First-round (and even first-weekend) upsets in the women’s NCAA Tournament are rare, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see thrillers from Day 1.
Since the women’s tournament expanded to 64 games in 1994, only one No. 16 seed has brought down a No. 1 seed: Harvard over Stanford in 1998. A No. 15 seed or No. 14 seed has never won a tournament game. But the 12-5 matchup remains spicy with 26 upsets through the years. Some teams (Florida Gulf Coast and Belmont) have become particularly adept at these.
No. 12 FGCU vs. No. 5 seeds
| Year | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
|
2018 |
Missouri |
80-70 |
|
2022 |
Virginia Tech |
84-81 |
|
2023 |
Washington State |
74-63 |
|
2024 |
Oklahoma |
? |
The first weekend will also bring us interesting style and personnel matchups. Who will move on? Who’s March Madness dreams will end quickly?
Our experts pick the most fascinating first-round games to watch:
(All times listed are Eastern)
11:30 a.m. Friday, ESPN2
Grace Raynor: The Spartans’ 22 wins are their most since the 2015-16 season, and they’ve hung right in with some of the best teams in the Big Ten this year, losing on the road to Iowa by just 3 points and Ohio State by 5. North Carolina, meanwhile, gave South Carolina one of its tougher games earlier in the season when the Gamecocks won by just 7 points in Chapel…
