Tim Roske/Associated Press
There are no surprises here.
All four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four in the 2015 NCAA women’s basketball tournament, proving the committee members to be astute in their tournament rankings and showing fans just how big the gap is between women’s basketball’s ruling class and all other competitors.
UConn, Notre Dame, South Carolina and Maryland have all made good on their talent and promise and are just two games away from championship glory.
In fact, the quarterfinals was made up of all No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, save for No. 7 Dayton, which suffered an unceremonious end to its surprise run with a 91-70 loss to UConn on Monday.
With just three games left to go in this tournament, the action should be at its best. There can be no letdowns or slack for any of the four teams remaining, as their opponents are surely talented enough to pounce on any and all lapses in form.
Here’s a look at the updated bracket, schedule and quick preview for the Final Four.
Bracket
An updated bracket for the women’s tournament can be found here.
Schedule
| April 5 | Semifinals | No. 1 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 South Carolina | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| April 5 | Semifinals | No. 1 UConn vs. No. 1 Maryland | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| April 7 | Championship | TBD vs. TBD | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
NCAA.com
Note: Live streams for each game can be found at WatchESPN.
Preview
The Huskies, as has been the case in many of their tournaments under head coach Geno Auriemma‘s guidance, appear to be the team to beat in this late stage. They’ve decimated all four of their opponents thus far while scoring at a breakneck pace (94 points per game).
UConn’s average margin of victory in this tournament is nothing short of spectacular.
| UConn | 41 |
| Notre Dame | 19.25 |
| South Carolina | 17.25 |
| Maryland | 13.25 |
NCAA.com
Just because Auriemma has made Final Four appearances routine for his program doesn’t mean he enjoys them any less as time goes on.
“I love going to the Final Four. I don’t care how many times it is, what the total number is. I love it for the fact that some of my players have never been there,” Auriemma said, per The Associated Press (via Sports Illustrated).
As the table clearly shows, the other three teams still standing haven’t exactly been holding on by the skin of their teeth. Only South Carolina has really come close to getting bounced from this tournament. It narrowly eked out a win over North Carolina, 67-65, in the third round and battled Florida State down the stretch in the Elite Eight to come away with an 80-74 victory.
Maryland has the tough task of ending UConn’s run of dominance. The Terrapins will likely have trouble keeping up with UConn’s offense, seeing as they are coming off a 58-48 win over Tennessee in the Elite Eight and have cracked the 80-point barrier just once this tournament and 17 times all season. In 36 games, the Huskies have fallen below the 80-point threshold just twice.
If they are to end the Huskies’ reign of terror, limiting the hot-shooting Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis will be key. Mosqueda-Lewis shot a ridiculous 7-of-10 from beyond the arc against Dayton, breaking the Division I record for three-pointers made in the process, per ESPN.com.
Young Kwak/Associated Press
Even if she somehow falters, the Huskies can always turn to a number of different players for points, including forwards Breanna Stewart and Morgan Tuck.
Maryland will be hoping for big performances from Shatori Walker-Kimbrough and Laurin Mincy to defeat UConn. Walker-Kimbrough scored 12 against Tennessee and blew up for 24 points against Duke in the Elite Eight.
Notre Dame has already faced UConn and Maryland this season, but this will be the Fighting Irish’s first test against South Carolina. Lindsay Allen has stepped up for a struggling Jewell Loyd as of late, with the former scoring 23 points in an Elite Eight win over Baylor and 28 in the team’s 81-60 win over Stanford—the only team to beat UConn this season—in the previous round.
ESPNW.com’s Graham Hays also noted the contributions of Michaela Mabrey against Baylor:
Any game is the sum of more than one part. As good as Allen was in the second half, Notre Dame should forever celebrate the shooting display Mabrey put on in the first half, especially given the circumstances. Under the weather, by her description taking fluids before the game, Mabrey didn’t play in the second half because of dizziness. But she got her money’s worth in the first half, putting physical woes aside to score 14 points and hit four 3-pointers. When Baylor looked like it might extend its early lead into comfortable territory, Mabrey kept pulling things back.
Who will win the 2015 NCAA women’s basketball tournament?
Who will win the 2015 NCAA women’s basketball tournament?
UConn
Notre Dame
South Carolina
Maryland
If Mabrey is back to full strength for the semifinals, Notre Dame could very well force its way into the championship game.
The Gamecocks were once upon a time the No. 1 team in the nation, only to be brutally ousted from that top spot when the Huskies defeated them 87-62 on Feb. 9. The Gamecocks are led by Tiffany Mitchell (14.1 points per game) and A’ja Wilson (12.9 points, 6.5 rebounds per game).
A potential rematch in the championship game would be an exciting treat for fans, though the Huskies would likely hold a major mental edge in that one.
NCAA Women's Basketball Bracket 2015: Schedule, Bracket Ahead of Final Four - Bleacher Report
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