It’s officially March, which means the women’s NCAA Division I basketball tournament, known as March Madness is coming soon. Similar to the men’s tournament, it features 64 teams competing in a single-elimination format to determine the national champion. Last year, Angel Reese led the LSU Tigers to their first national championship, beating the Iowa Hawkeyes 102-85. Coach Kim Mulkey became the first to lead two schools to national championships after winning three at Baylor. This year, she is going for back-to-back titles, last achieved by the Connecticut Huskies from 2013-2016. Here’s what to know.
When does it start?
The women’s basketball tournament is from March 20 to April 7, with Selection Sunday taking place three days prior. Here’s the comprehensive schedule according to the NCAA:
- Selection Sunday: March 17 on ESPN 8 p.m. ET
- First Four: March 20-21
- First round: March 22-23
- Second round: March 24-25
- Sweet 16: March 29-30
- Elite Eight: March 31-April 1
- Final Four: April 5 (7:30 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET on ESPN)
- NCAA championship game: April 7 (3 p.m. ET on ABC)
The Final Four
The Final Four, the penultimate stage of the tournaments, showcases the top four teams of each competition. It will be held at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, on Friday, April 5th, at 7:30 and 9 p.m. ET, the games will be broadcast on ESPN.
The National Championship Game
The NCAA championship game is the pinnacle event of both the Men’s and Women’s Division I Basketball Tournaments. It is scheduled for Sunday, April 7, at 3 p.m. ET and will air on ABC. The championship game will be held at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
Who are the favorites to win?
According to BetMGM, here are the top 10 favorites with their odds:
- South Carolina +110
- Iowa +650
- LSU +700
- Connecticut +1800
- Stanford +1800
- Ohio State +2000
- UCLA +2000
- Colorado +3000
- NC State +3000
- Texas +3000