2 months ago
What are you astir looking guardant to, connected aliases disconnected nan court?
There person been conscionable 4 women’s Final Fours featuring each No 1 seeds. This twelvemonth feels for illustration it could springiness america nan fifth. UConn v South Carolina would beryllium a tantalizing rematch of last year’s nationalist title game – made moreover much absorbing by nan truth they didn’t meet successful nan regular play for nan first clip since 2014-15. Texas held disconnected a precocious UCLA comeback erstwhile they played successful November, but nan Bruins person rolled disconnected 25 consecutive wins since. EB
Circle nan day for UConn v South Carolina successful nan nationalist semi-finals connected Friday 3 April. Another titanic showdown betwixt nan 2 ascendant programs of nan existent era – they person accounted for 8 of nan past 12 nationalist championships – pinch nan Gamecocks retired for revenge aft past year’s embarrassment and practically assured to spell disconnected arsenic patient underdogs. It’s a fixture that’s go assignment viewing moreover if you’re not a immense hoops instrumentality nan aforesaid measurement UConn v Tennessee did successful nan 90s and 00s. BAG
I americium really hoping we get to spot Shea Ralph’s Vanderbilt v Geno Auriemma’s UConn successful nan Elite Eight. I’m besides already seated for a imaginable UCLA v LSU rematch (assuming nan second get done Duke successful nan Sweet 16). More broadly, I can’t hold to spot fans astatine nan games. Women’s hoops conscionable keeps increasing successful attendance and popularity, and it’s breathtaking to recognize conscionable really galore group emotion nan game. SK
If Kim Mulkey’s Tigers tin make it to nan last Sunday, I’m astir looking guardant to a rematch betwixt LSU and South Carolina. The hostility betwixt these 2 teams is new, but important successful women’s assemblage basketball. Not only was their in-season rivalry heavy commercialized, but it besides comes pinch existent lore, particularly pinch transportation portal play involving MiLaysia Fulwiley leaving South Carolina for LSU. These 2 teams are very akin successful roster strength, coaching and playing style and they’re some highly competitive. TR
Dark equine squad to watch
It’s ever been difficult for different squad to break done successful nan Big East fixed UConn’s dominance. Jasmine Bascoe and No 10 seed Villanova person made their case. The Canadian sophomore led nan Big East successful points per crippled (18.8) and assists (4.8). The Wildcats person bully wins complete James Madison and Big 12 champion West Virginia, while their first-round opponents (No 7 seed Texas Tech) participate nan tourney having mislaid 3 of their past four. EB
Fairfield might not person nan power-conference scalps to show for it, but they look lab-built to make tourney games uncomfortable. The three-time defending MAAC champions dispersed nan floor, sprout freely from heavy (more than 11 made three-pointers per game) and trust connected corporate execution alternatively than a azygous star. Cruelly under-seeded astatine No 11, they’ve drawn a reliable force successful Hannah Hidalgo’s Notre Dame, but don’t beryllium amazed if they outpouring astatine slightest 1 surprise. BAG
It’s difficult to prime conscionable one erstwhile location are a fewer teams who could beryllium disruptive this March. Keep a adjacent oculus connected Baylor, Princeton and Michigan State. Alabama person besides amazed a fewer group this season, and Mississippi ever play a very compelling basketball. Louisville are besides coming disconnected a play that’s seen them punch supra their weight. SK
LSU. Assigning nan dark-horse explanation to a No 2 seed and caller nationalist champion mightiness beryllium a stretch, but nan Tigers person had a difficult play and an moreover harder-to-watch agelong of games anterior to March Madness, dropping them to nan 5th seed overall. It’s been particularly reliable to watch arsenic their prima player, Flau’jae Johnson, has struggled successful her starring role. But while Johnson has been inconsistent for stretches, Mulkey has relied connected nan summation of Fulwiley, an evident protect star, Bella Hines, who is breathtaking to watch arsenic an violative player, and Grace Knox, who is not only a large but capable to capable aggregate roles. TR
The astir susceptible of nan apical seeds is ...
Even though I’ve predicted a Final Four of No 1 seeds, I don’t deliberation UCLA person an easy way to Phoenix. Ivy League champions Princeton are premier to propulsion an upset of Oklahoma State and could await successful nan 2nd round. No 3 Duke survived a gauntlet of an early schedule – they faced South Carolina, UCLA and LSU successful an eight-day span – to triumph nan ACC and won’t beryllium an easy retired for either nan Tigers successful nan Sweet 16 aliases nan Bruins successful nan Elite Eight. EB
Texas. The Longhorns are elite defensively, but their way is loaded pinch teams that tin agelong nan level and puncture that identity: astir notably a apt showdown pinch No 2 seed Michigan successful nan Elite Eight. (West Virginia’s ain stingy defense successful nan Sweet 16 will beryllium nary slouch, either.) BAG
I americium going to spell against nan atom and opportunity UCLA. I cognize they’re having an bonzer season, and I cognize they’ve vastly improved aft past year’s underwhelming Final Four, but I deliberation No 3 seed Duke person a beardown changeable astatine beating nan Bruins this clip around. SK
Texas. The Longhorns person been inching person toward nan speech of nan nation’s astir talented rosters. But it seems that erstwhile they lose, they suffer hard, and often erstwhile it matters most. I besides deliberation it says thing that their coach Vic Schaefer consistently questions their endurance and their expertise to connect. He’s moreover said that looking backmost connected his four-decade career, this is “the softest team” he’s coached successful years and that they “have nary heart”. TR
One bold prediction
Sarah Strong will return March Madness by storm. (Again.) Is this moreover that bold? Probably not. But nan UConn star’s tally of shape during nan Elite Eight, Final Four and nationalist title crippled past twelvemonth near maine successful awe: she averaged 22.7 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists connected 65.9% shooting. (65.9%!) She’s nan focal constituent of UConn’s move discourtesy and nation-leading defense. We’re fortunate to get to watch a generational talent astatine work. EB
West Virginia clang nan Final Four, riding nan four-headed monster of Gia Cooke, Kierra Wheeler, Jordan Harrison and Sydney Shaw, aft knocking retired top-seeded Texas successful nan Sweet 16 and Michigan successful nan Elite Eight. BAG
Duke will make nan Final Four, seeing disconnected LSU past UCLA successful nan 2nd weekend. The Blue Devils suffered a reliable nonaccomplishment to nan Bruins successful November, but they’re practically a marque caller squad now and riding nan precocious of winning nan ACC Tournament championship. SK
Notre Dame will spell past nan Sweet 16. Although they had much buzz and a stronger squad relationship past twelvemonth – putting them successful a amended position to scope astatine slightest nan Final Four – I judge Hannah Hidalgo is nan type of subordinate who rises to nan moment. She thrives nether pressure, particularly erstwhile she’s overlooked aliases near retired of nan conversation, and nan sixth-seeded Irish will use from it. TR
Who is nan look of women’s assemblage hoops now?
JuJu Watkins’s wounded conscionable earlier nan tourney past twelvemonth meant that location was going to beryllium a abstraction to capable successful position of individual, team- and sport-carrying prima powerfulness this season. I’ve enjoyed watching Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, Iowa State’s Audi Crooks, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo measurement into that spotlight. I do think, connected and disconnected nan court, UConn’s Azzi Fudd is nan game’s biggest prima correct now. She’s nan subordinate you’re going to perceive astir erstwhile watching nan existent basketball, and she’s besides nan subordinate you’re going to spot erstwhile watching galore of nan ads and contented successful betwixt nan existent basketball. EB
In nan absence of a Caitlin Clark-like transcendent star, it’s excessively adjacent to telephone betwixt Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma. It seemed for illustration Staley had managed nan intolerable feat of toppling Auriemma arsenic women’s assemblage basketball’s Big Boss, but nan Connecticut paterfamilias has shown he’s not vanished yet (and past some). Both of them person approaches to success, activity and defense that widen beyond wins and titles, shaping nan sport’s culture, visibility and guidance successful ways fewer coaches ever have. BAG
I’m not wholly judge location is 1 face. There are a batch of athletes who are changing nan crippled – Olivia Miles, Sarah Strong, Mikayla Blakes, Azzi Fudd, Rori Harmon and Hannah Hidalgo are each among them – but I’m not judge I would picture immoderate of them arsenic nan definitive face. SK
Azzi Fudd. While I don’t consciousness for illustration there’s 1 standout prima for illustration successful nan past pinch Paige Bueckers, Caitlin Clark aliases Angel Reese, nan elder defender has grown into that role. The Geico documentary astir her and her family showed that she intelligibly has a communicative worthy telling. She’s besides worked her measurement into nan No 1 draught prime conversation, which was not nan anticipation past twelvemonth erstwhile Lauren Betts was projected to spell first, truthful it’s been absorbing to spot what’s changed and whether off-the-court factors are influencing that shift. TR
Women’s Final Four
UConn, South Carolina, UCLA, Texas. EB
UConn, South Carolina, LSU, West Virginia. BAG
UConn, South Carolina, Duke, Texas. SK
UConn, South Carolina, UCLA, Texas. TR
The champion will beryllium …
UConn. They’ve sewage nan champion subordinate successful nan country, nan champion duo successful nan country, nan champion coach successful nan country, nan champion pedigree successful March. No different squad person figured them retired this season, and I don’t deliberation immoderate will complete nan adjacent fewer weeks. (An Elite Eight matchup against No 2 Vanderbilt, Blakes and their erstwhile star-turned-assistant Shea Ralph should still springiness america 1 of nan champion games of March Madness.) The Huskies will go nan 10th undefeated champions successful women’s tourney history and person a batch of nosy while doing it. EB
UConn. The Huskies don’t trust connected a azygous prima and that’s precisely why they’ll trim down nan nets successful Phoenix. Geno has built thing much durable: shared accountability, changeless connection and a heavy roster of players comfortable stepping guardant erstwhile nan infinitesimal calls. Strong leads nan federation successful triumph shares and gives them nan game’s astir reliable matchup edge, Fudd’s shot-making steadies everything and a supporting formed led by Wisconsin transportation Serah Williams’ protect beingness fills each gap. They take sides without fouling, people without forcing and ne'er look rattled. In a tourney defined by pressure, UConn’s corporate activity feels for illustration nan eventual trump card. BAG
UConn. To beryllium perfectly honest, I don’t deliberation there’s different squad successful nan section that tin return down nan Huskies astatine this constituent successful nan season. They’re coming into nan tourney connected a 50-game winning streak and arsenic nan defending champions pinch nary a interest successful sight. Auriemma has coached nan squad to near-perfection, while nan remainder of nan section is still hard-pressed to find a measurement to incorporate Strong and Fudd. The Huskies besides person a penchant for cinema. Should they propulsion disconnected a repetition title win, it’d people their first back-to-back since nan last title of their four-peat successful nan 2015-16 play – precisely 10 years ago. SK
UConn. I really spot this squad and what they’ve built arsenic unmovable. I besides deliberation they’re coming disconnected a precocious from past year’s triumph that has only thief substance nan desire to triumph it each this season. They’re a strong, organized and connected team. Without Paige Bueckers this year, they whitethorn deficiency immoderate subject and passion, but I still deliberation they’re successful awesome hands, particularly pinch Strong taking connected much of a activity role. I americium funny to spot really they will play without a ascendant big, arsenic Jana El Alfy has seen her playing clip reduced playing time. But overall, UConn didn’t suffer a crippled successful nan regular play – and I don’t deliberation they’ll suffer successful nan postseason either. TR
