The Connecticut Huskies will look for their third consecutive championship as the Women's College Basketball Tournament kicks off on Friday.
The Huskies have won 30 games in a row after a surprising early-season overtime loss against Stanford that snapped a 47-game win streak. Breanna Stewart is leading them in points and rebounds per game and continues to be one of the most unique players women's basketball has seen in years. A long forward with the handles of a guard, she's elicited comparisons to reigning NBA MVP Kevin Durant thanks to her physique and scoring ability. The junior will be looking to make history by becoming the first player ever to get three consecutive Final Four Most Outstanding Player awards. Her inside scoring combined with Kaleen Mosqueda-Lewis' and Moriah Jefferson's outside touch give the Huskies plenty of firepower to go with their elite defense.
While anything can happen in a single elimination tournament, Connecticut is the team to beat and it's hard to find an opponent who could surprise them. The other three No. 1 seeds -- Maryland, Notre Dame and South Carolina -- look to be the biggest threats to the prohibitive favorites. Freshman forward Brianna Turner gives the Fighting Irish a defensive presence to balance out their explosive offense, while SEC Player of the Year Tiffany Mitchell's scoring should keep the Gamecocks in the winning path as long as their defense holds strong, like it has all year. Maryland, meanwhile, will have to rely on its balanced attack to live up to its seeding. Whether any of them can give the Huskies a scare remains to be seen.
Format:
Much like the men's side, the women's NCAA Tournament is a single-elimination competition, with each conference receiving an automatic bid. The remaining teams are at-large selections. Unlike the men, the women's bracket includes just 64 teams and begins with the Round of 64, which gets underway on Friday.
Bracket:
Here's a link to the full bracket on NCAA.com.
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Friday, March 20 (All times Eastern, games on ESPN networks)
No. 11 Miami (Fla.) 86, No. 6 Washington 80
No. 7 Dayton 78, No. 10 Iowa State 66
No. 10 Arkansas 57, No. 7 Northwestern 55
No. 4 Duke 54, No. 13 Albany 52
No. 2 Baylor 77, No. 15 Northwestern State 36
No. 2 Kentucky 97, No. 15 Tennessee State 52
No. 3 Iowa 75, No. 14 American 67
No. 5 Mississippi State 57, No. 12 Tulane 47
No. 5 Texas 66, No. 12 Western Kentucky 64
No. 3 Oregon State 74, No. 14 South Dakota 62
No. 9 DePaul 79, No. 8 Minnesota 72
No. 1 South Carolina 81, No. 16 Savannah State 48
No. 4 California 78, No. 13 Wichita State 66
No. 1 Notre Dame 77, No. 16 Montana 43
No. 8 Syracuse 72, No. 9 Nebraska 69
No. 11 Gonzaga 82, No. 6 Gonzaga 69
Saturday, March 21 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN)
No. 8 Princeton 80, No. 9 Green Bay 70
No. 4 North Carolina 71, No. 13 Liberty 65
No. 10 Pittsburgh 51, No. 7 Chattanooga 40
No. 7 Florida Gulf Coast 75, No. 10 Oklahoma State 67
No. 2 Tennessee 72, No. 15 Boise State 61
No. 1 Maryland 75, No. 16 New Mexico State 57
No. 2 Florida State 91, No. 15 Alabama State 49
No. 5 Ohio State 90, No. 12 James Madison 80
No. 3 Louisville 86, No. 14 BYU 53
No. 11 Arkansas-Little Rock 69, No. 6 Texas A&M 60
No. 5 Oklahoma 111, No. 12 Quinnipiac 84
No. 3 Arizona State 74, No. 14 Ohio 55
No. 8 Rutgers 79, No. 9 Seton Hall 66
No. 4 Stanford 73, No. 13 Cal State Northridge 60
No. 6 South Florida 73, No. 11 LSU 64
No. 1 Connecticut 89, No. 16 St. Francis (New York) 33
Sunday, March 21 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN)
No. 4 Duke 64, No. 5 Mississippi State 56
No. 3 Iowa 88, No. 11 Miami (Fla.) 70
No. 2 Baylor 73, No. 10 Arkansas 44
No. 7 Dayton 99, No. 2 Kentucky 94
No. 2 Tennessee 72, No. 15 Boise State 61
No. 1 South Carolina 97 No. 8 Syracuse 68
No. 11 Gonzaga 76 No. 3 Oregon State 64
No. 1 Notre Dame 79 No. 9 DePaul 67
No. 5 Texas 73 No. 4 Cal 70
Monday, March 23 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN)
No. 2 Florida State 65 No. 7 Florida Gulf Coast 47
No. 1 Maryland 85 No. 8 Princeton 70
No. 2 Tennessee 77 No. 10 Pittsburgh 67
No. 4 Stanford 86 No. 5 Oklahoma 76
No. 4 North Carolina 86 No. 5 Ohio State 84
No. 1 Connecticut 91 No. 8 Rutgers 55
No. 3 Louisville 60 No. 6 South Florida 52
No. 3 Arizona State 57 No. 11 Arkansas-Little Rock 54
Friday, March 27 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN/ESPN2)
No. 1 South Carolina 67, No. 4 North Carolina 65
No. 2 Baylor 81, No. 3 Iowa 66
No. 2 Florida State 66, No. 3 Arizona State 65
No. 1 Notre Dame 81, No. 4 Stanford 60
Saturday, March 28 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN)
No. 1 Connecticut 105, No. 5 Texas 54
No. 7 Dayton 82, No. 3 Louisville 66
No. 1 Maryland 65, No. 4 Duke 55
No. 2 Tennessee 73, No. 11 Gonzaga 69 (OT)
Sunday, March 29 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN)
No. 1 South Carolina 80, No. 2 Florida State 74
No. 1 Notre Dame 77, No. 2 Baylor 68
Monday, March 30 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN)
No. 1 Connecticut 91, No. 7 Dayton 70
No. 1 Maryland 58, No. 2 Tennessee 48
Sunday, April 5 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN)
No. 1 Notre Dame 66, No. 1 South Carolina 65
No. 1 Connecticut 81, No. 1 Maryland 58
Tuesday, April 7 (All times Eastern and all games on ESPN)
No. 1 Connecticut 63, No. 1 Notre Dame 53