Monday is a full day of second-round action in the women’s NCAA Tournament, with eight games on the schedule and Sweet 16 berths at stake.
The first half of the Sweet 16 was set Sunday, when teams like No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 LSU advanced with ease. It was a more difficult test for Minnesota, which avoided a 5-over-4 upset thanks to a clutch last-second shot from Amaya Battle to beat Ole Miss. No. 3 seed TCU also needed overtime to get past No. 6 Washington.
Eight more teams will move on as the round of 32 winds down. Notre Dame vs. Ohio State is the highlight, but there’s plenty more to look forward to throughout Monday.
All times ET.
Women’s March Madness schedule for round of 32, Monday
GameTime (ET)TVStream
Louisville vs. Alabama
Noon
ESPN
Iowa vs. Virginia
2 p.m.
ESPN
Ohio State vs. Notre Dame
4 p.m.
ESPN
West Virginia vs. Kentucky
5 p.m.
ESPN2
UConn vs. Syracuse
6 p.m.
ESPN
Vanderbilt vs. Illinois
7 p.m.
ESPN2
South Carolina vs. USC
8 p.m.
ESPN
UCLA vs. Oklahoma State
10 p.m.
ESPN
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No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 6 Alabama
Fort Worth 3 Region
Louisville and Alabama open the day. Louisville is having the highest-scoring season in program history and shooting over 46 percent from the field, including roughly 52 percent inside the arc.
Alabama plays slower, but it defends well, holding opponents to 42.1 percent shooting on 2-pointers while blocking 4.6 shots on average. On offense, standout guard Jessica Timmons is hitting 40 percent from deep for the Crimson Tide.
No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 10 Virginia
Sacramento 4 Region
Iowa comes in with its best defensive rating since 2012-13, which gives it a little more balance than the version of this team people may still have in their heads. It was that defense that helped the Hawkeyes eventually hold off No. 15 seed Fairleigh Dickinson, which totaled just 48 points even as Iowa went cold from 3 (1-of-13). The Hawkeyes can still score, but the improvement on the other end is what makes them more dangerous this time of year.
Virginia upset No. 7 Georgia in the first round behind 28 points from Kymora Johnson and a 23-point double-double from Sa’Myah Smith. The Cavaliers are riding high at the right time.
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Notre Dame
Fort Worth 1 Region
This is the clearest guard-driven matchup on Monday’s board, and probably the best one. Ohio State enters with the better overall efficiency profile, while Notre Dame has been more vulnerable than a title contender usually wants to be. That leaves Hannah Hidalgo carrying an enormous share of the load on both ends.
On the other side is Jaloni Cambridge, the engine of Ohio State’s pace. The breakout sophomore’s game has drawn comparisons to Buckeye great Kelsey Mitchell.
Ohio State is built on speed, pressure and guard play. The Fighting Irish, meanwhile, are having their worst defensive season since Niele Ivey’s first, which is part of why Hidalgo matters so much. Hidalgo leads the nation with 5.5 steals per game and adds 5.3 assists, giving Notre Dame both its disruption and much of its offensive organization.
No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 5 Kentucky
Fort Worth 3 Region
West Virginia’s defense is among college basketball’s most efficient, and Jordan Harrison ranks 12th nationally with 3.2 steals per game. Kentucky is also having a strong defensive season, with Clara Strack averaging a double-double and 2.6 blocks per game. This one has a real chance to turn ugly in the best way possible.
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 9 Syracuse
Fort Worth 1 Region
UConn gets Syracuse in the evening, and the basic story still holds. The Huskies are undefeated and remain the favorite to repeat as national champs. Syracuse has enough shooting and experience to be respectable, but this is still UConn’s window until somebody proves otherwise.
No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 7 Illinois
Fort Worth 1 Region
Behind national scoring leader Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt is averaging the most points in school history with 85.2 per outing. The Commodores rank in the top 10 in the nation in scoring, as well as assists (19.3). Defensive rebounding remains the obvious issue.
Illinois has a similar problem with rebounding and is also one of the country’s most efficient shooting teams led by a sophomore (Berry Wallace). The Illini rank in the top 20 from 3 (35.9 percent) and come in at No. 2 at the free-throw line (81.5 percent). They’re the youngest team in this year’s tournament.
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 9 USC
Sacramento 4 Region
South Carolina is balanced in the way contenders usually are. Five players average in the double figures, the defense allows fewer than 58 points per game, and the offense dishes out 18.2 assists per night. The Gamecocks may not look exactly like last year’s group, but the profile still reads like a team built for another deep run.
USC is getting by without JuJu Watkins thanks to star freshman Jazzy Davidson, who had 31 points in the OT win over Clemson.
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Oklahoma State
Sacramento 2 Region
UCLA closes the night against Oklahoma State. The Bruins look as complete as any team left in the bracket and rank No. 1 in offensive rating. Oklahoma State is not short on scoring either. The Cowgirls have a top-20 scoring offense, with six players averaging more than 9.5 points per game. This late window should have plenty of buckets.
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