Women's March Madness bracket predictions: Who wins? Who gets in?
It's February which can only mean the greatest playoff in American sports, March Madness, is just around the corner. On the men's side, there are tons of questions. Can the UConn Huskies win their third-straight title? Will Purdue disappoint yet again?
The women's side has far more questions following it though. UCLA has been dominating the regular season but was just dealt its first loss at the hands of rival USC on Thursday, 71-60. Without Caitlin Clark in the fold, can UConn's Paige Bueckers drum up the same level of excitement as her Iowa predecessor? Furthermore, can she do what Clark could never do, namely win a national title?
With only a month and change remaining before the start of the tournament, here are expert's predictions from around the internet for what we can expect once the esteemed single-elimination tournament begins.
Predictions for 2025 women's March Madness
Predictions as of Thursday, Feb. 13.
Autumn Johnson, NCAA.com: UCLA, Notre Dame, Texas, and South Carolina to claim No. 1 seeds
Johnson believes that South Carolina's nine ranked wins on the season will give them more leeway than most other universities when it comes to seeding. That combined with their distinction as reigning champions makes it very difficult for the selection committee to put them anywhere besides the top of their region barring a major late-season collapse.
Charlie Creme, ESPN: SEC will have major impact on the seedings
Creme writes, "The SEC currently has eight squads in the top 18 of the S-curve, and Alabama is only a No. 6 seed because it had to be moved down to accommodate bracketing principles. No other league's final two weeks of the regular season and conference tournament will have as much influence on what happens on Selection Sunday. Despite losing to Texas, South Carolina maintains No. 1 overall, but the Horns have a firmer hold on a top seed."
FOX Sports: South Carolina still has the best odds
FOX Sports writes, "The Gamecocks won the national title in 2022, lost in the Final Four in 2023 and then won the title again last season. But in each of those seasons, they won at least their first 12 games. In their sixth game of the season, they fell 77-62 at UCLA."
FOX Sports continues, noting that although this South Carolina team does not appear as dominant as those in years past, the Gamecocks have the experience to dominate the tournament once it rolls around, which keeps them at the top of odds boards for the time being.
When does the women's March Madness tournament begin?
The tournament begins on March 19, with the First Four playing that Wednesday and Thursday. The first round will take place two days later, between March 21 and 22. The finals are set for April 6, hosted by the University of South Florida at Amalie Arena in Tampa.