Women's NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown, Best Games, Players

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.

BRACKET REVEAL: Women’s March Madness bracket reveal live updates here

SURVIVOR POOL: Obtainable to enter. $2,500 to Achieve. Can you survive the madness?

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.

PLAYERS TO View: UCLA C Lauren Betts (19.6 ppg, 9.7 rpg, 2.9 bpg); LSU F Aneesah Morrow (18.5 ppg, 13.6 rpg, 1.4 apg); Florida State G Ta’Niya Latson (24.9 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.7 apg); NC State G Saniya Rivers (11.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.6 spg).

BEST Primary-Period GAME: No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State: The Tigers have limped to the NCAA Bracket with stars Flau’Jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow both dealing with lingering Wounds. (Both were wearing boots during the Picking Sunday broadcast). San Diego State has no Quad 1 wins this season, but they are streaking and enter the NCAA Bracket on an eight-game Successful streak.

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.

PLAYERS TO View: South Carolina F Chloe Kitts (10 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2 apg); Duke F Toby Fournier (13.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg); Duke Oluchi Okananwa (10.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.8 apg); Vanderbilt G Mikayla Blakes (23.2 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 3.2 apg); Maryland F Shyanne Sellers (14.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 4.2 apg)

BEST Primary-Period GAME: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech: Tennessee Tech will be tasked with slowing down a South Carolina Club that has a little bit of extra Drive after being snubbed for the No. 1 overall seed. The Gamecocks will come out and make a statement. You won’t want to miss.

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.

PLAYERS TO View: Texas F Madison Booker (16.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 2.8 apg); Michigan G Syla Swords (16.1 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.5 apg); Notre Dame G Hannah Hidalgo (24.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 3.7 spg); TCU C Sedona Prince (17.5 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 3.0 bpg); Ohio State G Jaloni Cambridge (15.4 ppt, 4.4 rpg, 3.9 apg)

BEST Primary-Period GAME: No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Nebraska: Louisville fell to Duke in the ACC quarterfinals, but the Cardinals beat the Blue Devils in February and have an impressive Achieve against Florida State. Nebraska, however, has more Quad 1 wins (4-10) than Louisville (2-9) this year and will be on Surprise View.

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

PLAYERS TO View: USC G JuJu Watkins (24.6 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.5 apg); USC F Kiki Iriafen (18.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.9 apg); UConn G Paige Bueckers (19 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.9 apg); Kansas State G Serena Sundell (13.6 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 7.1 apg); Kentucky G Georgia Amoore (19.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 6.9 apg)

BEST Primary-Period GAME: No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State: Cal lost to Notre Dame in the ACC Bracket semifinal, but the Bears will look to bounce back against Mississippi State. The 8-9 Contests are always toss-ups and this one could be no different as has three Quad 1 wins this season.

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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

Wednesday, March 19

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

Thursday, March 20

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 21-22
Second Period: March 23-24
Pleasant 16: March 28-29
Top-tier Eight: March 30-31
Closing 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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Women’s NCAA Tournament bracket breakdown, best games, players