On Sunday, the selection committee released the 68-team field for the Women's NCAA Tournament. There weren't many surprises, including the four No. 1 seeds (UConn, UCLA, South Carolina and Texas). In fact, three of the biggest women's bracketology pundits nailed all 68 teams in the field.
But even if we knew who would be playing, we didn't know who they would be playing, and the bracket shook out with some clear winners as well as losers.
Selection Sunday winners
UConn
The Huskies landed the No. 1 overall seed over UCLA, theoretically giving the team the easiest path to the title of any team. Is that necessarily true? We'll see, but UConn does have a pretty good draw, as the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds in its region (Ohio State and North Carolina) feel pretty vulnerable.
The second round is also set up nicely for the Huskies, as they'd play either Iowa State or Syracuse. UConn's frontcourt is one of the few that I think can completely shut down Audi Crooks, while if it's Syracuse on the other side, the Orange will be without starting point guard Dominique Darius due to a hand injury.
Richmond
It wasn't a good season to be a mid-major on the bubble. Unless, that is, if you're Richmond, which managed to snag a spot despite not winning the Atlantic 10.
Sure, the Spiders have to play their way into the field in the First Four against Nebraska, but that's a very winnable game, as the Huskers' ship has really sunk over the last month and a half or so. Nebraska went 1-10 in Quad 1 games this season and 0-10 against teams witha Her Hoop Stats rating of 32nd or better.
Winning that game would pit Richmond against Baylor in the first round, a game that Richmond would have a good shot in. The Bears lost eight games to other NCAA Tournament teams, including going just 1-5 against teams with a top 20 Her Hoop Stats rating.
Michigan
Michigan getting a No. 2 seed is a surprise considering how the Wolverines' season ended, which was with a 17-point loss to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament. While the Wolverines had some great wins all season, they were also 0-5 against teams that landed a No. 1 or No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Inability to close out close games coupled with a poor matchup against Iowa's frontcourt really showed why this team is still a year away from contending.
But getting that No. 2 seed might help the team go on a bit of a run here. The ACC has had a down year, so the fact that the two highest seeds Michigan could face in the second round and the Sweet 16 are ACC opponents is definitely good news.
And I'd argue landing in the region with Texas as the No. 1 seed is a big help as well. The Longhorns picked up some huge wins early in the season and won the SEC Tournament, but in between there were a few shaky moments, like a 16-point loss to Vanderbilt. Michigan's offense can hit a gear that isn't quite what Vandy's can hit, but is still pretty tough to stop.
Selection Sunday losers
UCLA
Not only did the Bruins not land the No. 1 overall seed that they hoped for, but the team also somehow landed the most difficult draw of any No. 1 seed.
The No. 2 seed in UCLA's region is LSU, also known as the only team outside of the four No. 1 seeds that anyone is really giving a chance in the tournament.
The UConn women have a 48% chance to win a 13th National Championship per ESPN Analytics.
— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) March 16, 2026
No other school enters the tournament with more than a 15% chance. pic.twitter.com/4fZFRrTU1e
But the Bruins also have to find a way to even get to that game in the first place. The No. 4 seed in their region is Minnesota, a team that's top 10 in the NCAA's NET and that has picked up some big wins this season. Of course, the Bruins won by 18 in the previous meeting, but anything can happen in March, right? It just feels like a little too tough of a region draw for a team that most people view as the second-best in the nation at worst.
Oklahoma State
The Cowgirls are one of the most underrated programs in the nation. Led by scorer Micah Gray and coached by someone who really deserves more recognition in Jacie Hoyt, the team ranked 14th in the nation in net rating this season, outscoring opponents by an average of 24.8 points per 100 possessions.
Stat | Division I Rank |
|---|---|
Offensive Rating | 9th |
Defensive Rating | 116th |
Net Rating | 14th |
Defense is an issue, though, which is part of why this draw really sucks for the Cowgirls. First round, they take on Princeton, one of the top mid-majors in the nation and a team that ranks 24th in Division I in offensive rating. That'll be a fight.
Win that game, and the reward is UCLA. The Bruins average 85.1 points per game and just have so many ways to beat their opponents. How are the Cowgirls supposed to slow them down? I just think this team has a resume that should have landed at least one seed-line higher.
North Dakota State
The Bison won 28 games, but a Summit League Tournament loss to South Dakota State — their third loss to the Jackrabbits this season — doomed them to the WBIT, where they're a No. 1 seed thanks to being one of the first four teams left out of the NCAA Tournament.
And look: I get it. The talent disparity in women's basketball is harder to overcome than in men's basketball, so it's much harder for a mid-major to justify an at-large bid. More than likely, the Bison would have lost in the First Four anyway.
But then I look at a team like Nebraska that got in and I think...really? I mentioned above Nebraska's failings against top teams. You might say, "Yeah, but NDSU only played two Quad 1 games," to which I'd respond, "And they both had one Quad 1 win!" I don't know. It just feels like we need to let a few more mid-majors have a chance, you know?