Sure, David against Goliath can be fun. But so can a clash of the titans.
The 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament is primed to offer plenty of both.
Just take a peek at No. 1 seed Iowa's quadrant. The Hawkeyes' journey to the Final Four includes a potential second-round meeting with a No. 9 Princeton team primed for an upset — and then a possible rematch No. 3 LSU lurking several rounds down the road.
Yet despite the treacherous paths awaiting the top seeds, my picks for the national championship game set up a battle of the best.
The best team of the last three seasons is overall No. 1 seed South Carolina, with head coach Dawn Staley building her squad into an immovable presence in the national rankings. And the best player of the last three seasons is Iowa super star Caitlin Clark, who this season in particular has proved an unstoppable force.
This epic season of women's college basketball deserves a winner-take-all meeting between the Gamecocks and Hawkeyes as its crowning moment.
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Women’s March Madness bracket predictions 2024
Albany Regional 1 picks
FIRST ROUND
1 South Carolina over 16 Sacred Heart / Presbyterian
8 North Carolina over 9 Michigan State
12 Florida Gulf Coast over 5 Oklahoma
4 Indiana over 13 Fairfield
11 Texas A&M over 6 Nebraska
3 Oregon State over 14 Eastern Washington
7 Ole Miss over 10 Marquette
2 Notre Dame over 15 Kent State
SECOND ROUND
1 South Carolina over 8 North Carolina
4 Indiana over 12 Florida Gulf Coast
3 Oregon State over 11 Texas A&M
2 Notre Dame over 7 Ole Miss
SWEET 16
1 South Carolina over 4 Indiana
2 Notre Dame over 3 Oregon State
ELITE EIGHT
1 South Carolina over 2 Notre Dame
South Carolina lost all five of its starters from last season. Yet the Gamecocks (32-0) find themselves in exactly the same spot as they were one year ago: undefeated and holding the No. 1 overall seed entering the NCAA Tournament.
Still, North Carolina could pose a problem in the second round. The Tar Heels gave the Gamecocks one of their toughest games of the season back in November, holding South Carolina's high-octane offense to 65 points and a seven-point margin of victory.
Ole Miss and Florida Gulf Coast both managed big upsets in last season's tournament, and Texas A&M could follow their lead this time around. And while Notre Dame lost by 29 points to South Carolina in the opening game of the season in Paris, freshman phenom Hannah Hidalgo scored 31 points for the Irish — and she's only gotten better.
Notre Dame is dealing with injuries, though. The Irish bested NC State in the ACC championship game but used just six players after Kylee Watson tore her ACL in the conference tournament semifinal.
And no matter what the other teams do, South Carolina remains South Carolina. So expect the Gamecocks to make it out of this region.
MORE: Breaking down South Carolina's path to Final Four
Albany Regional 2 picks
FIRST ROUND
1 Iowa over 16 Holy Cross / UT Martin
9 Princeton over 8 West Virginia
5 Colorado over 12 Drake
4 Kansas State over 13 Portland
6 Louisville over 11 Middle Tennessee
3 LSU over 14 Rice
10 UNLV over 7 Creighton
2 UCLA over 15 California Baptist
SECOND ROUND
1 Iowa over 9 Princeton
4 Kansas State over 5 Colorado
3 LSU over 6 Louisville
10 UNLV over 2 UCLA
SWEET 16
1 Iowa over 4 Kansas State
3 LSU over 10 UNLV
ELITE EIGHT
1 Iowa over 3 LSU
Caitlin Clark may play the superhero for Iowa, but there's no doubt the Hawkeyes are going up against the Region of Doom.
I'm still picking Iowa to escape from this gauntlet, but any one of seven other teams could make a Final Four run out of this quadrant and I wouldn't bat an eye.
Princeton is chronically underseeded as the Ivy League champion. Colorado opened the season with a decisive win against LSU — which also finds itself in this region, and famously bested the Hawkeyes in the 2023 NCAA Tournament final. Kansas State beat Iowa earlier this season, though the Hawkeyes turned around and beat the Wildcats just two weeks later.
And that just scratches the surface of the rematch potential: LSU guard Hailey Van Lith could battle her former team in Louisville. Iowa faced Colorado in the Elite Eight last season. UCLA beat Colorado twice this year, but both times by single digits. UNLV could make a run as a 10-seed — or the Rebels could lose in the first round to Creighton, the same team that knocked Iowa out in the second round just two years ago.
Bottom line: When you're watching any game from this region, grab your popcorn.
MORE: Breaking down Iowa's path to the Final Four
Portland Regional 1 picks
FIRST ROUND
1 USC over 16 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
9 Michigan over 8 Kansas
5 Baylor over 12 Vanderbilt / Columbia
4 Virginia Tech over 13 Marshall
11 Auburn / Arizona over 6 Syracuse
3 UConn over 14 Jackson State
7 Duke over 10 Richmond
2 Ohio State over 15 Maine
SECOND ROUND
1 USC over 9 Michigan
5 Baylor over 4 Virginia Tech
3 UConn over 11 Auburn / Arizona
2 Ohio State over 7 Duke
SWEET 16
1 USC over 5 Baylor
3 UConn over 2 Ohio State
ELITE EIGHT
1 USC over 3 UConn
Root for a UConn-Ohio State rematch in the Sweet 16. The Buckeyes bounced the Huskies in the same round in 2023, snapping UConn's streak of 14 consecutive Final Four appearances.
UConn brings a top-10 offense and a top-10 defense into the postseason, but the team also brings a bevy of injuries. Amari DeBerry will not be available for the entire tournament with a concussion, leaving the Huskies with just eight available players. Still, they've managed to get this far with an injury-riddled roster, and they've got at least two WNBA-ready players in Paige Bueckers and Aaliyah Edwards.
USC snagged the No. 1 seed with a win over Stanford in the Pac-12 championship game. Freshman guard JuJu Watkins looks set to lead the Trojans on a deep run, and the injury to Virginia Tech center Liz Kitley could help clear the path.
SN AWARDS: 2024 Women's All-America teams | Player of the Year | Coach of the Year
Portland Regional 2 picks
FIRST ROUND
1 Texas over 16 Drexel
8 Alabama over 9 Florida State
5 Utah over 12 South Dakota State
4 Gonzaga over 13 UC Irvine
6 Tennessee over 11 Green Bay
3 NC State over 14 Chattanooga
10 Maryland over 7 Iowa State
2 Stanford over 15 Norfolk State
SECOND ROUND
1 Texas over 8 Alabama
5 Utah over 4 Gonzaga
6 Tennessee over 3 NC State
2 Stanford over 10 Maryland
SWEET 16
5 Utah over 1 Texas
2 Stanford over 6 Tennessee
ELITE EIGHT
2 Stanford over 5 Utah
Texas sneaking in as the final top seed over Stanford came as a surprise for many observers, and I expect the Cardinal to rectify that when the bracket plays out.
Stanford held the No. 1 seed last season and then lost in the second round to No. 8 seed Ole Miss, so anything could happen. But in this region, the No. 2 line could be the better spot, with Utah and Gonzaga as tricky opponents for Texas.
The Utes play in a stacked Pac-12. So while their 22-10 record doesn't look formidable, they managed two wins against USC, plus victories against UCLA and Colorado, and a single-digit loss to South Carolina. They shoot 36.6% from 3-point range as a team, and if they can stay hot, they could make a push for the Final Four.
MORE: Breaking down LSU's path to the Final Four
Final Four picks
- 1 South Carolina over 2 Stanford
- 1 Iowa over 1 USC
Championship game: 1 South Carolina over 1 Iowa
Iowa and South Carolina met in the Final Four last season in what many saw as the de facto championship game. It didn't work out that way, as the Hawkeyes clawed their way to victory against the Gamecocks only to fall to LSU in the final. But that doesn't mean we don't want — and deserve — a rematch in 2024.
Caitlin Clark caused a stir when she waved off South Carolina's Raven Johnson behind the 3-point line in the 2023 semifinal, as if to say defending the first-year guard was not worth her time. Johnson took the gesture to heart, and she is shooting 33.3% from 3-point range as a sophomore — plus the Gamecocks added Te-Hina Paopao, who is a lethal 47.1% shooter from beyond the arc.
While Clark is undeniably the best player in the country, with an NCAA-leading 31.9 points and 8.9 assists per game, the Hawkeyes' brutal road to the Final Four could catch up to them against a well-rounded South Carolina team.