For years, the knock on the women’s NCAA Tournament was that it was too predictable, too top-heavy. Why watch when you know what’s going to happen? That’s boring, right? It doesn’t make for compelling viewing, OK?
Ten women’s hoops programs have capped undefeated seasons with a national championship, most recently, South Carolina last season. UConn won 111 straight games, and that was after the Huskies and Lady Vols jockeyed for dominance in the 2000s. Remember that? Remember how that was bad for women’s college basketball? How a foregone conclusion to a national title matchup or Final Four pairing was somehow a reason not to watch or care?
Though Vegas might have oddsmakers who say the women’s and men’s tournament is equally chalky this season, it seems — for maybe the first time — there’s more uncertainty about which two or three teams might be in the national title game, and which collection of teams might make up the Final Four and Elite Eight on the women’s side than the men’s.
This season, there’s no obvious favorite, no team (or, even three teams, ahem) that seems to be head and shoulders above the rest. Sure, the idea of 15 or 14 seeds advancing to the second round doesn’t feel overly likely, but I also wouldn’t fault anyone entirely if…
