When the first round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament begins on Friday, the UCLA Bruins will be its best general seed.
It is the highest seed in the history of the UCLA program, but it can remain at the top of the 68 teams will be determined in the next three weeks that lead to national semifinals on April 4, and the championship game on April 6 in Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
The best UCLA challengers (30-2) include companions No. 1 of South Carolina (30-3), Texas (31-3) and USC (28-3). Behind Juju Watkins, the player of the year Big Ten and the second top scorer of the nation with 24.6 points per game, the Trojans gave UCLA their only two losses. But UCLA avenged this week, surpassing his Crosstown rival in the Big Ten tournament championship game by exceeding a 13 -point deficit.
South Carolina saw its streak of four consecutive tournaments when the superior general seed broke. Derita Dawkins, president of the tournament selection committee, told ESPN on Sunday that UCLA’s direct victory over South Carolina for 15 points on November 24, was a factor in the Bruins who won the best seed.
The other factor, Dawkins said, “was one of our criteria that was competitive in South Carolina suffered a loss of 29 points against Uconn.”
Connecticut, the country’s best shooting team with 50.8 percent this season, is a traditional power that has advanced to three consecutive final finals, but is looking for its first national title since 2016. Huskies are the seed number 2 in the USC region, and are led by Paige Bueckers, who is projected as a possible selection No. 1 in the WNBA Draft next month.
Other seeds No. 2 include Duke, North Carolina State and TCU. TCU is a participant, who plays in a region headed by the rival of the state of Texas, after making the first tournament of the program since 2010. only 8-23 seasons ago, the horns are 31-3 in the second season of coach Mark Campbell.
Texas tied South Carolina at the top of the SEC classification in the regular season and is accelerated by the SEC player of the year Madison Booker.
Tennessee of fifth sown extended his streak to appear in the 43 female basketball tournaments since the NCAA organized its first edition in 1982.
The clashes in the first four, which will determine the four opponents that will draw UCLA, USC, South Carolina and Texas, will take place on Wednesday and Thursday. The rounds of 64 and 32 will take place on Friday and the day, with the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight from March 28 to 31.
The Ivy League produced three Harvard, Columbia and Princeton tournament bunk beds.
Grand Canyon, Arkansas state, Fairleight Dickinson, UC San Diego, George Mason and William & Mary are participating for the first time in the tournament.
