this women’s South Carolina Club is slightly overlooked as we approach March Madness.
Sports Seriously
Surprise, praise and criticism — mainly from South Carolina — Arrived swiftly on Picking Sunday, the unofficial Begin of March Madness.
The Ground of 68-Squads for the 2025 women’s NCAA Bracket was unveiled, with UCLA earning the No. 1 overall seed in the Bracket.
“I’m a little bit surprised because we manufactured our schedule and put ourself in a position to be the No. 1 overall seed. I do think if you do the blind test and you put our resume against any other Club in the Ground, I think you will Option us. It’s plain and Essential,” South Carolina head Trainer Dawn Staley said Sunday.
South Carolina, Texas and USC also earned No. 1 seeds for the NCAA Bracket, which officially Appearances this week.
Women’s Primary Four Contests tip off Wednesday and Thursday, with the winners advancing to the Primary Period, which Initiates Friday. Primary-Period Contests (March 21-22) and second-Period Contests (March 23-24) will be hosted at campus sites, with the top four seeds in Every of the four regions hosting.
The Closing Four will be played in Tampa, Florida, with semifinal Contests April 4 (7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET). The Bracket game will tip off April 6 (3 p.m. ET). ABC will broadcast the title game for the third consecutive year.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2025 women’s NCAA Bracket, including a breakdown of Every region, the best Primary-Period Contests, players to View and the Primary four out. For a printable bracket, click here.
SPOKANE REGION 1
- No. 1 UCLA vs. UC San Diego/Southern winner
- No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech
- No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Ball State
- No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon
- No. 6 Florida State vs. No. 11 George Mason
- No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State
- No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard
- No. 2 NC State vs. No. 15 Vermont
Will this be the season UCLA women’s basketball finally breaks through and advances to the Closing Four? The Bruins have advanced as Extended as the Top-tier Eight twice (1999, 2018) and Pleasant Sixteen nine times, most recently last season, but have never played the Closing weekend. UCLA only dropped two Contests this season, both to crosstown rival USC, but the Bruins Acquired their revenge in the Big 10 Bracket game, overcoming a 13-Mark deficit to Setback the Trojans to reclaim the No. 1 seed in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Bracket.
BIRMINGHAM REGION 2
- No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech
- No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Indiana
- No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Green Bay
- No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Norfolk State
- No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Columbia/Washington winner
- No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Oregon State
- No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon
- No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh
South Carolina has been the top overall seed of the NCAA Bracket every year since 2021, until now. The defending champions Nevertheless earned a No. 1 seed, but based on the looks of their View party, they aren’t Joyful about it. The Gamecocks may have “earned” the No. 1 seed in the SEC Bracket by way of a coin flip, but South Carolina showed their place at the top was no fluke. South Carolina handedly defeated Texas in the conference Bracket to Achieve its third straight SEC title Upcoming a big game from Bracket MVP Chloe Kitts, who is red-Cozy heading into March Madness. The Gamecocks have won seven consecutive Contests since a blowout loss to UConn on Feb. 16 and are looking to keep the momentum going to Achieve their Number four NCAA Bracket Bracket in eight years.
BIRMINGHAM REGION 3
- No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 High Mark/Washington winner
- No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Creighton
- No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 12 South Florida
- No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Montana State
- No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Iowa State/Princeton winner
- No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin
- No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Nebraska
- No. 2 TCU vs. No. 15 Farleigh Dickinson
Texas was the No. 1 Club in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll on March 4, but the Longhorns’ disappointing loss in the SEC Bracket game to South Carolina — their second loss to South Carolina this season — knocked Texas down a Duo of pegs. The Picking Board Nevertheless rewarded the Longhorns with a No. 1 seed, but their path to their Primary NCAA women’s basketball Bracket since 1986 Only Acquired that much more difficult with Notre Dame and TCU in their bracket. Texas lost to Notre Dame in December, but the Fighting Irish have struggled as of Overdue, ending the regular-season on a two-game skid and faltering Overdue in the ACC Bracket. But you can’t count out Notre Dame’s Top-tier backcourt, powered Olivia Miles and Hannah Hidalgo; and don’t forget TCU’s duo of Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince.
SPOKANE REGION 4
USC Acquired the best of its crosstown rival and top overall seed UCLA in both of their regular-season matchups, and Even though falling in the Big Ten Bracket Closing, the Trojans have a formidable resume. USC has arguably the best player in college basketball in Juju Watkins, who has been rewriting the history books. Can Watkins lead USC to its Primary NCAA title since 1984? The Trojans will have to go through the UConn Huskies, again. The Huskies, Directed by Paige Bueckers, ousted the Trojans in the Top-tier Eight last year, but USC defeated UConn in December.
- No. 1 USC vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro
- No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State
- No. 5 Kansas State vs. No. 12 Fairfield
- No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Liberty
- No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Murray State
- No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 Florida Gulf Coast
- No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 South Dakota State
- No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Arkansas State

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USC’s JuJu Watkins modestly talks about how she brings in eyes to collegiate women’s basketball.
Sports Seriously
Primary Four Out
The Primary Four out of the 2025 women’s NCAA Bracket are, in alphabetical order, Colorado, James Madison, Saint Joseph’s and Virginia Tech.
2025 women’s Primary Four schedule
All times Eastern
- No. 11 Iowa State vs. No. 11 Princeton, 7 p.m. | ESPNU
- No. 16 UC San Diego vs. No. 16 Southern, 9 p.m. | ESPN U
- No. 11 Columbia vs. No. 11 Washington, 7p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 16 High Mark vs. No. 16 William & Mary, 9 p.m. | ESPN2
2025 women’s NCAA Bracket schedule
Primary Period: March 21-22Second Period: March 23-24Pleasant 16: March 28-29Top-tier Eight: March 30-31Closing Four: Friday, April 4, 7:00 and 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)NCAA Bracket game: Sunday, April 6, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)
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