As the excitement of March Madness grips the nation, women’s basketball is maintaining its momentum from last year. Last season, the women’s NCAA championship captured a larger television audience than its male counterpart, marking a historic first. The undefeated South Carolina team defeated Iowa in a showstopper featuring the renowned Caitlin Clark, attracting 18.9 million viewers.
Despite concerns that the departure of stars like Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso to the WNBA might dampen interest, the women’s game has continued to shine. This year’s lineup of intriguing talents includes Paige Bueckers from UConn, JuJu Watkins at USC, as well as Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and Texas’s Madison Booker.
Adding to the thrill, the current season showcases remarkable parity among teams. Four different teams have already held the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 rankings, tying an all-time record, making the quest for the tournament championship wide open.
For those eager to follow the action, every women’s tournament game will be broadcasted. ESPN’s networks and streaming services, along with select games featured on ABC, will provide coverage. An updated schedule will be available to ensure fans don’t miss any matchups.
Heading into March, the primary favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, are UConn, the defending champion South Carolina, and UCLA. As for participation, 32 automatic spots are allotted to conference champions, with 36 at-large selections determined by the NCAA selection committee. Matchups are revealed on Selection Sunday, March 16.
The tournament action kicks off with the First Four games from March 19-20, followed by first- and second-round games from March 21-24 hosted on various campuses, with locations announced on March 16. The Sweet 16 weekend, scheduled from March 28-31, will be hosted in Birmingham, Alabama, and Spokane, Washington. The culmination is in Tampa, Florida, where the Final Four will take place on Friday, April 4, concluding with the championship game on Sunday, April 6.
