Will undefeated No. 1 overall seed and defending national champion South Carolina manage to bring it full circle? Or will there be some speed bumps on the road to April 2?
The full 68-team women’s NCAA Tournament bracket is complete, setting the stage for a thrilling 40th annual March Madness event.
Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks, who are led by two-time National Player of the Year, 2022 SEC Player and Female Athlete of the Year and 2022 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Aliyah Boston, have entered as America’s favorites.
But could they be dethroned?
Final Four veteran Stanford is always a threat, and Indiana and Virginia Tech are looking to make some noise after earning No. 1 seeds for the first time.
The 2023 NCAA Women’s Tournament will begin on Wednesday, March 15, with the First Four games. All games will air on the ESPN family of networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews and ABC. Games will also be live streamed on ESPN+, the ESPN App and Sling TV.
(8) Southern California vs. (9) South Dakota State
(5) Iowa State vs. (12) Toledo
(4) Tennessee vs. (13) St. Louis
(6) North Carolina vs. (11) St. John’s
(3) Ohio State vs. (14) James Madison
(7) Baylor vs. (10) Alabama
(2) UConn vs. (15) Vermont
Seattle Region 4
(1) Stanford vs. (16) Sacred Heart
(8) Ole Miss vs. (9) Gonzaga
(5) Louisville vs. (12) Drake
(4) Texas vs. (13) East Carolina
(6) Colorado vs. (11) Middle Tennessee
(3) Duke vs. (14) Iona
(7) Florida State vs. (10) Georgia
(2) Iowa vs. (15) Southeastern Louisiana
Full Women’s March Madness bracket 2023
(SN illustration)
Women’s March Madness schedule 2023
First Four
Wednesday, March 15
Results
(16) Sacred Heart 57, (16) Southern 47
(11) Mississippi State 70, (11) Illinois 56
Thursday, March 16
Matchup
(16) Tennessee Tech 79, (16) Monmouth 69
(11) St. John’s 66, (11) Purdue 64
Round 1
Friday, March 17
Game
Time (ET)
TV
(9) Marquette vs. (8) South Florida
11:30 a.m.
ESPN2
(10) West Virginia vs. (7) Arizona
Noon
ESPN
(10) Georgia vs. (7) Florida State
1:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(16) Norfolk State vs. (1) South Carolina
2 p.m.
ESPN
(15) Holy Cross vs. (2) Maryland
2:30 p.m.
ESPNews
(11) UNLV vs. (6) Michigan
3 p.m.
ESPNU
(14) Southern Utah vs. (3) Notre Dame
3:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(15) SE Louisiana vs. (2) Iowa
4 p.m.
ESPN
(14) Hawaii vs. (3) LSU
5:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(16) Chattanooga vs. (1) Virginia Tech
5:30 p.m.
ESPNU
(11) Mississippi State vs. (6) Creighton
6 p.m.
ESPNews
(16) Sacred Heart vs. (1) Stanford
7:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(15) Gardner-Webb vs. (2) Utah
7:30 p.m.
ESPNU
(9) South Dakota State vs. (8) USC
8 p.m.
ESPNews
(10) Princeton vs. (7) NC State
10 p.m.
ESPN2
(9) Gonzaga vs. (8) Ole Miss
10 p.m.
ESPNU
Saturday, March 18
Game
Time (ET)
TV
(16) Tennessee Tech vs. (1) Indiana
11:30 a.m.
ESPN2
(13) Saint Louis vs. (4) Tennessee
1 p.m.
ABC
(14) James Madison vs. (3) Ohio State
1:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(9) Miami (Fla.) vs. (8) Oklahoma State
2 p.m.
ESPN
(12) Florida Gulf Coast vs. (5) Washington State
2:30 p.m.
ESPNU
(15) Vermont vs. (2) UConn
3 p.m.
ABC
(12) Toledo vs. (5) Iowa State
3:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(11) St. John’s vs. (6) North Carolina
4 p.m.
ESPN
(13) Cleveland State vs. (4) Villanova
5 p.m.
ESPNU
(10) Alabama vs. (7) Baylor
5:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(11) Middle Tennessee vs. (6) Colorado
7 p.m.
ESPNews
(12) Drake vs. (5) Louisville
7:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(12) Portland vs. (5) Oklahoma
9 p.m.
ESPNU
(14) Iona vs. (3) Duke
9:30 p.m.
ESPN2
(13) East Carolina vs. (4) Texas
10 p.m.
ESPN
(13) Sacramento State vs. (4) UCLA
11:30p.m.
ESPN2
Round 2
Round 2 times will be finalized following the completion of Round 1 on Friday and Saturday.
Sunday, March 19
Game
Time (ET)
TV
TBD
1 p.m.
ABC
TBD
3 p.m.
ABC
TBD
3:30 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
5 p.m.
ESPN2
TBD
5:30 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
7 p.m.
ESPN2
TBD
7:30 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
9:30 p.m.
ESPN
Monday, March 20
Game
Time (ET)
TV
TBD
4 p.m.
ESPN2
TBD
6 p.m.
ESPN2
TBD
7 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
7 p.m.
ESPNU
TBD
8 p.m.
ESPN2
TBD
9 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
9 p.m.
ESPNU
TBD
10 p.m.
ESPN2
Sweet 16
Friday, March 24
Game
Time (ET)
TV
TBD
2:30 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
5 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
7:30 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
10 p.m.
ESPN
Saturday, March 25
Game
Time (ET)
TV
TBD
11:30 a.m.
ESPN
TBD
2 p.m.
ABC
TBD
4 p.m.
ESPN2
TBD
6:30 p.m.
ESPN2
Elite Eight
Sunday, March 26
Game
Time (ET)
TV
TBD
7 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
9 p.m.
ESPN
Monday, March 27
Game
Time (ET)
TV
TBD
7 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
9 p.m.
ESPN
Final Four
Friday, March 31
Game
Time (ET)
TV
TBD
7 p.m.
ESPN
TBD
9:30 p.m.
ESPN
National championship
Sunday, April 2
Game
Time (ET)
TV
TBD
3:30 p.m.
ABC
Round-by-round schedule
Round
Dates
Cities
First Four
March 15-16
Campus sites
First/Second round
March 17-20
Campus sites
Sweet 16/Elite Eight
March 24-27
Seattle; Greenville, S.C.
Final Four/national championship
March 31, April 2
Dallas
Previous NCAA Women’s Tournament champions
Only three schools have won back-to-back championships; South Carolina is heavily favored to become the fourth. It would join UConn, which won consecutively from 2002-04; Tennessee, which won three in a row from 1996-98; and Southern Cal, which won in 1983 and 1984.
There also have been just nine undefeated women’s basketball national champions. UConn was home to six of them, including Breanna Stewart’s 2013-14 and 2015-16 squads; Tina Charles and Maya Moore’s 2008-09 and 2009-10 squads; Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi’s 2001-02 squad; and Rebecca Lobo’s 1994-95 squad.
Brittney Griner’s 2011-12 Baylor squad, Tamika Catchings and Chamique Holdsclaw’s 1997-98 Tennessee squad and the Texas 1985-86 squad are also part of the group.
South Carolina can become the 10th should it make it through the madness untouched. The reigning national champions enter the tournament at 32-0 after winning the SEC regular-season and conference tournament titles.
Below is a list of every NCAA women’s tournament champion since the inaugural competition in 1982.
