2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament bracket breakdown: Best games, players to watch

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Are you ready for some upsets?

If the 2024 NCAA women’s tournament had a tagline, that should be it.

There’s more parity in women’s college hoops than ever before — and more eyeballs on the game, too — which means we’re in for some major madness this month.

The thinnest of margins separate four, five and six seeds this year, which matters because in the women’s tournament, the first two rounds are still played at home sites. Don’t be surprised if we see home teams falter — and even if it’s not two No. 1 teams being upset, as happened last year, it’ll still be plenty of fun.

A quick reminder that like in 2023, the women’s tournament will have two “super” regionals, meaning there will be four Sweet 16 and two Elite Eight games at each site. This change was made in an effort to draw more fans, and worked well last year. Given the star power in the game this season — Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers — you can expect more of the same.

OPINION: Caitlin Clark and Iowa get no favors in NCAA Tournament bracket despite No. 1 seed

Women’s First Four games tip off Wednesday and Thursday, with the winners advancing to First Round games on Friday and Saturday (First Four games are played at school sites, so winning teams don’t have to travel again for their First Round game). The Final Four will be played in Cleveland, with the national semis tipping off at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 5. The second semi will tip roughly 30 minutes after the first game ends. The championship game will be played Sunday, April 7, at 3 p.m. ET and be broadcast on ABC. This is the second year in a row that the championship game will be on network television.

Here’s everything you need to know about the 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament, including a breakdown of each region, the best first-round games, players to watch and tournament snubs. For a printable bracket, click here.

Albany 1 Region

• No. 1 South Carolina (32-0) vs. No. 16 Sacred Heart/Presbyterian, Friday, 2 p.m. ET (ESPN)

• No. 8 North Carolina (19-12) vs. No. 9 Michigan St. (22-8), Friday, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 5 Oklahoma (22-9) vs. No. 12 FGCU (29-4), Saturday, 4 p.m. (ESPNews)

• No. 4 Indiana (24-5) vs. No. 13 Fairfield (31-1), Saturday, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 6 Nebraska (22-11) vs. No. 11 Texas A&M (19-12), Friday, 10:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

• No. 3 Oregon St. (24-7) vs. No. 14 Eastern Wash. (29-5), Friday, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

• No. 7 Ole Miss (23-8) vs. No. 10 Marquette (23-8), Saturday, 4:45 p.m. (ESPNU)

• No. 2 Notre Dame (26-6) vs. No. 15 Kent St. (21-10), Saturday, 2:15 p.m. (ESPN)

Is South Carolina finally going to get the storybook ending it's been searching for? The Gamecocks have been on a warpath this season after being upset in the national semifinals last year, falling to Caitlin Clark and Iowa. Many believed they’d take a step back this year after losing three first-round picks in the 2023 WNBA Draft. Instead they added one of the best shooters in the country, Oregon transfer Te-Hina Paopao, and have become significantly better on offense. Don’t be surprised if they mostly breeze through the bracket until the Elite Eight, where a potential rematch with second-seeded Notre Dame could await. Are the Irish a better team now? Could Oregon State play spoiler and meet up with the Gamecocks for a spot in the Final Four? Bottom line: South Carolina is nearly everyone’s pick to win the title, and when you see how balanced the Gamecocks are, it’s understandable why.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Notre Dame G Hannah Hidalgo (23.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 4.6 spg), the most annoying on-ball defender in the country who can get to the rim whenever she wants; Indiana F Mackenzie Holmes (20.0 ppg, 66.7% FG), a force in the paint; North Carolina G Deja Kelly (16.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 3.3 apg), can take over a game at any time; South Carolina G Te-Hina Paopao (47.1% from 3), the most impactful transfer of the 2023-24 season; Oregon State G Talia von Oelhoffen (10.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.7 apg), one of the best defensive guards in the country who hit one of the biggest shots in the regular season.

BEST FIRST-ROUND GAME: No. 8 North Carolina vs. No. 9 Michigan State: Don’t be fooled by the seeds here. Either of these teams could make life difficult for top-ranked South Carolina — once they get past each other.

Albany 2 Region

• No. 1 Iowa (29-4) vs. No. 16 Holy Cross/UT Martin, Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)

• No. 8 West Virginia (24-7) vs. No. 9 Princeton (25-4), Saturday, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 5 Colorado (22-9) vs. No. 12 Drake (29-5), Friday, 7 p.m. (ESPNews)

• No. 4 Kansas St. (25-7) vs. No. 13 Portland (21-12), Friday, 4:30 p.m. (ESPNews)

• No. 6 Louisville (24-9) vs. No. 11 Middle Tenn. (29-4), Friday, 1:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 3 LSU (28-5) vs. No. 14 Rice (19-14), Friday, 4 p.m. (ESPN)

• No. 7 Creighton (25-5) vs. No. 10 UNLV (30-2), Saturday, 7 p.m. (ESPNews)

• No. 2 UCLA (25-6) vs. No. 15 California Baptist (28-3), Saturday, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

Can Caitlin Clark take Iowa back to college basketball’s promised land? Midway through the season it looked like a definite no, as the Hawkeyes dropped road games to teams they should have beat. But Clark is in postseason mode, and after cruising to the Big Ten tournament championship, Iowa earned a 1 seed. If the Hawkeyes' bracket goes chalk they’ll meet up with UCLA, which looked like a Final Four team early in nonconference play but has a history of underachieving. But there’s also the possibility of a rematch with LSU. And Kansas State already has proven it can beat Iowa. Given the strength of this bracket’s 1-4 seeds, don’t be surprised if something wacky happens with this region.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: UCLA F Lauren Betts (14.7 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 65.3% FG), can score at-will in the paint when her teammates get her the ball; Iowa G Caitlin Clark (31.9 ppg, 8.9 apg), the best scorer and most complete offensive player in the history of the women's college game; Kansas State C Ayoka Lee (20.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 62.2% FG), whose size provides problems for every opposing team; LSU G Mikaylah Williams (14.4 ppg, 47.2% FG), a tremendous freshman scorer who plays like a seasoned veteran.

BEST FIRST-ROUND GAME: No. 7 Creighton vs. No. 10 UNLV: The Blue Jays, who love to shoot 3s, played spoiler a couple years ago, knocking Clark out of the tourney as a sophomore. UNLV is looking for its first NCAA Tournament win since 1991.

Portland 3 Region

• No. 1 Southern California (26-5) vs. No. 16 A&M-Corpus Christi (23-8), Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)

• No. 8 Kansas (19-12) vs. No. 9 Michigan (20-13), Saturday, 2 p.m. (ESPNews)

• No. 5 Baylor (24-7) vs. No. 12 Vanderbilt/Columbia, Friday, 6 p.m. (ESPNU)

• No. 4 Virginia Tech (24-7) vs. No. 13 Marshall (26-6), Friday, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 6 Syracuse (23-7) vs. No. 11 Auburn/Arizona, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 3 UConn (29-5) vs. No. 14 Jackson St. (26-6), Saturday, 1 p.m. (ABC)

• No. 7 Duke (20-11) vs. No. 10 Richmond (29-5), Friday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNews)

• No. 2 Ohio St. (25-5) vs. No. 15 Maine (24-9), Friday, 12 p.m. (ESPN)

Who would have guessed at the beginning of the season, when Southern California was picked to finish sixth in the Pac-12, that the Trojans would earn a 1 seed? In its last year of existence, the Pac-12 was the best conference in the country all year, with numerous teams ranked in the top 10. But it’s a hard league to follow, because so few people have access to the Pac-12 Network. After freshman phenom JuJu Watkins dropped 51 points at Stanford on Feb. 2 though, people started paying attention. Now, can they get to a Final Four? Ohio State’s vaunted press could cause problems on the way there. And you better believe Paige Bueckers & Co. are hungry to put UConn in a position to win its first title since 2016, an unimaginable drought for the Huskies. In the meantime, will fourth-seeded Virginia Tech, which made the Final Four last year, have the services of three-time ACC player of the year Liz Kitley after she injured her knee in their regular-season finale? No one seems to know for sure.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Virginia Tech G Georgia Amoore (19.2 ppg, 6.9 apg), one of the top floor generals in the country; UConn F Ice Brady (4.6 ppg, 3.4 rpg), who stepped up big in the Big East tournament, more than doubling her scoring output; USC G Mckenzie Forbes (13.5 ppg, 3.3 apg), who pretty much only hits big shots in big moments; Ohio State F Cotie McMahon (14.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg), who plays with a tremendous balance of passion and poise.

BEST FIRST-ROUND GAME: No. 6 Syracuse vs. winner of No. 11Auburn/Arizona: Whoever gets past the First Four game will be tasked with slowing Syracuse super scorer Dyaisha Fair, who averages 22 points per game and is, as the kids like to say, a walking bucket.

Portland 4 region

• No. 1 Texas (30-4) vs. No. 16 Drexel (19-14), Friday, 3 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

• No. 8 Alabama (23-9) vs. No. 9 Florida St. (23-10), Friday, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 5 Utah (22-10) vs. No. 12 South Dakota St. (27-5), Saturday, 10 p.m. (ESPNU)

• No. 4 Gonzaga (30-3) vs. No. 13 UC Irvine (23-8), Saturday, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 6 Tennessee (19-12) vs. No. 11 Green Bay (27-6), Saturday, 12 p.m. (ESPN)

• No. 3 NC State (27-6) vs. No. 14 Chattanooga (28-4), Saturday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

• No. 7 Iowa St. (20-11) vs. No. 10 Maryland (19-13), Friday, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN2)

• No. 2 Stanford (28-5) vs. No. 15 Norfolk St. (27-5), Friday, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)

Well now, who saw that coming? Texas, winners of nine of its past 10 games, earned a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004, edging Pac-12 regular-season champ Stanford. What the Longhorns have done this season after losing All-American guard Rori Harmon to a torn ACL, is remarkable. Freshman guard Madison Booker, the co-Big 12 player of the year, is a big part of why UT is still one of the toughest teams in the country to beat. But if everything goes chalk, Texas will have to match up with Stanford and twin towers Cameron Brink and Kiki Iriafen, which will be lots of fun for everyone watching, and probably stressful for everyone sitting on the bench. N.C. State is still smarting from its loss two years ago to UConn in the regional final, when N.C. State was a 1 seed and UConn was a 2 playing in front of a (very) friendly crowd. Punching a ticket to Cleveland would be one way to erase that memory. But do not count out Gonzaga, the best mid-major all season, a team led by three veterans who have played together for years.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: Texas G Madison Booker (16.9 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.9 apg), who doesn’t play like a rookie; Stanford F Cameron Brink (17.8 ppg, 12.0 rpg), the projected No. 2 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft who is a handful at both ends of the floor;  Iowa State F Audi Crooks (18.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg), one of the strongest, toughest post players in the game; N.C. State guard Saniya Rivers (12.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 3.9 apg), whose athleticism is typically good for at least one jaw-dropping highlight per game; Gonzaga twin Gs Kayleigh (11.9 ppg, 4.5 apg) and Kaylynne Truong (11.6 ppg, 5.9 apg), whose stats, like them, are nearly identical.

BEST FIRST-ROUND GAME: No. 7 Iowa State vs. No 10 Maryland: The Terps were a bubble team not that long ago, and Iowa State has a habit of beating teams it shouldn’t. That means anything is possible for the winner of this game. Another fun storyline: Maryland coach Brenda Frese, a Cedar Rapids native, spent four seasons on Bill Fennelly’s staff from 1995-99.

LEFT OUT

It’s hard to argue with what the committee did this year. Selection chair Lisa Peterson said the first four out, in alphabetical order, were Miami, Penn State, Villanova and Washington State. She said Mississippi State, St. Joseph’s, Toledo and Washington also got consideration.

The committee put two Ivy League teams in for the first time (it’s Columbia’s first NCAA Tournament), and Power Five schools left behind probably aren’t thrilled about that. But no one left out has a NET ranking of higher than 27 (Penn State) and Washington State, which has a NET of 29, lost its best player a couple of weeks ago to a season-ending injury. Miami might be a bit of a surprise just because of what the Hurricanes did last March, upsetting No. 1 Indiana on the Hoosiers’ home floor, but its NET was 51.

WOMEN'S MARCH MADNESS SCHEDULE

• First Four: March 20-21

  • Sacred Heart (24-9) vs. Presbyterian (20-14), Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET (ESPNU)

  • Vanderbilt (22-9) vs. Columbia (23-6), Wednesday, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

  • Auburn (20-11) vs. Arizona (17-15), Thursday, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

  • Holy Cross (20-12) vs. UT-Martin (16-16), Thursday, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

• First round: March 22-23

• Second round: March 24-25

• Sweet 16: March 29-30

• Elite Eight: March 31-April 1

• Final Four: Friday, April 5, 7:30 and 9 p.m. ET (ESPN)

• NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 7, 3 p.m. ET (ABC)

Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women's March Madness bracket breakdown: Best games, players to watch