Geno Auriemma compares Sarah Strong to other college legends
Geno Auriemma considers where Sarah Strong ranks among college legends like Maya Moore and Brianna Stewart.
For the first time since 1992, an NCAA women’s tournament game will be held in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The tournament selection committee announced the top 16 seeds for this year’s March Madness in alphabetical order Saturday afternoon. West Virginia, which won the Big 12 Tournament for the second time in program history, was one of the hosts announced.
The actual seeding order will be announced Sunday night during the Selection Sunday show (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).
In addition to West Virginia, the top 16 includes Duke, Iowa, LSU, Louisville, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio State, Oklahoma, South Carolina, TCU, Texas, UCLA, UW and Vanderbilt. These teams will host first- and second-round games during the opening weekend of the women’s NCAA Tournament next weekend.
Maryland ranked 14th in NET and 17th in WAB (wins above the bubble) and was left out of the top 16 despite six Quad 1 wins. The Terps have a higher NET than North Carolina and have two wins in Quad 1. However, Maryland lost four of its last 10 games and was quickly eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament, while North Carolina State won eight of its last 10 games (including one win against Duke) and advanced to the semifinals of the ACC Tournament.
West Virginia University had one of the best seasons in program history under third-year coach Mark Kellogg. In November, the Mountaineers defeated Duke in a game played at the Greenbrier, a resort in White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia. In this game, the entire second half was played with five players. The win was one of three for WVU in Quad 1, the most recent being last Sunday against TCU in the Big 12 title game.
“We knew what was at stake,” WVU guard Jordan Harrison said after the win. “That was something we talked about. We wanted to get two games in Morgantown.”
The Mountaineers are 27-6 overall this season, the third-most wins in a single season in program history. This will be WVU’s fourth straight season and 17th overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament, but the Mountaineers have not been to the Sweet 16 since 1992.
The last time West Virginia hosted an NCAA Tournament game, more than 30 years ago, the field was small at 48 teams. The Mountaineers received a first-round bye and defeated Clemson in the state’s only women’s March Madness game. WVU earned a top-16 seed in 2021, but the entire NCAA Tournament was held in a “bubble” in San Antonio, Texas, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. WVU also earned top-16 seeds in 2014 and 2010, but the NCAA used a predetermined first-round venue in those years.
Here’s what you need to know about each of the top 16 seeds.
duke
This is the second consecutive ACC championship and the third time in Carla Lawson’s five years as coach. Powered by Toby Fournier’s 17.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, the Blue Devils also have the best defense in the nation, ranking fifth in defensive rating (73.5) and third in blocks per game (6.3). Duke’s free throw shooting has been a concern this season, as they are shooting just 68.1% from the foul line.
iowa
This will be the fourth time in the past five years that the Hawkeyes will play an NCAA Tournament game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. For Iowa State, Ava Heiden is averaging 17.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game, ranking sixth nationally in shooting 48.9 percent from the floor. Iowa State doesn’t get to the free throw line very often, ranking 250th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game.
Louisville
Jeff Walz’s Cardinals will host a game in Louisville for the first time since 2022. The Cardinals, a play-by-committee team, have seven players averaging at least eight points per game this season. The Cardinals rank in the top 20 in both offense and defense this season.
LSU
The Tigers won hosting rights in each of Kim Mulkey’s five years as head coach. Eight players are averaging at least eight points per game, and South Carolina transfer Milesia Fulwily has had a strong showing in the SEC Tournament, leading the team in scoring with 14.6 points and 3.7 assists per game. LSU is shooting 38.1% from 3-point land while scoring 18.4% from behind the arc, ranking 343rd nationally.
Michigan
Olivia Olson is the bus driver and one of three talented sophomores who lead the Wolverines, averaging 19.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. The University of Michigan ranks in the top 10 in offensive and defensive rating. The Wolverines came closest to the Yukon of any team this season, losing to the Huskies by three points on neutral court in November.
minnesota
Minnesota will host the tournament for the first time since 2010 after finishing the season at No. 9 in the NET with five Quad 1 wins under third-year coach Dawn Pritzweit. This is the first time the Gophers have danced in March Madness since 2018. Minnesota boasts a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging double-digit points per game, and also ranks fourth in the nation in fewest turnovers per game with 10.9.
north carolina
The Tar Heels are playing at historic Carmichael Arena for the second consecutive season. North Carolina has four players averaging double-digit points this season, with Laney Grant ranking 15th in the nation with a 43.1% 3-point shooting percentage. The Tar Heels have struggled to get and make free throws this season, but they rank 10th in defensive rating.
ohio
Kevin McGough’s Buckeyes are hosting for the fourth straight season, with Jaloni Cambridge averaging 22.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. The Buckeyes have struggled defending the 3-point line, ranking 336th nationally as 33.7% of opponents’ attempts come from behind the arc, but Ohio State has shared the ball well on the other end, ranking 11th in assists with 18.1 per game.
oklahoma
Few teams have a better guard-post-to-guard-post combo than the Sooners, who have the steady Reagan Beers under the basket and the electric Aliyah Chavez on the perimeter. Beers is averaging a double-double of 15.7 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. Chavez averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists per game. The Sooners are one of the nation’s top rebounding teams, but have struggled to shoot consistently from behind the arc.
south carolina
South Carolina, the SEC regular season champion, will earn a top-16 seed for the 13th straight season under coach Dawn Staley. If the Shamcocks have one weakness, it’s their inability to allow opponents to catch their own mistakes, as they rank 269th nationally in offensive rebounds allowed at 12.4 per game. The group, led by Raven Johnson and Joyce Edwards, ranks in the top 10 in the nation in assists, blocks and total rebounds per game, and is third in the nation in field goal percentage at 50.7 percent.
TCU
The Big 12 regular season champions will host for the second straight season under coach Mark Campbell. Olivia Miles leads the Horned Frogs with 19.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. TCU ranks first in effective field goal percentage, allowing opponents to shoot 37.9 percent from the field.
texas
Madison Booker is leading the way to the SEC Tournament championship with 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game. The Longhorns don’t score a lot from 3-point land or the free throw line, but they rank eighth in points per play at 0.97.
University of California Los Angeles
Projected to be the No. 2 overall seed in this year’s NCAA Tournament, the Bruins cruised through the grueling Big Ten with an undefeated record and have four players averaging over 13 points per game. This group, led by Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice, ranks No. 1 in the nation in offensive rating and total rebounding percentage.
university university
UW has earned a top-16 seed in the NCAA Tournament 32 consecutive times and is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall seed when the full bracket is announced Sunday. USA TODAY Sports The Huskies, coached by All-Americans Sarah Strong and Azee Fudd, have won by double digits in all but one of their 34 wins. However, UW ranks last in the nation at 10.9% from the free throw line and ranks 205th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game.
Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt University is also breaking its drought, as it will play an NCAA Tournament game at its home in Nashville, Tennessee, for the first time since 2012. The Commodores are led by SEC Player of the Year Mikayla Blakes and SEC Coach of the Year Shea Ralph. The Commodores’ defense is a bit of a concern, as they rank 293rd in the nation in field goal percentage at 42.3 percent.
west virginia
The Mountaineers have four players averaging double-digit points this season, led by Gia Cook at 14.7 points per game. West Virginia’s defense has once again been West Virginia’s marquee, ranking in the top 10 nationally in defensive rating, turnover rate forced and rebounds allowed per game. Despite these strong numbers, if there is a hole in the Mountaineers’ defense, it’s from the 3-point arc, where they allow opponents to shoot 32.9 percent from the field, which ranks 314th in the nation.
