Ranking five most likely Women's March Madness upsets in second round
· Yahoo Sports
The Women's NCAA Tournament is always packed full of action. Still, for the most part, the bracket can be chalky ― until it isn't.
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Every year, there's a team that goes on a deep run, surprising fans along the way. Or there's a team that wins a game that many thought they wouldn't. That's what March Madness is all about. Expect the unexpected. Your brackets have been warned.
With this in mind, there may be a few upsets on the horizon threatening to break brackets. Here are games to keep an eye on where upsets could be brewing. Some of these predicted wins could land beautifully when the second round is complete, while others will absolutely backfire.
1. No. 10 Virginia over No. 2 Iowa
If not for some fourth-quarter heroics during a first-round matchup against the FDU Knights, Iowa would be sitting at home. The Hawkeyes now have to face a hungry Virginia team led by Kymora Johnson, who has already beaten Arizona State during the First Four and Georgia in overtime during the first round. Iowa tends to disappear for long stretches, which can put the Hawkeyes in a bad position with such high stakes. Center Ava Heiden tends to be the one doing the heavy lifting to get them out of a jam. If Virginia finds a way to slow down Heiden, game on.
2. No. 6 Notre Dame over No. 3 Ohio State
This matchup is one of the most intriguing of the second round because it pits two stellar guards against each other. Jaloni Cambridge, the seventh-best scorer nationally (22.8 ppg), makes Ohio State go. Hannah Hidalgo, the third-best scorer in the country (25.2 ppg) and the nation's steals leader (173), is the heart of Notre Dame. Both have the potential to change a matchup in an instant. The question then becomes, who will be the better guard on the floor in the head-to-head matchup?
Under Hannah Hidalgo's leadership, Notre Dame has won eight of its last 10 games, including a top-10 win over Louisville to end its regular season and a near quadruple-double to open the NCAA Tournament. Should Hidalgo score at least 30 points against the Buckeyes, the Fighting Irish could extend their luck.
3. No. 7 Texas Tech over No. 2 LSU
LSU is the No. 1 scoring offense in the country, putting up an average of 95.1 points per game. On the other side, Texas Tech is the 29th-ranked scoring defense in the country, allowing opposing teams an average of 57.9 points per game. The Tigers tend to play fast, often scoring in transition and from multiple spots on the court.
Texas Tech tends to play with a press defense that frustrates opponents, causing havoc and turnovers. If the Lady Raiders can slow down LSU's high-powered offense and force it into turnovers ― the Tigers average 14.8 a game ― they can walk out of Baton Rouge with a win.
4. No. 8 Oklahoma over No. 1 UCLA
UCLA is a powerhouse with five potential WNBA draft prospects in its starting lineup that can punish teams in a variety of ways. If teams focus on Lauren Betts in the post, there's Kiki Rice, who can also score in the paint. Take away Kiki Rice, and there's Gianna Kneepens and Gabriela Jaquez banking triples from the perimeter. There's also Charlisse-Leger Walker, who does a little bit of everything that teams have to worry about.
Oklahoma would have its hands full with the Bruins, who score an average of 85.1 points per game, whil allowing 57 points on the other end. However, the Sooners have so many options that could help seal an upset win, including Raegan Beers in the paint, Payton Verhulst from the perimeter and freshman sensation Aaliyah Chavez, who is the team's penultimate floor general.
5. No. 9 Syracuse over No. 1 UConn
If Syracuse were to pull off a win over UConn, it would be one of the greatest upsets in women's college basketball history. The last time the Huskies lost a game as a program was to the Tennessee Volunteers on February 6, 2025, 409 days ago. What would make the potential upset win even more impressive is the Orange would be doing it without their starting point guard, Dominique Darius, who is out for the season with a hand injury.
Uche Izoje and Laila Phelia would have to lead the way, perhaps scoring at least 20 points apiece to help get the offense going, and Syracuse would have to lock in on defense. The Huskies have yet to be beaten this season, but they've had a slow starts (Feb. 1 vs. Tennessee and Feb. 18 vs. Villanova) that show glimpses of a pathway to toppling them. Syracuse only has to get through Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong and a pack of Huskies first. No pressure.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women's March Madness upset predictions: Ranking most likely second-round surprises