Women's March Madness bracket 2024: 5 high seeds who can go down early

Every year, there are bound to be bracket-busters that switch up the entire tournament by knocking off top-seeded teams. While some teams had great regular seasons that led them to have high-ranked seeding for March Madness, sometimes all it comes down to is passion and execution, which every so often comes from the underdogs.

Before filling out your brackets this year, consider some of the higher-seeded teams that could possibly fall early in the tournament.

1. Virginia Tech (No. 4)

The Hokies are coming off a 25-game home win streak in Blacksburg, where they will host the tournament's first two rounds. But it is still up in the air if three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley will be playing in those games.

In the first round, the Hokies will take on No. 13 seed Marshall on Friday, March 22.

However, they are coming off a significant 82-53 loss to No. 2 seed Notre Dame in the ACC Tournament, which might have a lot to do with missing Kitley. She is the leading scorer and rebounder for the Hokies averaging 22.8 points and 11.4 rebounds on the season.

Since Kitley's left leg injury, Virginia Tech has lost two of its most recent games. With her absence on the floor, head coach Kenny Brooks has started junior Rose Micheaux in her role, and her minutes have risen to more than she had seen in nearly two months. But freshman Clara Strack, who was recruited to take over after Kitley graduates, has been taking over at the center position and dominating on the board.

In the ACC Tournament, the Hokies shot their second-lowest from the floor and behind the arc of the season. In the Portland Region, Virginia Tech can also face the winner of No. 5 seed Baylor and No. 12 seed Vanderbilt/Columbia.

Without their star center leading the way, the Hokies could likely fall in the first two rounds, even at home, and break the streak.

2. NC State (No. 3)

This is another ACC team that can be in trouble this year after Notre Dame flew by the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament Championship. But the first two rounds will be in Raleigh, with the team taking on No. 14 seed Chattanooga first.

The Mocs are coming off a successful season, going 28-4, along with winning the Southern Conference tournament. The Wolfpack are averaging 71.3 points per game this season, but that clashes with the Mocs defense, which allows only 54.2 points per game.

When scoring over 54 points, the Wolfpack are 27-5, but Chattanooga's powerhouse defense could get the best of them in the first round. Chattanooga also shoots well beyond the arc, making 6.5 3s per game while limiting their opponents to only 3.6 3s per game.

The biggest threat in this matchup for the Wolfpack is if Chattanooga can outshoot NC State and use their defense to limit their baskets. However, if the Wolfpack get past Chattanooga, they could face either No. 6 seed Tennessee or No. 11 seed Green Bay.

If they face the Lady Vols, the Wolfpack must deliver a demanding performance, considering they are coming off a one-point loss to South Carolina, the No. 1 overall team. Then looking at Green Bay this team is also coming off a dominant win in the Horizon League Tournament Championship.

Whichever team the Wolfpack faces after seeing the defensive-focused Chattanooga team, it could be rough sailing in Raleigh.

3. Ohio State (No. 2)

The Buckeyes are entering the tournament on a two-game losing streak, coming from Iowa in the last game of the regular season and Maryland in the Big Ten conference tournament quarterfinals.

After winning the America East Championship, Maine is on the hunt for its second NCAA Tournament win. Earlier this season, the Black Bears put up a tough battle against the No. 4 seed Indiana Hoosiers, almost causing an upset.

Adrianna Smith from Maine has been leading the team in rebounds, averaging 10.9 per game, and assists, with 4.7. Anne Simon is Maine's scoring leader with 18.6 points per game. A threatening statistic coming out of Columbus is that the team averages 13.5 turnovers per game. This can be a breaking point as Maine's defense allows just 56.3 points per game to its opponents.

If Ohio State were to advance, they would face either No. 7 seed Duke or No. 10 seed Richmond, which can also be challenging games.

The key factor that will help this Ohio State team stay alive early in the tournament is its confidence. After two defeating losses, this team needs to hold it together if it wants to make another long run this year in the tournament.

4. Oregon State (No. 3)

While Oregon State had a more challenging season in the PAC-12 this year, they still found themselves as a No. 3 seed, going 24-7 on the season. The Beavers' impressive performances against ranked opponents in the conference included wins against No. 9 UCLA, No. 20 Utah, and No. 4 Colorado. But they mainly struggled against No. 2 Stanford and other younger and faster teams in the PAC-12.

Raegan Beers is the core of this team. She leads everyone in points, rebounds, steals, and blocks this season while also averaging a double-double. Without her on the floor, they struggle on both sides of the court, and while she can't play the entire game, that is where we can mostly see this Beaver team fall.

So, although they can make it to the Sweet Sixteen, they could likely face the No. 2 seed, Notre Dame, where they can struggle and potentially find themselves packing to go home.

5. Indiana (No. 4)

The Hoosiers have talent but have struggled late in the season. They had a dominant win over No. 2 Iowa but still have many other questionable losses during the regular season, along with their early defeat to Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament.

The Hoosiers have dealt with a load of injuries this season, sidelining different of their stars that have impacted their record significantly. However, the Hoosiers need to lean on experience when they go into the game against No. 13 seed Fairfield.

Last year, we saw a similar Indiana squad go down early to Miami, and considering the recent success out of Fairfield, it's possible we can see this once again.

The Stags are 31-1 on the season and 24-1 in games in which they score at least 64 points. This season, the team averages 72.1 points per game. The Stags are on a hot streak and can continue once they score a touchdown in Bloomington.