Women’s March Madness bracket instant reaction: Who is biggest threat to South Carolina?
USA TODAY Sports Nancy Armour shares her instant reactions to the Women’s March Madness bracket.
USA TODAY
Let the Madness begin!
The NCAA Div. I women’s basketball tournament tips off as teams hit the court with dreams of winning the 2023 national championship. Or, in the case of South Carolina, winning a second consecutive title.
The Gamecocks, the No. 1 overall seed, are bidding to become the first team to win back-to-back championships since Connecticut won four in a row from 2013-16. South Carolina, under coach Dawn Staley, won its first championship in 2017.
The Stanford Cardinal, also a No. 1 seed, seek to win their second title in three years and fourth overall. The Indiana Hoosiers and Virginia Tech Hokies, which earned their first No. 1 seeds, will try to cut down the nets for the first time at the national championship in Dallas.
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Here is the full schedule for the 2023 tournament broken down by region with matchups, times and TV networks:
FIRST FOUR
Wednesday
No. 11 Mississippi State 70, No. 11 Illinois 56
No. 16 Sacred Heart 57, No. 16 Southern 47
Thursday
No. 11 Purdue vs. St. John’s, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 16 Tennessee Tech vs. No. 16 Monmouth, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
Greenville 1 Region
First round — Friday
No. 8 South Florida vs. No. 9 Marquette, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
No. 7 Arizona vs. No. 10 West Virginia, Noon (ESPN)
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Norfolk State, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 2 Maryland vs. No. 15 Holy Cross, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN News)
No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Southern Utah, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 6 Creighton vs. No. 11 Mississippi State, 6 p.m. (ESPN News)
First round — Saturday
No. 5 Oklahoma vs. No. 12 Portland, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 4 UCLA vs. No. 13 Sacramento State, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Second round — Sunday, March 19
South Carolina/Norfolk State winner vs. South Florida/Marquette winner
Notre Dame/Southern Utah winner vs. Creighton/First Four winner
Maryland/Holy Cross winner vs. Arizona/West Virginia winner
Second round — Monday, March 20
UCLA/Sacramento State winner vs. Oklahoma/Portland winner
Sweet 16 — March 25
Second-round winners
Elite Eight — March 27
Sweet 16 winners
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USA TODAY
Greenville 2 Region
First round — Friday
No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 UNLV, 3 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 Hawaii, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 2 Utah vs. No. 15 Gardner-Webb, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 7 N.C. State vs. No. 10 Princeton, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)
First round — Saturday
No. 1 Indiana vs. 16 Tennessee Tech/Monmouth winner, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)
No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Miami (Fla.), 2 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 5 Washington State vs. No. 12 Florida Gulf Coast, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 4 Villanova vs. No. 13 Cleveland State, 5 p.m. (ESPNU)
Second round — Sunday, March 19
LSU/Hawaii winner vs. Michigan/UNLV winner
Utah/Gardner-Webb winner vs. N.C. State/Princeton winner
Second round — Monday, March 20
Indiana/First Four winner vs. Oklahoma State/Miami winner
Villanova/Cleveland State winner vs. Washington State/FGCU winner
Sweet 16 — March 24
Second-round winners
Elite Eight — March 26
Sweet 16 winners
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Seattle 3 Region
First round — Friday
No. 1 Virginia Tech vs. No. 16 Chattanooga, 5:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
No. 8 Southern California vs. No. 9 South Dakota State, 8 p.m. (ESPN News)
First round — Saturday
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13 Saint Louis, 1 p.m. (ABC)
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 James Madison, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 2 Connecticut vs. No. 15 Vermont, 3 p.m. (ABC)
No. 5 Iowa State vs. No. 12 Toledo, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 6 North Carolina vs. No. 11 Purdue/St. John’s winner, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 7 Baylor vs. No. 10 Alabama, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
Second round — Sunday, March 19
Virginia Tech/Chattanooga winner vs. USC/SDSU winner
Second round — Monday, March 20
Tennessee/Saint Louis winner vs. Iowa State/Toledo winner
Ohio State/James Madison winner vs. North Carolina/First Four winner
Connecticut/Vermont winner vs. Baylor Alabama winner
Sweet 16 — March 25
Second-round winners
Elite Eight — March 27
Sweet 16 winners
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Seattle 4 region
First round — Friday
No. 7 Florida State vs. No. 10 Georgia, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 SE Louisiana, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 16 Sacred Heart, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 8 Mississippi vs. No. 9 Gonzaga, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)
First round — Saturday
No. 6 Colorado vs. No. 11 Middle Tennessee, 7 p.m. (ESPN News)
No. 5 Louisville vs. No. 12 Drake, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 Iona, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
No. 4 Texas vs. No. 13 East Carolina, 10 p.m. (ESPN)
Second round — Sunday, March 19
Stanford/First Four winner vs. Mississippi/Gonzaga winner
Iowa/SE Louisiana winner vs. Florida State/Georgia winner
Second round — Monday, March 20
Texas/East Carolina winner vs. Louisville/Drake winner
Duke/Iona winner vs. Colorado/Middle Tenn. winner
Sweet 16 — March 24
Second-round winners
Elite Eight — March 26
Sweet 16 winners
Final Four
At American Airlines Center in Dallas
March 31
Elite Eight winners, 7 and 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Championship
At American Airlines Center in Dallas
April 2
Final Four winners, 3 p.m. (ABC)
