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The NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, sometimes referred to as Women's March Madness,[1] is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 women's college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to determine the national championship.

Quick Facts Sport, Founded ...
NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2024 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament
SportBasketball
Founded1982; 43 years ago (1982)
First season1982
Organising bodyNCAA
No. of teams68
Most recent
champion(s)		South Carolina
(3rd title)
(2024)
Most titlesUConn (11)
TV partner(s)ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS
Streaming partner(s)ESPN+
Level on pyramid1
Official websitencaa.com/basketball
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The tournament was preceded by the AIAW women's basketball tournament, which was organized by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) from 1972 to 1982. Basketball was one of 12 women's sports added to the NCAA championship program for the 1981–82 school year, as the NCAA engaged in battle with the AIAW for sole governance of women's collegiate sports. The AIAW continued to conduct its established championship program in the same 12 (and other) sports; however, after a year of dual women's championships, the NCAA prevailed, while the AIAW disbanded.

As of 2022, the tournament follows the same format and selection process as its men's counterpart, with 32 automatic bids awarded to the champions of the Division I conferences, and 36 "at-large bids" extended by the NCAA Selection Committee, which are placed into four regional divisions and seeded from 1 to 16. The four lowest-seeded automatic bids, and the four lowest-seeded at-large bids, compete in the First Four games to advance to the 64-team bracket in the first round. The national semi-finals, branded as the Women's Final Four, are traditionally scheduled on the same weekend as the men's Final Four, but in a different host city. Presently, the Women's Final Four uses a Friday/Sunday scheduling, with its games occurring one day prior to the men's Final Four and championship, respectively.[2]

Attendance and interest in the women's championship have grown over the years, especially from 2003 to 2016, when the final championship game was moved to the Tuesday following the Monday men's championship game.[2] The tournament is often overshadowed by the more-prominent men's tournament; after a gender equality review following the 2021 tournament, the NCAA expanded it to the current 68-team format of the men's tournament and extended the "March Madness" branding to the tournament as well. The 2024 women's championship was the first to receive higher viewership than the men's championship the same year. Still, the tournament receives a smaller amount of funding from broadcast rights (which are held by ESPN, and are pooled with those of other NCAA Division I championships besides golf and men's basketball) and sponsorship (which are sold by CBS and Turner Sports) than the men's tournament.

With 11 national titles, the UConn Huskies hold the record for the most NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championships, which included four straight championships from 2013 through 2016.[3] The team had also made the semi-finals for 14 consecutive tournaments.

Tournament format

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From 1982 to 1990, 1996 to 2002, 2017 to 2019 and since 2021, the Women's Final Four is usually played on the Friday before the Men's Final Four or the hours before the men played on the final Saturday of the tournament. The final, since 2023, is played the Sunday afternoon following the Men's Final Four; from 2017 to 2019, 2021 and 2022, Sunday evening.

The tournament bracket is made up of champions from each Division I conference, which are automatic bids. The remaining slots are at-large bids, with teams chosen by an NCAA selection committee. The selection process and tournament seedings are based on several factors, including team rankings, win–loss records, and NET data.

Main article: NCAA basketball tournament selection process

Since 2022, 68 teams qualify for the tournament played in March and April. Of these teams, 32 earn automatic bids by winning their respective conference tournaments. Since 2017 the Ivy League conducts its own post-season tournament. The remaining teams are granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee. Dr. Marilyn McNeil, vice president/director of athletics at Monmouth University is the current chairwoman. On March 1, 2011, Bowling Green State University's director of intercollegiate athletics, Greg Christopher, was appointed chair of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee during the 2011–12 academic year.[4]

The tournament begins with four opening-round games known as the First Four. Like the men's version, the women's First Four involves the four lowest-ranked conference champions playing for 16 seeds in the round of 64, and the four lowest-ranked at-large teams playing for their own spots in the round of 64.[5]

The tournament is split into four regional tournaments, and each regional has teams seeded from 1 to 16, with the committee ostensibly making every region as comparable to the others as possible.[citation needed] The top-seeded team in each region plays the #16 team, the #2 team plays the #15, etc. (meaning that all first-round games involve teams whose seeds add up to 17).

Number of teams, and seeding

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The first NCAA women's basketball tournament was held in 1982. The AIAW also held a basketball tournament in 1982, but most of the top teams, including defending AIAW champion Louisiana Tech, decided to participate in the NCAA tournament.

The championship consisted of 32 teams from 1982 to 1985 (in 1983, 36), 40 teams from 1986 to 1988, and 48 teams from 1989 to 1993. From 1994 to 2021, 64 teams competed in each tournament. From 2022, the tournament will involve 68 teams, matching the size of the D-I men's tournament.

Prior to 1996, seeding was conducted on a regional basis. The top teams (eight in the 32-, 40-, and 48-team formats, and 16 in the 64-team format) were ranked and seeded on a national basis. The remaining teams were then seeded based on their geographic region. Teams were moved outside of its geographic region only if it was necessary to balance the bracket, or if the proximity of an opponent outside of its region would be comparable and a more competitive game would result. In 1993, all teams except for the top four were explicitly unseeded. The regional seeding resumed in 1994. In 1996, seeds were assigned on a national basis using an "S-Curve" format[clarification needed] similar to the process used in selecting the field for the men's tournament.

The following table summarizes some of the key attributes of the seeding process:[6]

More information Number of teams selected, Year ...
  Number of teams selected    
Year Automatic At-large Total Location of first round(s) Seeding Basis
1982 12 20 32 Higher seed Regional
1983 14 22 36 Higher seed[seed 1]
1984 17 15 32
1985 18 14 Higher seed
1986 17 23 40 Higher seed[seed 1]
1987 18 22
1988
1989 19 29 48
1990 21 27
1991
1992 22 26
1993 23 25
1994 32 32 64
1995
1996 31 33 Higher seed National
1997 30 34 Higher seed[seed 1]
1998 Higher seed
1999
2000 Higher seed[seed 1]
2001 31 33
2002 Higher seed
2003 16 Sites[seed 2]
2004
2005 8 Sites[seed 2]
2006
2007
2008
2009 16 Sites[seed 2]
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014 32 32
2015 Higher seed[seed 1]
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020 Cancelled due to COVID-19
2021 31[seed 3] 33 64 5 Sites[seed 4] National
2022 32 36 68 Higher seed[seed 1]
2023
2024
2025 31 37
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  1. [S 1]
    Some exceptions. Due to venue availability, in some cases, the lower seed hosted, or the game was played at a neutral site.
  2. [S 2]
    From 2003 to 2014, sixteen predetermined sites were selected for first and second-round games. Teams were allowed to play at home, if hosting.
    Between 2005 and 2008, eight sites were used for first-round games.
  3. [S 3]
    Ivy League cancelled all winter athletics due to COVID-19.
  4. [S 4]
    Due to COVID-19, the entire tournament was played in Texas with the first two rounds having games played between 5 venues in and around the San Antonio area, with the last four rounds having all games played at the Alamodome.

Selection process

Further information: NCAA basketball tournament selection process

A special selection committee appointed by the NCAA determines which 68 teams will enter the tournament, and where they will be seeded and placed in the bracket. Because of the automatic bids, only 36 teams (the at-large bids) rely on the selection committee to secure them a spot in the tournament.

Women's NCAA Division I basketball champions

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More information Indicator, Meaning ...
Legend for "Championship games" table below
Indicator Meaning
OT Game was decided in an overtime period
Score Each score is linked to an article about that particular championship game, when available
Year Each year is linked to an article about that particular NCAA Tournament
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More information Year, Winner ...
Year Winner Score Opponent Venue Other semifinalists
1982 Louisiana Tech
(1, 1–0)		 76–62 Cheyney State
(1, 0–1)		 Norfolk Scope (Norfolk, Virginia) Tennessee & Maryland
1983 USC
(1, 1–0)		 69–67 Louisiana Tech
(2, 1–1)		 Old Dominion & Georgia
1984 USC
(2, 2–0)		 72–61 Tennessee
(1, 0–1)		 Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, California) Cheyney State & Louisiana Tech
1985 Old Dominion
(1, 1–0)		 70–65 Georgia
(1, 0–1)		 Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas) Western Kentucky & Northeast Louisiana[a]
1986 Texas
(1, 1–0)		 97–81 USC
(3, 2–1)		 Rupp Arena (Lexington, Kentucky) Western Kentucky & Tennessee
1987 Tennessee
(2, 1–1)		 67–44 Louisiana Tech
(3, 1–2)		 Frank Erwin Center (Austin, Texas) Texas & Long Beach State
1988 Louisiana Tech
(4, 2–2)		 56–54 Auburn
(1, 0–1)		 Tacoma Dome (Tacoma, Washington) Long Beach State & Tennessee
1989 Tennessee
(3, 2–1)		 76–60 Auburn
(2, 0–2)		 Louisiana Tech & Maryland
1990 Stanford
(1, 1–0)		 88–81 Auburn
(3, 0–3)		 Thompson–Boling Arena (Knoxville, Tennessee) Virginia & Louisiana Tech
1991 Tennessee
(4, 3–1)		 70–67OT Virginia
(1, 0–1)		 Lakefront Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana) Connecticut[b] & Stanford
1992 Stanford
(2, 2–0)		 78–62 Western Kentucky
(1, 0–1)		 Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena (Los Angeles, California) Southwest Missouri State[c] & Virginia
1993 Texas Tech
(1, 1–0)		 84–82 Ohio State
(1, 0–1)		 Omni Coliseum (Atlanta, Georgia) Iowa & Vanderbilt
1994 North Carolina
(1, 1–0)		 60–59 Louisiana Tech
(5, 2–3)		 Richmond Coliseum (Richmond, Virginia) Purdue & Alabama
1995 UConn[b]
(1, 1–0)		 70–64 Tennessee
(5, 3–2)		 Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Stanford & Georgia
1996 Tennessee
(6, 4–2)		 83–65 Georgia
(2, 0–2)		 Charlotte Coliseum (Charlotte, North Carolina) Connecticut[b] & Stanford
1997 Tennessee
(7, 5–2)		 68–59 Old Dominion
(2, 1–1)		 Riverfront Coliseum (Cincinnati, Ohio) Notre Dame & Stanford
1998 Tennessee
(8, 6–2)		 93–75 Louisiana Tech
(6, 2–4)		 Kemper Arena (Kansas City, Missouri) Arkansas & North Carolina State
1999 Purdue
(1, 1–0)		 62–45 Duke
(1, 0–1)		 San Jose Arena (San Jose, California) Louisiana Tech & Georgia
2000 UConn[b]
(2, 2–0)		 71–52 Tennessee
(9, 6–3)		 First Union Center (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) Rutgers & Penn State
2001 Notre Dame
(1, 1–0)		 68–66 Purdue
(2, 1–1)		 Savvis Center (St. Louis, Missouri) Connecticut[b] & Southwest Missouri State[c]
2002 UConn[b]
(3, 3–0)		 82–70 Oklahoma
(1, 0–1)		 Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) Tennessee & Duke
2003 UConn[b]
(4, 4–0)		 73–68 Tennessee
(10, 6–4)		 Georgia Dome (Atlanta, Georgia) Texas & Duke
2004 UConn[b]
(5, 5–0)		 70–61 Tennessee
(11, 6–5)		 New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana) Minnesota & LSU
2005 Baylor
(1, 1–0)		 84–62 Michigan State
(1, 0–1)		 RCA Dome (Indianapolis, Indiana) LSU & Tennessee
2006 Maryland
(1, 1–0)		 78–75OT Duke
(2, 0–2)		 TD Banknorth Garden (Boston, Massachusetts) North Carolina & LSU
2007 Tennessee
(12, 7–5)		 59–46 Rutgers
(1, 0–1)		 Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland, Ohio)
2008 Tennessee
(13, 8–5)		 64–48 Stanford
(3, 2–1)		 St. Pete Times Forum (Tampa, Florida) LSU & Connecticut
2009 UConn[b]
(6, 6–0)		 76–54 Louisville
(1, 0–1)		 Scottrade Center (St. Louis, Missouri) Stanford & Oklahoma
2010 UConn[b]
(7, 7–0)		 53–47 Stanford
(4, 2–2)		 Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) Baylor & Oklahoma
2011 Texas A&M
(1, 1–0)		 76–70 Notre Dame
(2, 1–1)		 Conseco Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) Connecticut & Stanford
2012 Baylor
(2, 2–0)		 80–61 Notre Dame
(3, 1–2)		 Pepsi Center (Denver, Colorado) Stanford & Connecticut
2013 UConn[b]
(8, 8–0)		 93–60 Louisville
(2, 0–2)		 New Orleans Arena (New Orleans, Louisiana) Notre Dame & California
2014 UConn
(9, 9–0)		 79–58 Notre Dame
(4, 1–3)		 Bridgestone Arena (Nashville, Tennessee) Stanford & Maryland
2015 UConn
(10, 10–0)		 63–53 Notre Dame
(5, 1–4)		 Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida) South Carolina & Maryland
2016 UConn
(11, 11–0)		 82–51 Syracuse
(1, 0–1)		 Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana) Oregon State & Washington
2017 South Carolina
(1, 1–0)		 67–55 Mississippi State
(1, 0–1)		 American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas) UConn & Stanford
2018 Notre Dame
(6, 2–4)		 61–58 Mississippi State
(2, 0–2)		 Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio) UConn & Louisville
2019 Baylor
(3, 3–0)		 82–81 Notre Dame
(7, 2–5)		 Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida) UConn & Oregon
2020 Tournament canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic Smoothie King Center (New Orleans, Louisiana) [planned] —
2021 Stanford
(5, 3–2)		 54–53 Arizona
(1, 0–1)		 Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas) UConn & South Carolina
2022 South Carolina
(2, 2–0)		 64–49 UConn
(12, 11–1)		 Target Center (Minneapolis, Minnesota) Stanford & Louisville
2023 LSU
(1, 1–0)		 102–85 Iowa
(1, 0–1)		 American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas) South Carolina & Virginia Tech
2024 South Carolina
(3, 3–0)		 87–75 Iowa
(2, 0–2)		 Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland, Ohio) UConn & North Carolina State
2025 Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida)
2026 Footprint Center (Phoenix, Arizona)
2027 Nationwide Arena (Columbus, Ohio)
2028 Gainbridge Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Indiana)
2029 Alamodome (San Antonio, Texas)
2030 Moda Center (Portland, Oregon)
2031 American Airlines Center (Dallas, Texas)
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  1. Known as Louisiana–Monroe since 1999–2000; alternately branded athletically as ULM.
  2. Branded athletically as "UConn" since the 2013–14 season.
  3. Known as Missouri State since 2005–06.

Team titles

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UConn
UConn
Tennessee
Tennessee
Baylor
Baylor
Stanford
Stanford
Louisiana Tech
Louisiana Tech
USC
USC
NotreDame
Notre
Dame
LSU
LSU
Maryland
Maryland
NorthCarolina
North
Carolina
Old Dominion
Old Dominion
Purdue
Purdue
SouthCarolina
South
Carolina
Texas
Texas
TexasA&M
Texas
A&M
TexasTech
Texas
Tech
Schools that have won the NCAA Division I women's basketball championship
11, 8, 3, 2, 1
More information Team, # ...
Team # Years
UConn 11 1995, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Tennessee 8 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008
Baylor 3 2005, 2012, 2019
South Carolina 2017, 2022, 2024
Stanford 1990, 1992, 2021
Louisiana Tech 2 1982, 1988
Notre Dame 2001, 2018
USC 1983, 1984
LSU 1 2023
Maryland 2006
North Carolina 1994
Old Dominion 1985
Purdue 1999
Texas 1986
Texas A&M 2011
Texas Tech 1993
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Multiple NCAA championship coaches

More information Coach, School ...
Coach School Championships
Geno Auriemma UConn 11
Pat Summitt Tennessee 8
Kim Mulkey Baylor / LSU 4
Dawn Staley South Carolina 3
Tara VanDerveer Stanford
Muffet McGraw Notre Dame 2
Linda Sharp Southern California
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NCAA Championship by conference

Note: Conferences are listed by all champions' affiliations at that time; these do not necessarily match current affiliations.

More information Conference, Year ...
Conference Year Championships
Southeastern 1987, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2007, 2008, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024 12
Big East[a 1] 1995, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013 9
Pac-12[a 2] 1983, 1984, 1990, 1992, 2021 5
Big 12 2005, 2011, 2012, 2019 4
American Athletic 2014, 2015, 2016 3
Atlantic Coast 1994, 2006, 2018
Southwest 1986, 1993 2
Western Collegiate 1983, 1984
American South 1988 1
Big Ten 1999
Independent 1982
Sun Belt 1985
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  1. [a 1]
    The Big East Conference operated in its original form from 1979 until 2013. During that time, UConn won eight championships, and Notre Dame won one. Following the three-way 2013 split of that conference and subsequent settlement between the non-FBS schools and the remaining schools, the conference legally changed its name to the American Athletic Conference. Three schools (among them Notre Dame) left for the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2013, with a fourth doing the same in 2014; one school left for the Big Ten in 2014; and the non-FBS schools retained the Big East name. However, the current Big East now maintains the history of the original conference in all sports that it sponsors, including women's basketball. UConn then moved from the American to the new Big East in all sports outside football in the summer of 2020. The American no longer claims any of the original Big East's competitive history, though legally it does even in the two sports that it sponsors and the current Big East does not (football and women's rowing).
  2. [a 2]
    Known as the Pacific-10 Conference, or Pac-10, when its first 4 titles were won.

NCAA Final Four locations

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NCAA Final Four locations (hover over city to see arena)
  • 1982 – Norfolk, Virginia
  • 1983 – Norfolk, Virginia
  • 1984 – Los Angeles, California
  • 1985 – Austin, Texas
  • 1986 – Lexington, Kentucky
  • 1987 – Austin, Texas
  • 1988 – Tacoma, Washington
  • 1989 – Tacoma, Washington
  • 1990 – Knoxville, Tennessee
  • 1991 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 1992 – Los Angeles, California
  • 1993 – Atlanta, Georgia
  • 1994 – Richmond, Virginia
  • 1995 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • 1996 – Charlotte, North Carolina
  • 1997 – Cincinnati, Ohio
  • 1998 – Kansas City, Missouri
  • 1999 – San Jose, California
  • 2000 – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • 2001 – St. Louis, Missouri
  • 2002 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2003 – Atlanta, Georgia
  • 2004 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2005 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2006 – Boston, Massachusetts
  • 2007 – Cleveland, Ohio
  • 2008 – Tampa, Florida
  • 2009 – St. Louis, Missouri
  • 2010 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2011 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2012 – Denver, Colorado
  • 2013 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2014 – Nashville, Tennessee
  • 2015 – Tampa, Florida
  • 2016 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2017 – Dallas, Texas
  • 2018 – Columbus, Ohio
  • 2019 – Tampa, Florida
  • 2020 – New Orleans, Louisiana
  • 2021 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2022 – Minneapolis, Minnesota
  • 2023 – Dallas, Texas
  • 2024 – Cleveland, Ohio
  • 2025 – Tampa, Florida
  • 2026 – Phoenix, Arizona
  • 2027 – Columbus, Ohio
  • 2028 – Indianapolis, Indiana
  • 2029 – San Antonio, Texas
  • 2030 – Portland, Oregon
  • 2031 – Dallas, Texas

Result by school and by year

Summarize
Perspective
See also: NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament bids by school

Two hundred and eighty-three teams have appeared in the NCAA tournament in at least one year starting with 1982 (the initial year that the post-season tournament was under the auspices of the NCAA). The results for all years are shown in this table below.[7]

  •  ƒ  First Four (First played in 2022.)
  •  •  Round of 64 (Fewer than 64 teams invited before 1994.)
  •  32  Round of 32
  •  16  Sweet Sixteen
  •  E8  Elite Eight
  •  F4  Final Four
  •  RU  National Runner-up
  •  CH  National Champion
  •  CH   RU   F4   E8   16   32   •   ƒ  The team achieved the placement shown, but the participation was later vacated. These vacated appearances are not included in the total columns.

For each season, the 4 teams seeded No. 1 are shown with double underline, and 12 teams seeded between No. 2 and No. 4 are shown with dotted underline.

More information School, Conference ...
School Conference # 16 E8 F4 CG CH 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 21 22 23 24

UConnBig East353128231211•32F432•E8CHF4E8E816CHF4CHCHCH16E8E8F4CHCHF4F4CHCHCHCHF4F4F4F4RU16F4
TennesseeSEC42362818138F4E8RU16F4CHF4CHE8CH16E816RUCHCHCHE8RU16F4RURUF4E8CHCH•16E8E8E816E8E83232•32161632
StanfordPac-1237292215533216E8CHF4CH16E8F4F4F4••32321632E8E8E832RUF4RUF4F416F416E8F416E8CHF43216
South CarolinaSEC2014863316•32•16•E832163216F416CHE816F4CHF4CH
BaylorBig 12221610433•3216CH 16323216F4E8CH16E8E8E8E816CHE8323216
Notre DameACC292010972••32F4163216CH32161632•3216•16RURUF4RURU16E8CHRU161616
Louisiana TechCUSA2720161062CHRUF4E8E8RUCHF4F4••E8RU16E816RUF4E8E8•1616••••
USCPac-1218117332E8CHCH16RU161632E816E8•323232••E8
PurdueBig Ten2712832132163216F4E8•32E8CH32RU32E8163216E832E832323232•32ƒ
Old DominionSun Belt2512532116F4E8CH16323232•3232•16RU161616•E8•••••16
LSUSEC29161061116E832•16•321616E83232E8F4F4F4F4F43232321616•••32CHE8
MarylandBig Ten311611511F4163232E8F432•E832••3232CH32E8E832E816F4F4321632321616E8•
TexasBig 12361812311E8E816CHF4E8E8E8•3232323232•••16F4163232••••3216E81616•E8E832E8
North CarolinaACC3118731132163216323216CH1616E816161632•E8F4F4E832•1632E816••163232
Texas TechBig 12201141113232••16CH16E816323216E81616E83216••
Texas A&MSEC189311116••32E81632CH1632E8•3232161616•
AuburnSEC2210633-32161616E8RURURUE81632E832323232•3232••ƒ
GeorgiaSEC36201152-32F4E8RU1616163232E832F4RUE8•F4E832•16E816161632•1616•E8••32323232
DukeACC26181142-32323232E8RU1616F4F4E8E8RU161632E8E8E8E8321632163216
LouisvilleACC2612842-32323232•32••••3216RU1632RUE8163216F4E8E8F4E8•
IowaBig Ten3010632-32E8E816323232F4321632323232••••32••323216•E81632RURU
Mississippi StateSEC125322-•32323232163216RURUE832
VirginiaACC2512731-32323216E816F4RUF4E816E8E81632•16••32323232•32
OklahomaBig 122410331-16321616RU•32•161632F4F4163216•323232•323232
Western KentuckyCUSA206331-F4F43232••16RU163216•3232••••••
RutgersBig Ten2611721-E8E81632••3232•16E8F43232•E816RUE816•32•32••
CheyneyD233221-RU16F4
Ohio StateBig Ten2813411-3232E816E8161632RU32•32321632••163216•3216163216E832
Michigan StateBig Ten193111-323232•32RU1632163232•323232•32••
ArizonaPac-12112111-32163232••32RU3232•
SyracuseACC131111-3232•••3232RU32•323232
Long Beach StateBig West12962--16E8E8E816F4F4E83216••
NC StateACC291632--1632161632161616161632•F432•16•••16••32161616E8•F4
Missouri StateMissouri Valley17522--32F4163232••32•F4••••1616•
VanderbiltSEC281451--3232•1616E8F41616E816•32E8E83216163232161632•3232••
Penn StateBig Ten251341--16E8321616323232321632E8321632F4•1616E8•32163216
WashingtonPac-1219731--3232321632E816323216••E8•32••F416
Oregon StatePac-1213631--1632•32•3232F416E81632E8
OregonPac-1217431--32323232••32•32••32E8E8F416•
ArkansasSEC13321--••E81632F43232323232••
AlabamaSEC13611--16•3232F4161616163232•32
MinnesotaBig Ten10311--323216F416••32•32
CaliforniaPac-1214211--••32••321632F4323232•32
Virginia TechACC13211--•323216323232•3232•F432
Louisiana–MonroeSun Belt3211--3216F4
Ole MissSEC20115---321616E8E81616E816•E832••••E8•1632
KentuckySEC1764---E832••3232E832E8E8163216323232•
ColoradoPac-121573---3232•E816E8321632E816•••16
Florida StateACC2253---32•32323232163232E8323232E816E83232•ƒ••
UCLAPac-121992---3216•1632E8••323232321616E816321616
Arizona StatePac-121772---1616••321632E832E8•321632323216
Iowa StateBig 122262---•32E8161632•3232E816••32•••323216•32
XavierBig East1022---•32•E8••••E832
GonzagaWest Coast1551---•3216E816••16••32•32•16
George WashingtonAtlantic 101841---3232321632E83232•32•32321616•••
ClemsonACC1641---32321616E832323232•32163232•32
IndianaBig Ten1041---16•••3232E8163216
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OhioMAC3-----•••
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JacksonvilleASUN1-----•
Texas SouthernSWAC1-----•
NichollsSouthland1-----•
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SeattleWAC1-----•
Abilene ChristianWAC1-----•
Bethune–CookmanSWAC1-----•
TowsonCAA1-----•
BradleyMissouri Valley1-----•
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Stony BrookCAA1-----•
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IUPUIHorizon1-----•
Incarnate WordSouthland1-----ƒ
Sacramento StateBig Sky1-----•
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PresbyterianBig South1-----•
ColumbiaIvy League1-----ƒ
Close
Notes

    Tournament trends

    Summarize
    Perspective

    Top-ranked teams

    Since the women's tournament began in 1982, 20 teams have entered the tournament ranked #1 in at least 1 poll and gone on to win the tournament:

    • 1982: Louisiana Tech
    • 1983: USC
    • 1986: Texas
    • 1989: Tennessee
    • 1995: UConn
    • 1998: Tennessee
    • 1999: Purdue
    • 2000: UConn
    • 2002: UConn
    • 2003: UConn
    • 2009: UConn
    • 2010: UConn
    • 2012: Baylor
    • 2014: UConn
    • 2015: UConn
    • 2016: UConn
    • 2019: Baylor
    • 2021: Stanford
    • 2022: South Carolina
    • 2024: South Carolina

    Champions excluded the next year

    Only once has the reigning champion (the previous year's winner) not made it to the tournament the next year.

    No. 1 seeds

    Since 1982, at least one #1 seed has made the Final Four every year.

    Under coach Geno Auriemma, Connecticut has been seeded #1 a record 22 times. Tennessee is second with 21 #1 seeds.

    All four #1 seeds have made it to the Final Four 4 times (champion in bold):

    • 1989 Auburn, Louisiana Tech, Maryland, Tennessee
    • 2012 Baylor, UConn, Notre Dame, Stanford
    • 2015 UConn, Maryland, Notre Dame, South Carolina
    • 2018 UConn, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, Louisville

    The championship game has matched two #1 seeds 15 times:

    • 1983 USC beat Louisiana Tech
    • 1986 Texas beat USC
    • 1989 Tennessee beat Auburn
    • 1991 Tennessee beat Virginia
    • 1995 UConn beat Tennessee
    • 2000 UConn beat Tennessee
    • 2002 UConn beat Oklahoma
    • 2003 UConn beat Tennessee
    • 2010 UConn beat Stanford
    • 2012 Baylor beat Notre Dame
    • 2014 UConn beat Notre Dame
    • 2015 UConn beat Notre Dame
    • 2018 Notre Dame beat Mississippi State
    • 2019 Baylor beat Notre Dame
    • 2024 South Carolina beat Iowa

    Three teams have beaten three #1 seeds during the course of a tournament (the largest number of such teams that can be faced) (all three teams won the national championship as beating a 3rd #1 seed in a single tournament can only happen in the finals):

    • 1987 Tennessee (beat Auburn, Long Beach State, Louisiana Tech)
    • 1988 Louisiana Tech (beat Auburn, Tennessee, Texas)
    • 2005 Baylor (beat LSU, Michigan State, North Carolina)

    Prior to the expansion of the tournament to 64 teams, all four #1 seeds advanced to the Sweet Sixteen with three exceptions. Notably, the first two times this occurred were at the hands of the same school:

    • 1986 East #1 seed Virginia lost to #8 seed James Madison
    • 1991 East #1 seed Penn State lost to #8 seed James Madison
    • 1992 Midwest #1 seed Iowa lost to #8 seed Southwest Missouri State

    High seeds

    • 1999 was the first time in tournament history (since the expansion to 64 teams) that all top seeds (1, 2, 3, and 4 seeds) made it to the Sweet Sixteen.

    Low seeds

    Main article: NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament upsets

    Teams entering the tournament unbeaten

    Of the 20 teams who have entered the tournament unbeaten, 10 went on to win the National Championship.[8]

    The first record here refers to the record before the first game of the NCAA tournament.

    More information Year, Team ...
    YearTeamRecordResultFinal record
    1986Texas30–0Won the tournament, beat USC34–0
    1990Louisiana Tech29–0Lost in Final Four game to Auburn32–1
    1992Vermont29–0Lost in Round of 64 game to George Washington29–1
    1993Vermont28–0Lost in Round of 64 game to Rutgers28–1
    1995UConn29–0Won the tournament, beat Tennessee35–0
    1997UConn30–0Lost in Elite Eight game to Tennessee33–1
    1998Tennessee33–0Won the tournament, beat Louisiana Tech39–0
    Liberty28–0Lost in Round of 64 game to Tennessee28–1
    2002UConn33–0Won the tournament, beat Oklahoma39–0
    2009UConn33–0Won the tournament, beat Louisville39–0
    2010UConn33–0Won the tournament, beat Stanford39–0
    2012Baylor34–0Won the tournament, beat Notre Dame40–0
    2014Notre Dame32–0Lost in championship game to UConn37–1
    UConn34–0Won the tournament, beat Notre Dame40–0
    2015Princeton30–0Lost in Round of 32 game to Maryland31–1
    2016UConn32–0Won the tournament, beat Syracuse38–0
    2017UConn32–0Lost in Final Four game to Mississippi State36–1
    2018UConn32–0Lost in Final Four game to Notre Dame36–1
    2023South Carolina32–0Lost in Final Four game to Iowa36–1
    2024South Carolina32–0Won the tournament, beat Iowa38–0
    Close

    Undefeated teams not in the tournament

    The NCAA tournament has undergone dramatic expansion since its first edition in 1982, and only one unbeaten team has failed to qualify for the tournament—California Baptist in 2021, which was 24–0 after winning the Western Athletic Conference Tournament.[9] As, by definition, a team would have to win its conference tournament, and thus secure an automatic bid to the tournament, to be undefeated in a season, the only way a team could finish undefeated and not reach the tournament is if the team is banned from postseason play. (Other possibilities are that the team is independent, or is from a conference not yet eligible for an automatic bid.) Postseason bans can come about for one of two reasons:

    • The team is serving a postseason ban due to NCAA sanctions.
    • The team is transitioning from a lower NCAA division, during which time it is barred by NCAA rule from participation in NCAA-sponsored postseason play. This is the case for California Baptist, which began a transition from Division II in 2018 and thus could not play in the NCAA tournament until 2023. California Baptist was eligible for the WNIT because that tournament is not operated by the NCAA, unlike the men's version (or the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament introduced in 2024); the Lancers lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Rice.

    Home state

    Only one team has ever played the Final Four on its home court. Two other teams have played the Final Four in their home cities, and seven others have played the Final Four in their home states.

    The only team to play on its home court was Texas in 1987, which lost its semifinal game at the now-defunct Frank Erwin Special Events Center.

    Old Dominion enjoyed nearly as large an advantage in 1983 when the Final Four was played at the Norfolk Scope in its home city of Norfolk, Virginia, but also lost its semifinal. The Scope has never been the Monarchs' regular home court. ODU has always used on-campus arenas, first the ODU Fieldhouse and since 2002 Chartway Arena. The following year, USC won the national title at Pauley Pavilion, the home court of its Los Angeles archrival UCLA.

    Of the other teams to play in their home states, Stanford (1992) won the national title; Notre Dame (2011) lost in the championship game; and Western Kentucky (1986), Penn State (2000), Missouri State (2001), LSU (2004), and Baylor (2010) lost in the semifinals.

    Championship margins

    • Overtime games in a championship game:[10]
      • Tennessee 70, Virginia 67/OT (1991)
      • Maryland 78, Duke 75/OT (2006)
    • Smallest margin of victory in a championship game: 1 point[11]
      • North Carolina 60, Louisiana Tech 59 (1994)
      • Baylor 82, Notre Dame 81 (2019)
      • Stanford 54, Arizona 53 (2021)
    • Biggest margin of victory in a championship game: 33 points[11]
      • UConn 93, Louisville 60 (2013)
    • Margin of 10 points: Louisiana Tech (1982), Tennessee (1987 & 1989), Purdue (1999), UConn (2000, 2002, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2015 & 2016), and Baylor (2012) are teams to win every game in the tournament by 10 points or more on their way to a championship. The 2016 UConn team won every game by more than 20 points.
    • Top 9 largest point differentials accumulated over the entire tournament by tournament champion. Notably, Louisiana Tech's differential is prior to the expansion of 64 teams and the addition of one more round of play.
      • 2016 UConn (+239)
      • 2010 UConn (+214)
      • 2013 UConn (+208)
      • 2015 UConn (+197)
      • 2000 UConn (+187)
      • 2002 UConn (+161)
      • 2019 Baylor (+159)
      • 1982 Louisiana Tech (+158)
      • 2014 UConn (+156)

    Same-conference championship games

    7 championship games have featured two teams from the same conference (winner listed first and bolded):

    • 1989 SEC, Tennessee and Auburn
    • 1996 SEC, Tennessee and Georgia
    • 2006 ACC, Maryland and Duke
    • 2009 Big East, UConn and Louisville
    • 2013 Big East, UConn and Louisville
    • 2017 SEC, South Carolina and Mississippi State
    • 2021 Pac-12, Stanford and Arizona

    Television coverage and revenues

    Summarize
    Perspective
    Main article: List of NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament Final Four broadcasters

    Broadcast rights to the NCAA women's basketball tournament are included in a larger package covering most NCAA Division I championships,[12][13] outside of men's basketball (which is held by CBS and TNT Sports),[14] and golf (which is held by Golf Channel).[15] ESPN has held exclusive rights to the tournament since 1996; beginning with an 11-year, $200 million contract renewal in 2003, ESPN would televise all 63 games in the tournament on television (increasing from 23), with games in the first and second rounds airing regionally on ESPN and ESPN2. Out-of-market games were carried via pay-per-view.[16] Coverage later expanded to include ESPN's college sports-oriented network ESPNU, and ESPN360 for streaming.[17] In 2011, ESPN renewed this agreement through the 2023–24 season, in a deal reported to be worth $500 million in total. The deal also included rights to the men's tournament outside of the United States for ESPN International.[18] In 2024, ESPN renewed the contract again through 2032 (aligned with the end of the media rights for the men's tournament), in an agreement valued at $920 million over eight years.[19]

    In the first two rounds, one channel (typically ESPN or ESPN2's high-definition feed) typically aired "whiparound" coverage during each window, carrying rolling coverage of all games in progress. ESPN's standard definition channels were used to broadcast games on a regional basis, while games could also be viewed in their entirety on ESPN3 or alternate channels.[17] In 2021, ESPN adopted a broadcast arrangement similar to the men's tournament, with all games airing nationally in their entirety on either an ESPN linear channel or, for the first time, ABC. The Women's Final Four and championship remained exclusive to ESPN.[20] Beginning in 2023, the national championship game has aired on ABC.[21][22]

    In data issued by the NCAA in 2021, it was stated that 15.9% of the value of the contract was allocated to the women's tournament, or approximately $6.1 million annually. In comparison, the contract for the men's tournament is valued at over $700 million annually. Amid scrutiny of inequality between the men's and women's tournaments that year, it has been suggested by critics that the structure of the NCAA's contract undervalues the media rights to the women's tournament.[23][24] Based on average viewership, Emily Caron and Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico estimated that the women's tournament could fetch at least $20 million per year if its media rights were sold separately. America East Conference commissioner Amy Huchthausen argued that the ESPN contract "provides a measure of financial certainty, but it does not provide women's basketball (or any of the other sports, for that matter) an incentive to grow".[25]

    Following major media criticism of inequities between the 2021 men's and women's tournaments, the NCAA commissioned a comprehensive gender equity review of its championships by the law firm Kaplan Hecker & Fink. Among the report's findings was that U.S. television rights for the women's tournament would be worth at least $81 million annually by the time the current broadcast contract with ESPN expires in 2024 (in comparison to the $34 million value of the NCAA package as a whole).[12][13]

    In an interview on NBC's Meet the Press on the day of the 2023 national championship, new NCAA president Charlie Baker implicated that the media rights to the women's basketball tournament may be sold separately in the next rights cycle, stating that "we do have an opportunity to put it out separately, and we're going to work really hard to make sure that those student-athletes, those schools, those programs get what I describe as what they should get."[26] Interest in Caitlin Clark's tournament run had led to record viewership of Iowa's Women's Final Four and championship games on ESPN and ABC, respectively.[21][27]

    Nevertheless, the NCAA renewed its existing agreements with ESPN in January 2024 under an eight-year agreement, with ESPN paying approximately $115 million per season, and the NCAA having valued the media rights to the Division I women's basketball tournament at $65 million. The agreement also includes expanded rights for ESPN to sell sponsorships (although CBS/WBD will still administer the NCAA Corporate Champion and Partner Program sponsorships per its rights to the men's tournament), and guarantees that the national championship will air on ABC annually.[22]

    See also

    References

    External links

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