Top Seeds Announced for Women’s NCAA Tournament
As the women’s NCAA Tournament approaches, the initial lineup of top seeds has been disclosed, with UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt claiming the coveted No. 1 positions. This announcement followed the NCAA basketball selection committee’s first reveal of the top 16 seeds conducted on Saturday.
UConn Leads the Pack
Leading the way as the overall top seed is UConn, whose impeccable record has set them apart, though UCLA is hot on their heels. Amanda Braun, the chair of the selection committee, explained in a phone interview with The Associated Press that the selection process incorporates both subjective assessments and objective metrics, emphasizing the impressive statistics of both UConn and UCLA.
Vanderbilt’s Rise
In a twist of fate reflecting the dynamic nature of tournament rankings, Vanderbilt ascended to the top seed after a pivotal victory over Texas earlier this week.
“The competition was that close that their head-to-head results were decisive,”
Braun remarked, acknowledging the strength of both teams.
Hosting and Regional Matchups
The top 16 teams will have the privilege of hosting the first two rounds of the tournament, with regional matchups taking place at two neutral locations for the fourth consecutive year. This year, Fort Worth, Texas, will serve as the site for half of the Sweet 16, while Sacramento, California, will accommodate the remaining teams. UConn and South Carolina are anticipated to be the leading seeds in the Fort Worth Regional, with UCLA and Vanderbilt positioned in Sacramento.
UConn’s status as the overall top seed allows for an advantageous schedule of games, possibly providing them with an extra day of rest leading into the Final Four.
Bracket Placement
In terms of bracket placement, UConn shares its region with No. 2 seed LSU, No. 3 Ohio State, and No. 4 Oklahoma. Meanwhile, UCLA’s region features No. 2 seed Texas, No. 3 Duke, and No. 4 Ole Miss. Notably, the selection committee strategically ensured that teams from the same conference are placed in different regions, maintaining a fair competition for the SEC and Big Ten, both of which secured six positions in the top 16.
In the Fort Worth brackets alongside South Carolina, we find No. 2 seed Louisville, No. 3 Iowa, and No. 4 Michigan State. Meanwhile, Vanderbilt’s Sacramento region includes No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 TCU, and No. 4 Maryland. Braun noted the rigorous discussions that ensued while ranking teams, underscoring how close the competition is even between the three and four seeds.
Looking Ahead
TCU is keen on being placed in one of the Fort Worth brackets, as it would keep them close to home with the regional site merely 10 minutes from campus. Teams just outside the top 16 include Baylor and West Virginia. The culmination of the tournament will occur with the Final Four in Phoenix on April 3, followed by the championship game on April 5.
This in-season reveal of the top teams has been a practice since 2015, aimed at providing teams a glimpse of their potential seeding before the final selection night.
It’s worth noting that the Saturday announcement did not take into account games that were scheduled later in the day, including a critical matchup between South Carolina and LSU. The NCAA plans to conduct one more reveal on March 1, prior to the official seedings being unveiled on March 15. A novel addition this year is the alphabetical listing of the selected hosts for the first two rounds, providing those institutions an extra day to optimize ticket sales.
