Following a first round that saw only three lower-seeds win and a second round equally as chalky, the women's March Madness field is heading into the Sweet 16 looking absolutely loaded.
Every No. 1, 2 and 3 seed is still alive, and the lowest-ranked squads are the three No. 5 seeds still standing in Kansas State, Tennessee and Ole Miss. Otherwise, the tournament has gone according to the lines.
That's not a bad thing.
Less upsets mean more powerhouses and, ultimately, more intriguing matchups in the later stages of the tournament — that should be seen as a win for every fan watching on. The best players will play on the biggest stage; what more can you ask for?
The top teams in the tournament have differentiated themselves from their competition, and all that's left is to see them go head-to-head. So, as we buckle up for one of the most loaded fields we've seen, here's a quick look at some of the storylines to watch in the Sweet 16's marquee matchups.
Huskies rolling into Spokane
With her name sitting atop mock drafts, destined to leave UConn after this season, Paige Bueckers is not going gentle into that good night. A player of her calibre, playing for a program like the Huskies, leaving Storrs without a title wouldn't feel right.
Through two rounds, Bueckers and the Huskies are playing like it's life or death, utterly trouncing their competition with a 69-point win over Arkansas State in the first round and a 34-point win over South Dakota State in the second. Three-seed Oklahoma might be running into a buzzsaw.
UConn's big three — Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong — look unstoppable, combining for 58 points in Round 1 and 66 in Round 2. Bueckers' 34-point explosion in Round 2 against the Jackrabbits tied a career-high as she showcased her three-level scoring ability, routinely dicing up the defence from the mid-range and flexing her mastery of the two-man game with Strong.
Though the Huskies look hungry, they're coming up against a Sooners squad that has the size to take advantage of UConn's lack of depth behind Strong, with centre Raegan Beers being the perfect vehicle to dominate down low.
Oklahoma has a productive offence with an acute ability to blend speed and strength, but UConn looks like the team to beat. It's been nine years since Geno Auriemma last cut down the nets, and Bueckers' desire to be mentioned alongside the program's greats can't be understated. There's a determination emanating from this UConn team, and the Sooners will hope that they're not just another notch in the doorframe.
How will USC fare without JuJu Watkins?
While the loss of JuJu Watkins is as heavy as it gets, players like Kiki Iriafen and Kennedy Smith will enter the matchup against Kansas State with something to prove.
Iriafen has been sensational this season and looked more than capable of taking the reins against Mississippi State in the second round, as the senior finished with 36 points on a hyper-efficient 16-of-22 from the field while grabbing nine boards. Smith, meanwhile, will have to prove why she was the sixth-rated 2024 recruit, as her role is set to see a huge increase by becoming the team's lead guard without Watkins.
Standing opposite them, however, is a vicious Wildcats team employing the likes of six-foot-six centre Ayoka Lee and gifted stretch forward Temira Poindexter. Lee was a physical force to be reckoned with in K-State's second-round OT win over No. 4 Kentucky, netting 16 points to go along with nine boards. Poindexter, meanwhile, got hotter than hot from deep, nailing eight threes for 24 points and picking up six blocks.
This isn't the matchup USC wants to contend with right after losing the best player in college hoops, but it's one that could force a still-talented team to adapt and rally.
Tobacco Road Rivalry pens a new chapter
With one win apiece on the season, all eyes turn back to Tobacco Road for a rubber match. No. 2 Duke and No. 3 UNC have already faced off twice this season in ACC play, with the Tar Heels winning the first in Chapel Hill and Duke winning the rematch at Cameron Indoor. Is there a better setting for the decisive game than March Madness?
Both squads have built their successes this season on the back of their defence — both programs rank in the top 25 in defensive rating — so expect this rematch to be one won in the mud.
Duke, in particular, has shown its defensive chops at the tourney, holding first-round opponent Lehigh to only 25 points and following it up with a gritty 59-53 win over Oregon in the second round.
However, the Blue Devils played shorthanded in the game against the Ducks, suiting up without Canadian ACC Freshman of the Year Toby Fournier, who was dealing with an illness. The 19-year-old led Duke in scoring this year despite coming off the bench, averaging 13.4 a night, and in their win over UNC in Durham, picked up an efficient 19 points along with 10 rebounds.
She'll now take part in the Tobacco Road Rivalry for the third time this season and is excited about the fan experience and competitiveness that comes with it.
"It’s easy to love [the fan atmosphere] when it’s a home game, but it’s really special if you’re able to love it when you’re away," Fournier told Sportsnet, "and you use that yelling and screaming and whatever they’re saying to build your game up instead of tearing you down."
Hailey Van Lith's TCU redemption tour faces its toughest test
After a disappointing stint with LSU, one of the best point guards in the country has got her swagger back.
Hailey Van Lith has been a revelation for TCU, leading the Horned Frogs to their best-ever season with a 33-3 record and their first Sweet 16 appearance. Since leaving LSU, she has boosted her per-game averages to 17.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and a career-high 5.5 assists.
The Tigers put her in a box, bringing her field-goal attempts down to only 9.9 a game, while the star-studded cast of Aneesah Morrow, Angel Reese and Flau'jae Johnson led the offence. But now that she's back in her element, working as TCU's primary offensive creator, she's shown her ability to lift the floor and ceiling of all those around her, carving up defences in the pick-and-roll. Her toughest test now stands in front of her.
After a sluggish end to the regular season, Notre Dame has recaptured its rhythm. Hannah Hidalgo is back to playing at an All-American level, scoring 45 points while shooting nearly 60 per cent from the field through two rounds, and Sonia Citron is following her lead from range, knocking down 50 per cent of her three-pointers in the tourney.
The Fighting Irish getting a No. 3 seed was much more indicative of their end-of-season struggles than their true identity, and they seem to have taken that personally. Though concerns about the injury Olivia Miles suffered in Round 1 are still prevalent, Notre Dame is flexing that top-end talent and fire that gave them a top-3 spot in the AP Poll for 11 straight weeks.
Schedule
All times listed in ET
Friday, March 28
— (2) Duke vs. (3) North Carolina - 2:30 p.m.
— (1) South Carolina vs. (4) Maryland - 5 p.m.
— (2) N.C. State vs. LSU (3) - 7:30 p.m.
— (1) UCLA vs. (5) Ole Miss - 10 p.m.
Saturday, March 29
— (2) TCU vs. (3) Notre Dame - 1 p.m.
— (1) Texas vs. (5) Tennessee - 3:30 p.m.
— (2) UConn vs. (3) Oklahoma - 5:30 p.m.
— (1) USC vs. (5) Kansas State - 8 p.m.
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