All 4 No. 1 seeds stay as the ladies’s Candy 16 is about to tip off on Friday.
With every of the highest three seeds, in addition to one four-seed and three five-seeds nonetheless dancing, the shortage of upsets has introduced some intriguing and compelling matchups.
Though the one-seeds will garner a lot of the consideration, and rightfully so, listed below are three groups not on the one-line which can be finest positioned for a Closing 4 run.
No. 2 seed UConn
The 2-seed Huskies seem like one of the vital full groups in the complete nation. Their offense (81.7 PPG) is ninth within the nation whereas their protection (51.5 PPG) leads Division I. UConn additionally possesses the best NET ranking and is as wholesome because it has been shortly with seniors Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers every overcoming torn ACLs, amongst different critical accidents.
UConn’s Candy 16 opponent, three-seed Oklahoma, has a NET rating of 13 and has been led all season by junior Raegan Beers (17.5 PPG, 9.3 RPG). Pretty much as good because the Sooners have been, their lack of ability to deal with the ball (18.7 turnovers per sport, 320th within the nation) is regarding and won’t lower it towards a balanced UConn workforce.
Advancing to the Closing 4 out of the Spokane 4 regional might be much more manageable for the Huskies as a consequence of USC star JuJu Watkins struggling a torn proper ACL within the Trojans’ Spherical of 32 win over nine-seed Mississippi State on Monday night time. Whatever the consequence within the USC-Kansas State matchup on Saturday, UConn has to love its probabilities of reaching one other Closing 4.
No. 3 seed Notre Dame
Whereas some might have written off the Preventing Irish after shedding three of their final 5 video games coming into the NCAA Event, Notre Dame has blitzed its approach via the primary two rounds with each wins by 21 or extra factors.
Its Candy 16 opponent, two-seed TCU, brings in a NET rating of eight, in addition to the Tenth-best subject aim proportion (47.93%). It can take that after which some for TCU to maintain up with Notre Dame and star sophomore Hannah Hidalgo (24.1 PPG).
A possible Elite Eight assembly awaits between the winner of Texas-Tennessee. If chalk holds, the Longhorns may current a problem defensively as they haven’t allowed an opponent to high 70 factors for the reason that Volunteers did so on Jan. 23. That might sluggish Notre Dame down, but when issues preserve clicking for the Preventing Irish, that also will not be sufficient.
No. 3 seed LSU
Though the Tigers entered the NCAA Event with three losses in a four-game span, they seem like absolutely wholesome and able to make a Closing 4 push. They’ve additionally topped 100 factors in every of their match video games to this point and common 85.5 factors per sport, good for fourth within the nation.
The 2-seed NC State isn’t any stroll within the park, given the Wolfpack simply hit an NCAA Tournament program-record 15 threes of their second-round win over seven-seed Michigan State. NC State will want extra of that if it’s going to preserve tempo with the Tigers.
If the whole lot goes as anticipated, the top-seeded UCLA Bruins would await within the Elite Eight. That might flip right into a rebounding battle, as each groups rank inside the highest 5 at crashing the boards. It’s actually not a simple path, however LSU is greater than able to reaching its second Closing 4 below head coach Kim Mulkey.
