68 teams entered. 64 remain, as the First Four saw Richmond, SFA, Samford and Arizona State knocked out of the NCAA Tournament. The Sun Devils' loss to Virginia was a particularly good one, going down to the wire before the Cavaliers pulled off the 57-55 win.
What should you know about the teams left in the field? While you probably know plenty about UConn and UCLA by now, what do you know about low majors, or even some of the lesser-known high major at-large teams?
Fort Worth No. 1 Region
(1) UConn
No surprise here: UConn is the No. 1 overall seed in this year's NCAA Tournament. The Huskies are the only undefeated team in women's college basketball this season.
The Huskies are no strangers to winning national titles — they did it last year, after all — but an undefeated championship season would mark the first time since 2015-16 that Geno Auriemma's squad managed to make it all the way through the year without a loss.
(2) Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt lost one of its most important players to the portal last offseason but somehow managed to get better.
That's in large part due to the nation's leading scorer, Mikayla Blakes, but let's also give credit to freshman Aubrey Galvin, who averaged 13.1 points, 5.9 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Head coach Shea Ralph deserves some kind of award for finding major impact freshmen in back-to-back years.
Jaloni Cambridge is a name that you should know by now, but if you don't, allow me to introduce you to the Buckeyes star.
Cambridge has a good argument for being the Big Ten's best player this season. In conference play, Cambridge averaged a Big Ten-best 25.0 points per game while shooting 48.9 percent from the floor and 41.8 percent from deep. She was seventh in the conference in assists and 11th in steals.
(4) North Carolina
Double-digit losses to UCLA and Texas hurt North Carolina's overall resume, as do a pair of losses to Louisville. In fact, the Tar Heels were 1-6 against teams with a top 20 Her Hoop Stats Rating.
They also lost just once to every other team on the schedule, and that was an overtime loss to Stanford. Maybe North Carolina struggles against the best of the best, but this is also a team that has managed to avoid getting tripped up against other teams, including posting double-digit wins over South Dakota State and Fairfield, two of the nation's best mid majors.
(5) Maryland
I think we need to be taking Maryland more seriously than we are. These Terrapins could make a run to the second weekend.
This year's team is averaging Maryland's most points since 2021 and giving up its fewest points since 2020. Two of its losses went to overtime, including a double-overtime loss to Washington,
(6) Notre Dame
No one knew what to expect from Notre Dame this season after almost all of last year's rotation departed save for Hannah Hidalgo. The Irish aren't as consistent as they were last season, but Hidalgo is playing some of the best basketball in the nation.
Notably, she's averaging 5.4 steals per game. Not only is she the only player averaging five or more steals per game this season, she's only the sixth player to average that many in Her Hoop Stats' database, which goes back to the 2009-10 season.
(7) Illinois
The Fighting Illini were one of the worst power conference teams for years before this recent turnaround, with the team winning 19 or more games in each of the past four seasons. In the season before that streak began, Illinois was 7-20.
If Illinois is going to make a run, it'll be because of its shooting, as the Illini rank 17th in the nation in 3-point field goal percentage, knocking down 36.1 percent of their looks
(8) Iowa State
Audi Crooks is the clear star of this team, but don't underestimate how much having Addy Brown back in the lineup can help this team.
Yes, the Cyclones only went 2-3 since her return to the floor, but the team only had one loss all season before she initially went down with a lower body injury. Her ability to draw defensive attention on the perimeter makes it tougher for teams to get away with doubling Crooks full time, giving Iowa State an extra dimension to its offense.
(9) Syracuse
Huge turnaround for the Orange, who won 12 games last season but are now just one win away from doubling that mark in 2026.
Uche Izoje has been the key to this. The Nigerian freshman is averaging 15.5 points per game on 55.6 percent shooting while adding 9.4 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game. The first-round matchup between her and Crooks will be must-watch basketball.
(10) Colorado
The Buffaloes have just four losses since Jan. 25, with two of those coming against West Virginia, including a one-point loss during the Big 12 Tournament.
Colorado doesn't really stand out as a great offensive or defensive team, but the Buffaloes have done just enough to get where they need to be. That should worry Syracuse.
(11) Fairfield
This is Carly Thibault-DuDonis' fourth season at the helm for the Stags. Its the third NCAA Tournament appearance in a row for Fairfield under her leadership.
The team has yet to make it out of the first rounnd, though — not just under Thibault-DuDonis, but ever, posting an 0-7 NCAA Tournament record. This is the best chance to get a win, though, as its probably the best Stags team, even better than the 31-win steam from 2023-24. This team has a higher net rating than that team (+27.7 to +23.9) and features a very dangerous scoring duo with Meghan Andersen and Kaety L'Amoreaux.
(12) Murray State
The Racers live up to their name, ranking 24th in Division I in pace and fifth in scoring offense. Three players average at least 17 points per game, led by Halli Poock's 22.4.
But the trade off of this kind of play is the defense suffers. The Racers are 330th in opponent points per game and it doesn't get that much better when accounting for pace, as the team's points allowed per 100 possesions rank 279th in Division I.
(13) Western Illinois
The Leathernecks won 26 games, their most since another 26-win campaign back in 2017. You can credit much of this success to Mia Nicastro, who has made The Leap this season.
Nicastro is averaging 24.9 points per game on 52.2 percent shooting and is pulling down 9.9 rebounds per contest. Her efficieny has helped Western Illinois rank 20th in the nation in field goal percentage.
(14) Howard
The Bison have won with their defense, with their 82.6 defensive rating ranking 30th among Division I teams.
Forcing turnovers has been a big part of that, as Howard ranks in the top 50 in steals and blocks per game, as well as steal and block rate. Nile Miller's 2.5 steals per game are a big contribution to that, but three other players average at least 1.1 per contest.
(15) High Point
The Panthers really dominated Big South play, which is big part of why their 79.8 defensive rating is 11th-best in the nation while its +21.2 net rating is 26th.
The team also hasn't faced a power conference foe, though it did beat the best team it played (based on Her Hoop Stats Rating), defeating Vermont 71-65 in November.
(16) UTSA
Roadrunners head coach Karen Aston joins a small group of head coaches to lead three different schools to the NCAA Tournament, having previously led Charlotte and Texas this far.
Aston's gotten as far as the Elite Eight before, but don't expect that kind of run this season, as the Roadrunners were 18-15 this season and were 3-8 against teams in Quad 1, 2 or 3.
Sacramento No. 2 Region
(1) UCLA
UCLA is deep. Future WNBA talent is all over this roster. It's no surprise, then, that the Bruins finished with the third-best net rating in the nation at +39.5.
That drops a bit to +35.5 if we look only at Big Ten games, which is honestly mind-blowing. The Big Ten was really, really good this season, yet the Bruins ran through it like they were, IDK, UConn during that period where the Huskies played in the American. I mean, they beat Iowa in the conference championship game by 51 points!
(2) LSU
I'm convinced LSU is for real. You don't luck into having the second-best net rating in the nation, even if you played a very easy non-conference schedule.
If there's a worry about LSU, it's that the speed the Tigers play at can lead to some high-scoring games for the defense as well. While the Tigers are fifth in defensive rating, they're only 101st in raw scoring defense, largely because they rank sixth in pace, so the other team gets a lot of possessions as well.
(3) Duke
Duke as a three seed — and with a valid argument it should have been a two seed — seems absurd when you think about how this team's season began.
The Blue Devils were an unranked 3-6 team in early December before going on a heater after. It took a bit for things to come together, but since the beginning of December, Duke is one of the nation's hottest teams.
(4) Minnesota
The Lindsay Whalen era was a low point for Minnesota, but Dawn Plitzuweit has the Golden Gophers back in the NCAA Tournament in her third season at the helm.
Last season's WBIT champions rank 17th in offensive rating and 13th in net rating this season, with all five starters averaging double-digit points per game.
(5) Ole Miss
For better or worse, Ole Miss is an example of what a team built almost entirely through the transfer portal looks like. Of the nine players to average 10 or more minutes per game for the Rebels last season, only two were part of the team this season.
Has the team figured out how to play cohesively yet? Of course, but I still wonder if the lack of continuity played a role in the team fading down the stretch, as Ole Miss lost five of its last seven games.
(6) Baylor
Taliah Scott has proven to be a strong addition to this Bears team, averaging 20.0 points per game, but her efficiency concerns are real, as she shot just 38.8 percent from the floor.
Baylor went 2-5 in games where Scott shot 26.1 percent or worse from the floor but lost just three games when she shot better than that mark. It's clear that Scott having a decent shooting night is a major key to Baylor's potential success in this tournament.
(7) Texas Tech
The Red Raiders seem to do really well in non-conference and then fade in conference play every year, but Krista Gerlich's squad finally figured things out this season.
A big part of that was the emergence of Jalynn Bristow, who joined the program last season after a poor freshman season at Iowa State. Bristow played sparingly in her first year in Lubbock, but made an instant impact this season, averaging 10.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per contest.
(8) Oklahoma State
The Cowgirls offense soared to new heights this season, with the team ranking ninth in the nation in offensive rating. All six players who averaged over 20 minutes per game also averaged at least 9.9 points per contest.
The team's leading scorer, Micah Gray, is a good story. After starting at Texas Southern and then moving on to Seton Hall, Gray has found a home in Stillwater over the past two years, with her scoring prowess invigorating this offense.
(9) Princeton
From a three-bid Ivy League last season back to a one-bid this year, with Princeton being the lone school from the conference to make it into the March Madness field.
The Tigers went 26-3 thanks to a strong offensive showing, ranking 23rd in offensive rating and 26th in points per play. This is a team that will slow the game to a crawl and really pick its shots.
(10) Villanova
It's tough to get a read on how good a non-UConn Big East team is, because non-UConn Big East teams all have big losses to the Huskies on their resume. Villanova, for example, lost seven games all season. Three of those were to UConn, by 49, 14 and 39 points.
But that also means the Wildcats only lost four other games, including a huge 22-point win over Big 12 champion West Virginia.
(11) Nebraska
Count me as someone who was skeptical of the Huskers even being in the field after the team collapsed down the stretch, but the program proved us haters wrong with a First Four victory over a very good Richmond team.
The Cornhuskers controlled the game, winning 75-56. Defense has been a concern for Nebraska all year, but it's probably worth noting that it has held three of its last four opponents to 65 points or fewer.
(12) Gonzaga
These might not be the dominant Bulldogs from a few years back, but Gonzaga is still a dangerous team, thanks in large part to the emergence of freshman Lauren Whittaker.
Whittaker is averaging 19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in her first season while shooting 55.3 percent from the floor. During WCC play, Whittaker led the conference in points per game, field goal percentage and rebounds per game.
(13) Green Bay
The Phoenix won 25 or more games for the fourth season in a row and have been really good at corraling defensive rebounds...and really bad at getting offensive boards.
Seriously, the discrepancy here is weird. Green Bay has the 31st-best defensive rebound rate in the nation, but is 338th in offensive rebound rate.
(14) Charleston
It's all about the sisters for the Cougars, as the two leading scorers are Taryn Barbot and Taylor Barbot. The twins combined to average 31 points per game and 9.4 assists per game in the regular season.
Both were big partd of a defense that excelled at poking the ball away from its opponents, with Charleston ranking 27th in Division in steals.
(15) Jacksonville
The Gators won 20-plus games for the first time since 2018, going 24-8 and winning the ASUN. Priscilla Williams averaged a career-high 14.9 points per game.
Williams is an interesting story. She started 20 games as a freshman at Syracuse, then missed the next season with injury before transferring to South Florida and then Oregon, where she played limited minutes at both schools. She then landed at Jacksonville, where she's been an impact player for the past few seasons. LSU might have trouble containing her.
(16) Cal Baptist
This is the swan song for the WAC, as four of the seven remaining members will depart this year and the other three will be part of a rebranded United Athletic Conference along with the football-playing ASUN teams.
Cal Baptist gets the honor of being the WAC's final NCAA Tournament representative, with the Lancers making their second-ever NCAA Tournament. It's a chance at redemption from 2021, when the team went undefeated in the regular season but was ineligible for the NCAA Tournament.
Fort Worth No. 3 Region
(1) Texas
The Longhorns are the only team to defeat UCLA this season, which is a pretty big accomplishment. Texas also went 2-1 against fellow No. 1 seed South Carolina.
The fact that all three of the team's losses were to teams that are either a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in this tournament shows that Texas may have fixed an issue that's plagued it in recent years: it's always seemed like Texas was good for one or two baffling defeats, like how two years ago, the team won 33 games and beat UConn, but also lost to Oklahoma twice.
(2) Michigan
Michigan has been very good at almost winning big games this season. The Wolverines played five games against teams that are No. 1 or No. 2 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, going 0-5 in those games.
But of those five losses, three were by just three points, including losses to the two best teams in the nation, UConn and UCLA. The losses to Iowa were concering as they showed how Michigan can be completely stopped by a team with a major size advantage, but the closeness of those other defeats should be encouraging.
(3) Louisville
It wasn't a great year for the ACC, but Louisville managed to take advantage of that, going 17-4 in conference play, with two of those losses coming against Duke.
The Cardinals are nearly impossible to stop on offense, ranking 24th in points per play and shooting 52 percent from inside the 3-point line. The team lost just twice when scoring at least 70 points, while it lost five times when it was held under 70.
(4) West Virginia
The Mountaineers play one of my favorite styles of basketball, with an emphasis offensively on getting to the rim and defensively on creating turnovers.
The team was 14th in the nation in total steals while 38.7 percent of the team's field goal attempts came at the rim. We saw the vindication of this style with West Virginia's Big 12 Tournament title.
(5) Kentucky
The Wildcats had one really bad stretch in the middle of the season, losing five of six, but outside of that period, Kentucky was actually pretty good.
Defense is a bit of a concern, but the Wildcats ranked 22nd in the nation in offensive rating, with Clara Strack's 17.1 points per game leading the team. The Wildcats shot 52.7 percent from 2-point range, the 21st-best mark in Division I.
(6) Alabama
It was fair to wonder if the graduation of Sarah Ashlee Barker would be bad news for the Crimson Tide, but the team managed to weather that loss without much issue.
Jessica Timmons and Karly Weathers have picked up the slack, and it's allowed the team to lose just one more game (so far) than last year's Crimson Tide team. Alabama has shot the ball well from deep, connecting on 36 percent of 3-pointers, 19th best in Division I.
(7) NC State
It was a down year for the Wolfpack, but it speaks volumes about how good this program is that a "down year" still saw the team win 20 games.
The addition of Vanderbilt transfer Khamil Pierre helped the Wolfpack weather the loss of a number of players from last year's team; Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James are both in the WNBA now. Pierre averaged 16.8 points and 12.0 rebounds per game.
(8) Oregon
The Ducks have one of the strangest track records of any team this season: some big wins, but also some surprising losses.
For example, Oregon has two wins over Maryland, plus beat tournament teams Illinois and Nebraska. On the other hand, the Ducks lost to Wisconsin, Indiana and Stanford, with the loss to the Badgers standing out as a particularly bad one, as the game went to double overtime. Oregon had multiple chances to beat a pretty bad Wisconsin team, but couldn't get it done.
(9) Virginia Tech
Year 3 for Carleigh Wenzel and Carys Baker saw the duo average a combined 29.4 points per game. The two are one of the most underrated combos in the nation, and Virginia Tech fans should be very excited for next season.
As for this season, though, the Hokies are 0-7 against teams with a Her Hoop Stats Rating of 38th or better. Classic example of a team that beats who it should beat, but can't find a way to beat teams that are better than it.
(10) Tennessee
We spell the word collapse a new way now: T-E-N-N-E-S-S-E-E.
The Vols backed into the tournament at 16-13 and honestly, I'm shocked they avoided the First Four. In 13 games against teams with a top 25 Her Hoop Stats Rating, Tennessee was 2-11. Four of those losses were by at least 22 points. This first-round game against NC State is also a rematch after the team lost 80-77 when they met in November.
(11) Rhode Island
Rhode Island is dancing for the first time since 1996, when it earned a No. 10 seed and lost to Oklahoma State in the first round. Can it make a deeper run this time around?
The Rams have been one of the nation's best defensive teams, controlling the pace of play and limiting opponents to 53.8 points per game, the sixth-best mark in the nation. The question is just if an offense ranked 145th in points for can find a way to score enough to get an upset.
(12) James Madison
The Dukes are dancing for the second time since moving to the Sun Belt. Fifth-year senior Peyton McDaniel averaged 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds to help the team to 26 wins so far.
James Madison is 36th in Division I in field goal percentage and scored a huge non-conference win over Virginia Tech back in November. A beatable Kentucky team makes for an intriguing first-round matchup.
(13) Miami (OH)
Miami's men's team has gotten a lot of the attention this year with its one-loss campaign, but the RedHawks' women's team is no slouch, winning 28 games, which is a bit astounding considering just two seasons ago, this was a nine-win team.
The RedHawks are making just their second NCAA Tournament appearance ever after winning the MAC regular-season title for the first time ever. Oxford, Ohio is officially a basketball town.
(14) Vermont
The Catamounts are really good for a 14 seed. The team went 27-7 this season and ranked fourth in the nation in scoring defense. The offense might not be at that level, but the defense is good enough to drag almost any team down.
I mean, this is a team that held 17 opponents under 50 points. That's just absurd, right? On the flipside, the team is 0-3 when allowing more than 70 points.
(15) Holy Cross
This is the region of good defensive mid-majors, I guess. Holy Cross was 19th in Division I in scoring defense this season, allowing 56.8 points per game.
And hey, the Crusaders have won when allowing 70 points, going 2-5 in such games. They also have a power conference win, beating Boston College 72-71. (Yes, I'm aware Boston College is one of the worst power conference teams, but still!)
(16) Missouri State
Missouri State's first season in Conference USA ended with the Bears winning the conference tournament, but they had to go play in the First Four against SFA.
That game saw Missouri State's offense operate at a level it hadn't all season, scoring a season-high 85 points. Sure, much of that was because of who the opponent was, but I do think Texas should be worried that this first-round game might stay close for at least a quarter.
Sacramento No. 4 Region
(1) South Carolina
Another 30-plus win campaign for the Gamecocks, who have now reached that mark for the fifth season in a row. This year's team has the best offensive rating of that entire run.
Credit for that has to go to head coach Dawn Staley's decision to bring Ta'Niya Latson in from Florida State. Last season's leading scorer in Division I, there were questions about how Latson would fit into a system where she didn't just have the green light at all times. Her scoring average has dropped from 25.2 to 14.3, but she's a more well-rounded player now.
(2) Iowa
For a program that most recently made its name on guard play with Caitlin Clark, this year's Hawkeyes are successes for a much different reason.
Iowa is winning with size. Specifically, it's the duo of Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke that has really hampered opponents. Heiden in particular has emerged as a star — as a freshman, she averaged 5.0 points per game in 9.7 minutes per night, but this season Heiden is averaging 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds while shooting 64.7 percent from the floor.
(3) TCU
The way Mark Campbell has turned this program around over the last few seasons is nothing short of remarkable, and it's really all about his ability to find point guards and size in the portal.
Last year it was Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince. This year, the point guard is Olivia Miles, who is averaging 19.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists, while the size has come in the form of Marta Suárez and Clara Silva
(4) Oklahoma
The nation's leading team in pace at 81.3 possessions per 40 minutes, the Sooners' numbers have to be read with that context in mind.
Allowing 68.1 points per game — 275th-best in the nation — sounds awful, but per 100 possessions, the defense only allows the 47th-most points, which is largely fine. Can this style of play work in the NCAA Tournament, though? Last year's roster had a strong opening weekend, but lost by 23 to UConn in the Sweet 16.
(5) Michigan State
The Spartans know how to get buckets, ranking eighth in offensive rating and ninth in field goal percentage. At the same time, their defensive rating of 89.5 ranks just 163rd in the nation.
Players like Grace VanSlooten and Kennedy Blair can seemingly score at will, but the Spartans have to find some defense here if they want to make a deep run. The team is just 2-7 when scoring 70 or fewer points, because it just doesn't have the defense to win low-scoring games.
(6) Washington
The Huskies are such a weird team to get a read on, because they do some things really well and some things really poorly.
For example, Washington is 28th in total rebound rate and 41st in field goal percentage, but the team is also 337th in free throw rate and 261st in steal rate.
(7) Georgia
The Bulldogs are back in the tournament, and former Georgia Tech player Dani Carnegie has played a huge role in that.
After coming off the bench with the Yellow Jackets, Carnegie found a starting role with the Bulldogs this season, averaging 18.1 points, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
(8) Clemson
Clemson has its first 20-win season since 2019, going 21-11 so far. Offensive improvement has fueled that, as the Tigers rank in the top 50 in offensive rating.
That might not sound like much, but last year's Tigers went 14-17 and ranked outside the top 100 in offensive rating. Mia Moore has taken on a larger share of the offensive workload and it's been big for the program's success.
(9) USC
The Trojans were supposed to be in much better shape than this. Even after the JuJu Watkins injury, the expectation seemed to be that the Trojans were still a top 20-ish team.
That hasn't turned out to be true as the Trojans are just 17-13, but this has been a good year for freshman Jazzy Davidson. Her 39.8 percent shooting mark needs work, but that will likely improve next season with Watkins back to lighten the load.
(10) Virginia
The Cavaliers won this year because of their offense, with an offensive rating that ranks 34th in Division I. They should feel good about the fact that it was defense that won them their First Four game.
Virginia beat Arizona State on Thursday 57-55, forcing 16 turnovers and holding the Sun Devils to 36.4 percent shooting. If this team can do that and can also show its lack of offense on Thursday was a fluke, an upset might happen in the first round.
(11) South Dakota State
The Summit League battle went down to the wire. North Dakota State had the better overall record, but the Jackrabbits beat the Bison three times, including in the conference championship game.
South Dakota State is now back in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth season in a row. Last year as a No. 10 seed, the team upset Oklahoma State in the first round, and in 2023 as a No. 9 seed, it upset USC.
(12) Colorado State
The Rams return to March Madness for the first time in a decade. A competitive team in the late 1990s and early 2000s under head coach Tom Collen, the program fell on hard times after that.
The Mountain West champions excelled on defense this season, ranking seventh in scoring defense and 37th in defensive rating. This is a team that loves to slow the game down.
(13) Idaho
The Vandals were on the rise a few years back with lead scorer Beyonce Bea, but there was fall off after she left for Washington State.
But this season, Idaho won the Big Sky and is making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2016. The program is 0-4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament.
(14) UC San Diego
The Big West champions are appearing in their second NCAA Tournament since moving to Division I after being a fixture in the Division II Tournament over the entire 2010s.
The Tritons lack much big game experience this season, though, facing just one power conference team all year. That was Washington, and UC San Diego lost by 17 on the road in November. On the other hand, the Tritons did beat WAC champion Cal Baptist in December.
(15) Fairleigh Dickinson
This is one of the most interesting stories in college basketball. Fairleigh Dickinson is 30-4, and 22 of those have come in a row. The Knights haven't lost this calendar year.
But how much of that is simply a product of playing in the NEC? The team won its 21 conference games by an average margin of 33.4 points, and the Knights' three games against power conference opponents all resulted in double digit losses, including a 46-point blowout defeat against Notre Dame.
(16) Southern
For the second season in a row, Southern won 20 or more games, and for the second season in a row, the Jaguars were sent to — and won — in the First Four.
Last year, the team beat UC San Diego in that game. This time, it was a 63-53 win over Samford that locked the team into the field and sent them to a 1/16 game against South Carolina. The SWAC champions went 2-7 against power conference teams this season, with six of those losses coming against teams in this NCAA Tournament field.