Women’s NCAA March Madness: Keys to a deep run
Local reporters break down some of the top teams, and their keys to victory in the 2025 March Madness tournament.
The 2025 women’s NCAA tournament officially kicked off Wednesday with the first pair of First Four games. Iowa State and Southern already punched their tickets. Which team will be next?
No. 11 Washington (19-13) will face off against No. 11 Columbia (23-6) at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina on Thursday, with the winner securing a date to dance against No. 6 West Virginia.
The play-in marks the Huskies’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. Washington is led by guards Elle Ladine and Sayvia Sellers, who are averaging 39.4% combined from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Columbia is making its second consecutive First Four appearance.
The last First Four matchup will see No. 16 William & Mary (15-18) and No. 16 High Point (21-11) square off at Moody Center in Austin, Texas. The winner will face No. 1 seed Texas.
We have a new ball game. Columbia looked completely disjointed in the first half, scoring only 21 points. However, the Lions came out with renewed energy in the third quarter and scored 19 points, nearly surpassing their first half total. Columbia’s Kitty Henderson, the Ivy League’s Defensive Player of the Year, showed off her defensive prowess and came up with back-to-back steals to bring the Lions within one possession of Washington, 43-40, with one minute remaining. She’s up to 11 points. Washington’s Sayvia Sellers ended Columbia’s 6-0 run with a layup, simultaneously ending the Huskies’ three-minute scoring drought. Washington has a 45-40 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Columbia cuts into Washington’s lead
Columbia went on a 11-4 run in the third quarter and cut Washington’s double-digit lead to six points with 5:43 remaining in the quarter following Kitty Henderson’s layup. Washington answered back with a shot from Dalayah Daniels to go back up by eight points, 42-34. Daniels is up to 17 points and 10 rebounds and is now drawing a double team from Columbia.
Washington heads to the locker room with a 13-point lead over Columbia, tying its largest lead of the game. The Huskies have been able to get whatever they want so far and have a size advantage over the Lions. Washington has outscored Columbia 30-12 in the paint, with the main beneficiary being Huskies forward Dalayah Daniels, who already has a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in the first half. Sayvia Sellers has a team-high 12 points, while Elle Ladine has eight points.
The Lions finally knocked down a 3-pointer in the second quarter. After going 0-of-9 from beyond the arc, Columbia’s Riley Weiss hit the first three of the game for the Lions with 7:00 remaining in the first half. Although shots are starting to fall for the Lions, they are still 2-of-15 from three and shooting 30% (9-of-30) from the field. Weiss leads Columbia with five points.
End of Q1: Washington 21, Columbia 10
The Huskies closed the first quarter on a 13-4 run to take a 21-10 lead over the Lions into the second quarter. Everything appeared to go right for Washington, which shot 62.5% from the field (10-of-16). Starters Dalayah Daniels, Sayvia Sellers and Elle Ladine each have six points. Meanwhile, Columbia is still looking to settle into the First Four matchup. The Lions are only shooting 33.3% (5-of-15) from the field and are 0-of-9 from three. They were held scoreless for over four minutes in the quarter and trailed by as many as 13 points.
The Washington Huskies went on a 6-0 run to take a 14-6 lead over the Columbia Lions with 4:20 remaining in the first quarter. The Huskies are shooting an impressive 87.5% from the field (7-of-8) to open the game and are outscoring the Lions 14-4 in the paint. Washington’s Elle Ladine leads the team with six points. Meanwhile, Columbia is struggling to find any kind of offensive rhythm. The Lions are shooting 30% from the field and have yet to knock down a three, going 0-of-7 from the 3-point line. Columbia’s Cecelia Collins has four points.
What time are the Women’s March Madness First Four games today?
March Madness continues with a second night of women’s First Four action. No. 11 Washington takes on No. 11 Columbia at 7 p.m. ET, followed by No. 16 William & Mary vs. No. 16 High Point. The second game has an approximate start time of 9 p.m. ET.
How to watch First Four Thursday: TV, streaming coverage
- TV channels: ESPN2
- Live stream: Fubo, which offers a free trial subscription for new users.
Watch Women’s March Madness and First Four with Fubo
March Madness First Four odds, according to BetMGM.
Odds as of Wednesday, March 19
Washington vs. Columbia
- Spread: Washington (-3.5)
- Moneyline: Washington (-160); Columbia (+135)
- Total: 137.5
William and Mary vs. High Point
- Spread: High Point (-5.5)
- Moneyline: High Point (-235); Texas (+195)
- Total: 126.5
Sportskeeda: Huskies to win
Alexander O’Reilly cites the Huskies’ experience if facing tougher competition as a reason Washington gets this pivotal win on Thursday.
Bleacher Nation: Columbia 68, Washington 67
The site’s computation cites the following: “Columbia is outscoring opponents by 14.8 points per game with a +432 scoring differential overall. It puts up 73.4 points per game (57th in college basketball) and allows 58.6 per contest (57th in college basketball).”
USA TODAY: High Point 65, William & Mary 60
Ehsan Kassim writes, “High Point pulls off a close victory but is not enough to cover the spread, as William & Mary sticks around until the end.”
Wednesday, March 19
First Four games
Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: Don’t be surprised by upsets
Armour writes: “Will all four No. 1s make the Final Four? Highly unlikely.
“There was a time when you could predict the Final Four before the season began and likely be right. But the caliber of play has improved so much that the women’s tournament is now ripe for the upsets that make the men’s tournament so enjoyable. … Don’t be surprised if Duke and Ohio State blow up some brackets.”
Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic: UConn to win it all
Merchant writes, “(Paige) Bueckers and (Sarah) Strong both average fewer than 30 minutes per game. Think about how much better the Huskies could be if they played an additional five or six minutes. UConn already put together an outstanding regular season, punctuated by its 29-point demolition of the Gamecocks in South Carolina. With how tough this season has been in the power conferences, the Huskies have been biding their time. If they can unlock an extra level in the postseason, this is their chance to end the UConn title drought.”
Elizabeth Swinton, Sports Illustrated: All four No. 1 seeds to reach Final Four
As the tournament approaches Swinton believes all four No. 1 seeds − UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and USC − will reach the Final Four. Picking No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four isn’t a bad strategy at all in the women’s tournament. Across the 42 years of women’s March Madness, there have been 168 No. 1 seeds and 94 of them (56%) have reached the Final Four. While you may not get your entire Final Four correct with this strategy, you are more than likely to have a few correct names.
Nicole Auerbach, NBC Sports: USC wins national championship
Auerbach is going against the grain with her pick. She writes, “JuJu [Watkins] has great pieces around her, but ultimately this history-making moment for the Trojans will come down to her. And she’ll be more than ready for it. The Trojans will win their first national championship in four decades.”
All times Eastern.
Wednesday, March 19 (First Four)
- No. 11 Iowa State 68, 11 Princeton 63
- No. 16 Southern U. 68, No. 16 UC San Diego 56
Thursday, March 20 (First Four)
- No. 11 Columbia vs. No. 11 Washington 7 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 16 UC San Diego vs. No. 16 Southern U., 9 p.m. | ESPNU
Friday, March 21 (First Round/Round of 64)
- No. 6 Michigan vs. No. 11 Iowa State, 11:30 a.m. | ESPN2
- No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 13 Liberty, 12 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 8 Utah vs. No. 9 Indiana, 1:30 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 3 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Stephen F. Austin, 2 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 5 Kansas State vs. No. 12 Fairfield, 2:30 p.m. | ESPNews
- No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon, 3:30 p.m. | ESPNU
- No. 2 TCU vs. No. 15 FDU, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech, 4 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 7 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Oregon, 5:30 p.m. | ESPNews
- No. 4 Ohio State vs. No. 13 Montana State, 5:30 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Ball State, 6 p.m. | ESPNU
- No. 7 Louisville vs. No. 10 Nebraska, 6 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech, 7:30 p.m. | ESPNews
- No. 2 Duke vs. No. 15 Lehigh, 8 p.m. | ESPNU
- No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 12 South Florida, 8 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 Southern U., 10 p.m. | ESPN
Saturday, March 22 (First Round/Round of 64)
- No. 6 Iowa vs. No. 11 Murray State, 12 p.m.| ESPN
- No. 2 UConn vs. No. 15 Arkansas State, 1 p.m. | ABC
- No. 5 Alabama vs. No. 12 Green Bay, 1:30 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 2 NC State vs. No. 15 Vermont, 2 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 6 West Virginia vs. No. 11 Columbia/Washington, 2 p.m. | ESPNews
- No. 3 Oklahoma vs. No. 14 FGCU, 2:30 p.m. | ESPNU
- No. 1 Southern California vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro, 3 p.m. | ABC
- No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 South Dakota State, 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 4 Maryland vs. No. 13 Norfolk State, 4 p.m. | ESPN
- No. 3 North Carolina vs. No. 14 Oregon State, 4:30 p.m. | ESPNU
- No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard, 4:30 p.m. | ESPNews
- No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State, 5:30 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 8 Illinois vs. No. 9 Creighton, 7:15 p.m. | ESPNews
- No. 6 Florida State vs. No. 11 George Mason, 7:45 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 High Point/William & Mary, 9:45 p.m. | ESPN2
- No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State, 10:15 p.m. | ESPN
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