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The NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament is just about here, with the first round of games beginning on Friday. As we’ve been saying for the last few years, UConn is the team to beat. The Huskies were given the No. 1 overall seed on Monday evening in the Bridgeport region of the bracket.
The other No. 1 seeds that make up the other three regions include South Carolina, Baylor, and Notre Dame. Impressively, UConn has beaten all three of these teams this season.
Geno Auriemma’s team enters the tournament with an unblemished 32-0 record. The Huskies’ win over the Gamecocks gave UConn its 100th straight victory. Last season, UConn made history by winning their fourth straight NCAA championship. A five-peat, given how this team has been playing all season, doesn’t look out of reach.
✏️️ The entire #ncaaW tournament bracket is ready for your predictions. #SelectionMonday
— #SelectionMonday (@ncaawbb) March 14, 2017
Print it now! https://t.co/RGzP2s9Sng pic.twitter.com/DcNN9buKf1
First Round
Bridgeport Region
No. 1 Connecticut def. No. 16 Albany, 116-55
No. 8 Syracuse def. No. 9 Iowa State, 85-65
No. 5 Texas A&M def. No. 12 Pennsylvania, 63-61
No. 4 UCLA def. No. 13 Boise State, 83-56
No. 6 West Virginia def. No. 11 Elon, 75-62
No. 3 Maryland def. No. 14 Bucknell, 103-61
No. 10 Oregon def. No. 7 Temple, 71-70
No. 2 Duke def. No. 15 Hampton, 94-31
Stockton Region
No. 1 South Carolina def. No. 16 UNC Asheville, 90-40
No. 8 Arizona State def. No. 9 Michigan State, 73-61
No. 12 Quinnipiac def. No. 5 Marquette, 68-65
No. 4 Miami def. No. 13 Florida Gulf Coast, 62-60
No. 6 Missouri def. No. 11 South Florida, 66-64
No. 3 Florida State def. No. 14 Western Illinois, 87-66
No. 7 Creighton def. No. 10 Toledo, 76-49
No. 2 Oregon State def. No. 15 Long Beach State, 56-55
Oklahoma City Region
No. 1 Baylor def. No. 16 Texas Southern, 119-30
No. 9 Cal def. No. 8 LSU, 55-52
No. 5 Tennessee def. No. 12 Dayton, 66-57
No. 4 Louisville def. No. 13 Chattanooga, 82-62
No. 6 Oklahoma def. No. 11 Gonzaga, 75-62
No. 3 Washington def. No. 14 Montana State, 91-63
No. 7 DePaul def. No. 10 Northern Iowa, 88-67
No. 2 Mississippi State def. No. 15 Troy, 110-69
Lexington Region
No. 1 Notre Dame def. No. 16 Robert Morris, 79-49
No. 9 Purdue def. No. 8 Green Bay, 74-62
No. 5 Ohio State def. No. 12 Western Kentucky, 70-63
No. 4 Kentucky def. No. 13 Belmont, 73-70
No. 6 NC State def. No. 11 Auburn, 62-48
No. 3 Texas def. No. 14 Central Arkansas, 78-50
No. 7 Kansas State def. No. 10 Drake, 67-54
No. 2 Stanford def. No. 15 New Mexico State, 72-64
Second Round
Bridgeport Region
No. 3 Maryland def. No. 6 West Virginia, 83-56
No. 10 Oregon def. No. 2 Duke, 74-65
No. 1 Connecticut def. No. 8 Syracuse, 94-64
No. 4 UCLA def. No. 5 Texas A&M, 75-43
Oklahoma City Region
No. 2 Mississippi State def. No. 7 DePaul, 92-71
No. 3 Washington def. No. 6 Oklahoma, 108-82
No. 4 Louisville def. No. 5 Tennessee, 75-64
No. 1 Baylor def. No. 9 Cal, 86-46
Lexington Region
No. 1 Notre Dame def. No. 9 Purdue, 88-82 (OT)
No. 5 Ohio State def. No. 4 Kentucky, 82-68
No. 3 Texas def. No. 6 NC State, 84-80
No. 2 Stanford def. No. 7 Kansas State, 69-48
Stockton Region
No. 1 South Carolina def. No. 8 Arizona State 71-68
No. 12 Quinnipiac def. No. 4 Miami, 85-78
No. 3 Florida State def. No. 6 Missouri, 77-55
No. 2 Oregon State def. No. 7 Creighton, 64-52
Sweet 16
Bridgeport Region
No. 1 Connecticut def. No. 4 UCLA, 86-71
No. 10 Oregon def. No. 3 Maryland, 77-63
Oklahoma City Region
No. 1 Baylor def. No. 4 Louisville, 97-63
No. 2 Mississippi State def. No. 3 Washington, 75-64
Lexington Region
No. 1 Notre Dame def. No. 5 Ohio State, 99-76
No. 2 Stanford def. No. 3 Texas, 77-66
Stockton Region
No. 1 South Carolina def. No. 12 Quinnipiac, 100-58
No. 3 Florida State def. No. 2 Oregon State, 66-53
Elite 8
Lexington Region
No. 2 Stanford def. No. 1 Notre Dame, 76-75
Oklahoma City Region
No. 2 Mississippi State def. No. 1 Baylor, 94-85 (OT)
Bridgeport Region
No. 1 Connecticut def. No. 10 Oregon, 90-52
Stockton Region
No. 1 South Carolina def. No. 3 Florida State, 71-64
Final Four
No. 1 South Carolina def. No. 2 Stanford, 62-53
No. 2 Mississippi State def. No. 1 Connecticut, 66-64 (OT)
Championship Game
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 1 Mississippi State, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
The format
The NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship is a 64-team, single-elimination tournament that is similar to the men's NCAA Tournament, but there are some key differences. The biggest one is that the women's tournament plays its first two rounds at campus sites, with teams seeded No. 4 or higher hosting subregional pods.
From there, teams move on to regionals that are named after their cities, not regions. The cities chosen are often significantly smaller and closer to epicenters of women's basketball fans than ones used for the men's NCAA Tournament. This year's Final Four will take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The national semifinal games are set for Friday, March 31, with the national championship to be decided April 2.