As we head into the final games of the NCAA women's college basketball season, we are slightly going to change up the format of our column this week.
Seeding going into conference tournaments is incredibly important. The way you fall into the bracket can make or break your tournament, and three conference No. 1 seeds are yet to be determined.
Let's look at what factors could determine the top seeds in the Big Ten, SEC and Big 12.
Big Ten — UCLA vs. USC
It was a match up fans had been waiting to see all year, two of the Big Ten's newest programs — both top-ranked teams — battle it out. USC won the first game on a huge Juju Watkins performance, ending UCLA's undefeated streak and effectively booting them from the No. 1 ranking in the country.
Now it's time for round two of the Battle of LA, and it means more this time. Both UCLA and USC sit atop the Big Ten standings at 16-1 records. Whoever wins the game, wins the conference. Whoever wins the conference, gets the No. 1 tournament seed. Stakes are high. That game is Saturday March 1 at 9:00 p.m. ET.
SEC — South Carolina vs. Texas
This tiebreak is a little different. In the SEC conference, both Texas and South Carolina have identical records, and will end the season with identical records if they win all remaining games.
Their head-to-head record is also tied, as each team has both won and lost one game against the other. In SEC rules, after overall record and head-to-head record, the tiebreak goes immediately into a coin flip. While over conferences will look at whole season record, point differential, or other modes of tiebreak, the SEC goes right to coin flip.
There is a pretty good chance the No. 1 seed in the SEC tournament is going to be decided by a coin flip. Wild considering the No. 1 seed won't have to face LSU until potentially a finals game. It's another high stakes situation.
Big 12 — TCU vs Baylor
The Big 12 will also have a tiebreaker game to decide the No. 1 seed. Both Baylor and TCU have 15-2 records, and play each other on Sunday Mar. 2 at 6:30 p.m. ET.
TCU has been performing well pretty much all season, but lately Hailey Van Lith has been incredibly efficient on offence. Baylor on the other hand was a team with a lot of gray area going into the season thanks to injury and roster shuffle. Yet, they have come up in conference play as a strong team who can compete against big opponents. It will be a matter of if they can keep up with TCU's size.
2 dark horse teams to watch
These are two teams that could cause some major upsets in conference tournaments.
No. 23 Michigan State
The Spartans have a 10-7 record in the Big Ten at the moment. They compete against big teams, and have players that can have big performances. It would not be shocking to see them upset an Ohio State, Maryland, or other top seeded team to go far in the tournament. If the standings stay as they are, Michigan State will have the benefit of an easier start to the tournament than some other teams, with a better spot on the bracket. Theryn Hallock most recently scored 19 points against Ohio State, and when she gets hot, it's lights out.
Vanderbilt
This team has been crushing expectations all season, and could be a dark horse in the postseason. With Mikayla Blakes dropping 50+ points on any given night, Vanderbilt could be on the winning side of a lot of upsets. The SEC is an incredibly tough and competitive conference, but we have seen teams like South Carolina and LSU get caught on bad days by teams who exploit their weaknesses. Vanderbilt has the makings of a team worthy of a Cinderella story.
1 player who could raise their draft stock in the postseason
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
The college basketball postseason is one of the most exciting times for players to show off their skills. Plus, with the WNBA draft so soon after March Madness, recency bias does it's work in helping players get noticed by professional scouts.
In 2021, Aari McDonald had a great NCAA Tournament. She led Arizona to the Finals, resulting in her being drafted No. 3 overall to the Atlanta Dream.
In 2024, Iowa's Kate Martin was noticed as her team made a Finals run, resulting in her being drafted in the second round by the Las Vegas Aces. She made the team, and then was picked up in the expansion draft by the Golden State Valkyries.
This month is when careers are made, and one player who could rise in people's mock drafts is Georgia Amoore. The Australian playing at Kentucky rose in 2023 when her Virginia Tech team made it to the Final Four, and her impressive shooting ability was her biggest tool. After a disappointing end to the season last year when her teammate Liz Kitley missed the postseason with an injury, Amoore decided to forgo the WNBA draft and play another year in college. She followed her coach from Virginia Tech to Kentucky, and now will be drafted in the 2025 WNBA draft.
Right now, she is predicted to go in the middle or late first round of the draft. If she plays at an elite level, it could drive that placement up a few spots. With a clutch three-point shot and an eye for passing to her teammates, March is time for players like Amoore to thrive.