Women’s March Madness 2023 Preview
With selection Sunday just behind us and the First Four games beginning on Wednesday, women's college basketball fans have much to look forward to. Starting with the No.1 seeds in the four regions, we have South Carolina. The Gamecocks finished the season with a record of 32-0 and look to win the championship with an unblemished record this season. Next, Indiana finished the season 27-3 while also being the Big Ten Conference regular season champions. This is the Hoosier's first No.1 seed in school history. Next, Virginia Tech finished their season with a record of 27-4, won the school's first ACC tournament title, and was the first No.1 seed in school history. Finally, rounding out our No.1 seeds, we have Stanford, who finished the season 28-5, and Pac-12 regular season co-champions.
Moving away from the No.1 seeds, we have four schools with their first-ever tournament appearance. Southern Utah from the Western Athletic Conference, Sacramento State from the Big Sky Conference, Saint Louis from the Atlantic 10 Conference, and Southeastern Louisiana from the Southland Conference. All four teams look to go farther than the first round to make even more history for their programs.
Now onto the First Four games; we have Illinois vs. Mississippi and Southern vs. Sacred Heart on Wednesday, with Purdue vs. St. Johns and Tennessee Tech vs. Monmouth following on Thursday. Four of these teams look to make a run in the tournament and keep their seasons alive.
Will anyone be able to defeat the Gamecocks? In November, Stanford took the Gamecocks to OT but fell short by five points. In January, Mississippi State lost by seven; if they can make it out of their First Four game, they may be able to surprise fans and go on a run. Just last month, the UConn Huskies lost by four, a familiar foe to the Gamecocks. The Huskies are looking to keep going despite a season full of injuries and illnesses. Check back for updates as March Madness begins Wednesday, March 15th, with the first two First Four games.