The women’s NCAA Tournament is just getting started, but it already feels like March.
The First Four gave us early drama on Thursday, with Virginia slipping past Arizona State 57-55 in a tight game. That is usually how this tournament begins. Nothing comes easy, and even games that look comfortable on paper can get tense in a hurry.
Friday saw more winners.
Now Saturday takes over with a full day that barely gives you time to breathe. Sixteen games spread across the entire day. Title contenders stepping onto the floor for the first time. Mid-majors trying to make a name for themselves.
All times below are Eastern Time.
Early session: the tournament gets rolling
11:30 AM: (3) Ohio State Buckeyes (26-7) vs. (14) Howard Bison (26-7): ESPN2
12:00 PM: (3) Louisville Cardinals (27-7) vs. (14) Vermont Catamounts (27-7): ESPN
1:00 PM: (1) South Carolina Gamecocks (31-3) vs. (16) Southern Jaguars (20-13): ABC
1:30 PM: (10) Virginia Cavaliers (20-11) vs. (7) Georgia Bulldogs (22-9): ESPN2
The day starts with a mix of heavy favorites and one game that could get interesting quickly.
South Carolina enters with national title expectations, and this is about setting the tone early. Ohio State and Louisville are in similar spots where anything short of control will raise eyebrows.
Virginia vs. Georgia is the one to watch here. Virginia already survived a tight First Four game, and sometimes that experience matters in the first round.
Late afternoon session: upset watch begins
1:30 PM: (12) James Madison Dukes (26-8) vs. (5) Kentucky Wildcats (23-10): ESPNU
1:30 PM: (11) Rhode Island Rams (28-4) vs. (6) Alabama Crimson Tide (23-10): ESPNews
2:00 PM: (11) Fairfield Stags (28-4) vs. (6) Notre Dame Fighting Irish (22-10): ESPN
2:00 PM: (16) UTSA Roadrunners (18-15) vs. (1) UConn Huskies (34-0): ABC
2:30 PM: (9) USC Trojans (17-13) vs. (8) Clemson Tigers (21-11): ESPN2
3:00 PM: (15) Fairleigh Dickinson Knights (30-4) vs. (2) Iowa Hawkeyes (26-6): ESPN
This is where things usually start to get uncomfortable for a few favorites.
Fairfield and Rhode Island both come in with 28 wins and the kind of confidence that can carry over into March. Those are not typical double-digit seeds. Notre Dame and Alabama will need to be sharp.
UConn takes the floor at 34-0, and the spotlight will follow everything it does.
Iowa faces a 30-win Fairleigh Dickinson team, which is the kind of matchup that demands attention early.
Early evening session: balance and pressure
4:00 PM: (13) Miami (Ohio) RedHawks (28-6) vs. (4) West Virginia Mountaineers (27-6): ESPNU
4:30 PM: (9) Syracuse Orange (23-8) vs. (8) Iowa State Cyclones (22-9): ESPN2
6:00 PM: (15) High Point Panthers (27-5) vs. (2) Vanderbilt Commodores (27-4): ESPNews
This part of the day feels a little tighter across the board.
West Virginia has the edge on paper, but Miami (Ohio) has 28 wins and will not be intimidated. Syracuse vs. Iowa State looks like one of the best pure toss-up games of the entire day.
Vanderbilt is expected to move on, but by this point in the day, we usually see at least one result that no one saw coming.
Night session: the spotlight games
6:30 PM: (9) Princeton Tigers (26-3) vs. (8) Oklahoma State Cowgirls (23-9): ESPN2
8:30 PM: (10) Colorado Buffaloes (22-11) vs. (7) Illinois Fighting Illini (21-11): ESPN2
9:00 PM: (16) Cal Baptist Lancers (23-10) vs. (1) UCLA Bruins (31-1): ESPN
The night window always feels a little different.
Princeton at 26-3 is exactly the kind of team that can make things uncomfortable. Oklahoma State will need to match that discipline and composure.
Colorado vs. Illinois feels like another game that could go either way late. These are the matchups where execution matters most.
UCLA closes the night as one of the top seeds in the tournament. Like the other No. 1 seeds, the expectation is clear. Handle business and move on.
Saturday will be electric
Saturday is not just about who wins.
It is about how teams look doing it.
This is where contenders start to show themselves. Where underdogs begin to believe. And where the bracket starts to feel real.
By the end of the night, we will be down to the field of 32.