Connecticut forward Sarah Strong, right, shoots over Villanova forward Denae Carter during the Big East tournament championship game on March 9.
(Jessica Hill / Associated Press)
No. 1 Connecticut: The top-seeded Huskies (34-0) rank near the top of the nation in most offensive categories (second with 88.8 points per game, first with 52.5% from the field and 39.6% from three-point range) and have arguably the nation’s best player in Sarah Strong. The Huskies haven’t lost since Feb. 6, 2025.
No. 2 Vanderbilt: The Commodores (27-4) did not lose a game until late January. They fell to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament, but will still host an NCAA tournament game, behind the nation’s leading scorer, Mikayla Blakes.
No. 3 Ohio State: The Buckeyes (26-7) lost in the Big Ten semifinal to UCLA, but they can field a dominant offensive attack behind Jaloni Cambridge (22.8 points per game).
No. 4 North Carolina: The 26-7 Tar Heels were narrowly named one of the top 16 seeds after losing to Louisville in the ACC semifinals. Their 26 wins were the program’s most since 2019.
CINDERELLA SEARCH
Fairfield was given an 11 seed after winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and got a fascinating first-round matchup with No. 6-seed Notre Dame. The Stags (28-4) love to shoot three-pointers and have flirted with a top 25 ranking all season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame: The ACC player of the year leads the nation with 5.4 steals per game and is known as one of the dynamic playmakers in the country.
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt: Leads the nation with 27 points per game as just a sophomore and was named the SEC player of the year.
Audi Crooks, Iowa State: Is second in the nation with 25.5 points per game and a 64.7% field goal percentage. Crooks has established herself as one of the most dominant offensive players in the game this season.
RIM SHOTS
- Fairfield’s 51.6% of shots coming from behind the three-point arc leads the nation.
- Syracuse (23-8) has a 42.2% offensive rebound rate, the fourth best in the country, which has helped its slower offense find success.
- Colorado (22-11) is 14-0 when scoring more than 70 points, but just 8-11 when being held to fewer than that.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: latimes.com
