March Madness: UCLA, SC, USC, Texas Earn No. 1 Seeds in Women’s NCAA Tournament

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March Madness: UCLA, SC, USC, Texas Earn No. 1 Seeds in Women’s NCAA Tournament/ Newslooks/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ morning Edition/ UCLA secured the top overall seed in the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament, joined by South Carolina, USC, and Texas as No. 1 seeds. South Carolina coach Dawn Staley expressed surprise at her team not being the top overall seed, citing a strong résumé. The Big Ten leads with 12 teams in the tournament, while the Ivy League makes history with three bids. Six teams, including William & Mary and UC San Diego, will make their tournament debut. This year also introduces a new financial incentive for women’s teams, giving them NCAA revenue payouts for each win.

South Carolina forward Sania Feagin celebrates after scoring against Texas during the second half during of an NCAA college basketball game in the final of the Southeastern Conference tournament, Sunday, March 9, 2025, in Greenville, S.C. (AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Women’s NCAA Tournament Bracket Breakdown: Quick Looks

Top No. 1 Seed: UCLA earns its first-ever top overall seed.
Other No. 1 Seeds: South Carolina, USC, Texas.
Biggest Snub: Stanford misses the tournament for the first time in 36 years.
Record Big Ten Representation: 12 teams qualify, the most of any conference.
Ivy League Milestone: Three teams (Harvard, Columbia, Princeton) make the field.
Tournament First-Timers: William & Mary, UC San Diego, Fairleigh Dickinson, Grand Canyon, George Mason, and Arkansas State.
Financial Incentives Introduced: Women’s teams will now receive NCAA payouts for tournament wins.

Women’s NCAA Tournament: Full Bracket Reveal & Top Storylines

The brackets are set for the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament, with UCLA claiming the top overall seed for the first time in program history. South Carolina, USC, and Texas join them as the other No. 1 seeds in a highly competitive field.

UCLA, which lost only twice this season—both to USC—has a tough road ahead but remains one of the tournament favorites.

South Carolina’s Controversial No. 1 Seed Ranking

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley voiced frustration over her team being ranked below UCLA, arguing that the Gamecocks had the strongest résumé.

“We put ourselves in position to be the No. 1 overall seed. If you do a blind test of our résumé, you’d pick us. It’s plain and simple,” Staley said.

The selection committee cited two key factors that gave UCLA the edge:

1️⃣ UCLA defeated South Carolina in a head-to-head matchup.
2️⃣ South Carolina suffered a 29-point loss to UConn, which impacted its ranking.

Despite the seeding debate, South Carolina is aiming to repeat as national champions, a feat last accomplished by UConn from 2013-2016.

Conference Breakdown: Big Ten Leads the Way

This year’s tournament field includes record representation from the Big Ten, as the conference secured 12 spots.

Conference Bids Breakdown:

Big Ten: 12
SEC: 10
ACC: 8
Big 12: 7
Ivy League: 3 (A record-high for the conference!)

Historic Moment for Ivy League

For the first time in conference history, the Ivy League will send three teams to the NCAA Tournament:

Harvard (automatic bid, No. 10 seed).
Columbia (at-large, No. 11 seed).
Princeton (at-large, No. 11 seed).

First-Time Tournament Teams

Six teams are making their Women’s NCAA Tournament debuts:

William & Mary (No. 15 seed, 15-18 record).
UC San Diego.
Fairleigh Dickinson.
Grand Canyon.
George Mason.
Arkansas State.

William & Mary is particularly notable as the first sub-.500 team to make the tournament since Incarnate Word in 2022.

Bracket Highlights & Must-Watch Matchups

Elite Eight Clash? USC vs. UConn – If both teams advance, this could be a rematch of their December thriller, where JuJu Watkins led USC to a narrow 72-70 victory over Paige Bueckers and the Huskies.

Notre Dame Drops to No. 3 Seed – Despite big wins over Texas, USC, and UConn, Notre Dame’s late-season slump pushed them out of a potential No. 1 or No. 2 seed.

Tennessee Keeps Its Perfect Streak Alive – The Lady Vols remain the only team to qualify for every NCAA Tournament since its inception in 1982.

Biggest Snub: Stanford Misses Out – The Cardinal’s 36-year streak of NCAA appearances ends, as they fail to make the tournament for the first time since 1987.

Financial Boost for Women’s Teams: NCAA Performance Payouts Begin

For the first time in history, women’s teams will receive NCAA financial performance rewards—a system long in place for the men’s tournament.

How It Works:

Teams earn payouts for every tournament win.
A Final Four run could bring a conference up to $1.26 million over three years.

This change comes after the 2023 Women’s National Championship game (South Carolina vs. Iowa) outperformed the men’s final in TV ratings, proving the growing popularity of women’s basketball.

Tournament Schedule & Locations

Women’s NCAA Tournament Schedule:

First Four: March 19-20
First Round: March 21-22
Second Round: March 23-24
Sweet 16: March 28-29
Elite Eight: March 30-31
Final Four: April 4
Championship Game: April 6

Tournament Locations:

First & Second Rounds: Hosted by the top 16 seeded teams.
Sweet 16 & Elite Eight:
Birmingham, Alabama
Spokane, Washington
Final Four & Championship: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida

Final Thoughts: A Wide-Open Women’s Tournament

Unlike past years, no team enters the tournament with fewer than two losses, showcasing increased parity in women’s basketball.

While South Carolina aims to repeat, UCLA, USC, and Texas are looking for their first titles, and UConn hopes to reclaim its dominance with star Paige Bueckers leading the way.

The road to the Final Four in Tampa is wide open—and this year’s tournament could be one of the most exciting in recent memory.