Five players to watch during March Madness
USA Today’s Meghan Hall breaks down five players in the WNCAA March Madness Tournament we need to be paying more attention to.
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The 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament is continuing today with eight second-round games, each featuring teams desperate to survive the first weekend and advance to the Sweet 16 and beyond.
No. 2 Duke got out of a close game with No. 10 Oregon, a 59-53 win to seal the Blue Devils‘ spot in the Sweet 16, while Hannah Hidalgo and Notre Dame topped No. 6 Michigan 76-55 to get to the next round.
Two No. 1 seeds and powerhouses are also in action today. South Carolina is underway against No. 9 Indiana while UCLA closes out the day’s slate with a 10 p.m. tip against No. 8 Richmond. Elsewhere, Georgia Amoore and No. 4 seed Kentucky are taking on No. 5 seed Kansas State, and Kim Caldwell and No. 5 seed Tennessee will look to get back to the Sweet 16 against No. 4 seed Ohio State after the Vols missed out last year.
Follow along for live scores, bracket updates and more from Sunday’s second-round action.
Kentucky’s Clara Strack is 8-of-11 shooting with 20 points through nearly three quarters as the Wildcats are in a tight battle with Kansas State.
We’ve got a good one in Lexington, with Kansas State leading Kentucky 33-31 at the half. K-State outscored Kentucky 18-11 in the second quarter, but a Dazia Lawrence 2-point jumper with seconds left on the clock cut the deficit to two heading into the half. Kansas State’s Serena Sundell and Kentucky’s Clara Strack lead all scorers at 15 points apiece. Georgia Amoore has five points.
Has Hannah Hidalgo played her last at Purcell Pavilion? Moments after hitting two free throws to give Notre Dame a 73-38 in the fourth quarter, she walks off the court to applause from her teammates and Fighting Irish fans. Notre Dame will advance to play at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama for the Sweet 16 and, potentially, the Elite Eight.
From there, the Final Four and national title games will be held at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Kentucky holds a 20-15 lead over Kansas State after one quarter of play. Clara Strack leads the way with nine points for the Wildcats.
Heading into the media timeout in the third quarter, Notre Dame holds a 58-32 lead with 3:46 left. The Fighting Irish are on an 8-0 run.
The Kentucky vs. Kansas State second-round matchup has topped off. The Wildcats lead 7-5 at the first media timeout.
Duke is on to the Sweet 16 with a 59-53 win over Oregon. The Ducks led at halftime, but the Blue Devils took over in the second half and hung on for the victory.
Ashlon Jackson led Duke with 20 points, while Reigan Richardon added 13. Deja Kelly had 20 points for Oregon.
Notre Dame has a 46-28 halftime lead over Michigan. Michigan cut the lead by two in the quarter but are in a huge hole against the Fighting Irish.
Duke holds a 53-50 lead following a pair of free throws from Delaney Thomas. The Ducks call a timeout with 3:08 remaining. Liatu King leads the way with 12 points.
Notre Dame has led by as many as 20 points, but Michigan used an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 34-22 with 5:03 left in the first half.
Duke leads Oregon 45-40 heading into the fourth quarter. The Ducks trailed by as many as 10 in the quarter but have cut the lead back to five to make it competitive in the final quarter.
Notre Dame closes the first quarter out on a 15-1 run and leads Michigan 32-12. The Fighting Irish shot 12 of 16 from the field. Liatu King, Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Cintron each have eight points for Notre Dame.
Duke has outscored Oregon 11-0 to start the third quarter and holds a 34-28 lead with 5:45 left in the quarter. You can also keep up with the Ducks-Blue Devils game here.
Notre Dame jumps out to a 6-0 lead in the first three minutes, causing Michigan to call an early timeout.
Sunday’s second women’s college NCAA Tournament game has tipped off between Michigan and Notre Dame.
Ashlon Jackson has a pair of 3-pointers to open the second half and Duke has retaken a 29-28 lead early in the third quarter.
Oregon holds a 28-23 halftime lead over Duke, potentially setting up another upset win for the Ducks in the tournament. Deja Kelly leads Oregon with nine points, while Reigan Richardson leads the Blue Devils with nine as well.
Oregon shot 50% in the first half. Duke shot 35.7%.
Deja Kelly is off to a hot start for Oregon with nine points as the Ducks lead Duke 22-15 at the media timeout in the second quarter. Kelly is shooting 5 of 6 from the field. The Blue Devils are shooting just 6 of 21 from the field.
Defense wins the day in the first quarter in the Oregon-Duke matchup. The Ducks lead 12-9 after one quarter that saw the teams combine for 11 turnovers.
Oregon is leading 7-2 at the first media timeout with 4:42 left in the first quarter. The Blue Devils are on a 3:05 scoring drought and have three turnovers already.
And we’re off! No. 2 Duke and No. 10 Oregon tip off the action from a day full of action in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament.
We’re less than 10 minutes from the first tip of the day, as No. 2 seed Duke hosts No. 10 seed Oregon from Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Let’s be honest: Not all games are created equal, even in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Here’s a look at the best games to watch from the second round, courtesy of Cydney Henderson of the USA TODAY Sports Network:
- Spokane Region 1: No. 3 LSU vs. No. 6 Florida State
- Birmingham Region 2: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 9 Indiana
- Birmingham Region 3: No. 2 TCU vs. No. 7 Louisville
- Spokane Region 4: No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Kansas State
For a full rundown of games, including players to watch and more in-depth analysis, click here.
Winners and losers have already emerged from the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament. UConn looks ready to contend for a national championship. USC star JuJu Watkins was hurt in the first round. Who else finds themselves in the winners and losers’ brackets? Find out more here.
One of the biggest matchups of Sunday’s second-round action will pit No. 2 TCU vs. No. 7 seed Louisville at 6 p.m. on ESPN. Van Lith, of course, began her career with the Cardinals before transferring to LSU in 2023-24. She transferred again following the season, and has seen greater growth with the Horned Frogs.
Here’s more on her transfer from Louisville and LSU.
Upsets are why fans are glued to their TV screens during March Madness. The South Dakota Jackrabbits provided a major jolt for fans with their upset over Oklahoma State. There are more chances for upsets as the competition stiffens in the second round. See what USA TODAY’s Meghan Hall predicted for the second round here.
No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 9 seed Indiana will face off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. For picks, predictions and odds on the matchup — which also pits friends Te-Hina Paopao and Sydney Parrish against each other — check out the USA TODAY Sports Network.
Looking for some early insight to Sunday’s second-round games? Check out expert picks and predictions from the USA TODAY Sports Network here:
Watch women’s March Madness with Fubo (free trial)
Where to watch Women’s March Madness
- TV channels: ESPN | ABC
- Streaming: March Madness Live | Fubo (free trial)
Sunday’s second-round action will air across ESPN and ABC. Streaming options for those with a valid cable login include March Madness Live. Otherwise, Fubo covers the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial.
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