Heading into Selection Sunday, there was more debate than usual about the identity of the four No. 1 seeds in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. Two spots were essentially up for grabs, and even Indiana — a team that was assured of landing on the top line — appeared a little shaky with two defeats in its last three games.
One week later, the confusion around those top teams has turned the typically chalky women’s tournament into pure chaos. Stanford and Indiana were bounced from the second round — the first time two No. 1 seeds have been ousted before the Sweet 16 since 1998. And though the Cardinal and the Hoosiers each had their own specific challenges in those defeats, a few similarities at play brought down those titans.
In much of the women’s tournament history, No. 1 seeds have treated the first weekend as a bye into the Sweet 16, particularly a program with Stanford’s pedigree. The Cardinal won their first two games every year since 2007, which included nine Final Four appearances and a championship in 2021. Indiana isn’t a historical powerhouse but has been on the upswing, making the Elite 8 and Sweet 16 in the last two years before winning the most games in team history this season.
According to the New York Times, only four top seeds had failed to make it to the…
