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The 2024 NCAA Women’s Tournament features South Carolina, Iowa, Texas and USC as the bracket’s top seeds. Over Wednesday and Thursday, we’ll know the first-round opponents of two of those teams thanks to the First Four.
Sacred Heart and Presbyterian begin the First Four action Wednesday night, as the No. 16 seeds will battle for a chance to play No. 1 overall seed South Carolina. Later Wednesday, No. 12 seeds Vanderbilt and Columbia will square off for an opportunity to meet Baylor in the first round.
Reigning champion LSU enters the NCAA Women’s Tournament as a No. 3 seed again, making the Tigers (or perhaps the selection committee?) one of CBS Sports’ “losers” from Selection Sunday. An unequivocal win is three Pac-12 teams securing No. 2 seeds, or better, in the NCAA Tournament.
Sixty-eight teams will begin their quest to be the last one standing come April 7. However, first we must narrow the field to 64 teams. On Wednesday and Thursday, eight teams will face off in the First Four. Here is what you need to know about the teams competing and how you can watch the games.
No. 16 Presbyterian 49, No. 16 Sacred Heart 42
Offense was at a premium in the first First Four game of the Women’s Tournament. Presbyterian shot 40% from the field and made only two shots from outside the key the entire game, but it was enough to hold off Sacred Heart’s .254 shooting percentage. Junior guard Mara Neira led the way for Presbyterian with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and she converted all five foul shots. Playing in Columbia, S.C., as part of the Albany 1 Regional, the Presbyterian Blue Hose, winners of the Big South Conference Tournament, have advanced to the field of 64 in their first NCAA bid in program history and will take on top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks on Friday.
No. 12 Vanderbilt 72, No. 12 Columbia 68
The SEC will have at least seven teams in the field of 64 after the host Commodores downed the Lions in their first NCAA Tournament appearance Wednesday night. Vanderbilt took a 36-26 lead into halftime, but the Ivy League runner-ups did manage to chip away behind Kitty Henderson (20 points) shooting 5 of 7 in the second half. With Vanderbilt leading by four, Iyana Moore connected for a deep 3 (of her game-high 22 points) to give the Commodores a seven-point lead with 24.4 seconds to go. Vanderbilt will face No. 5 Baylor Lady Bears in Blacksburg, Va., as part of the Portland 3 Regional on Friday.
No. 11 Auburn vs. No. 11 Arizona
Auburn and Arizona are historically strong programs who’ve struggled of late to make a splash in their respective conferences.
Auburn will make their first NCCA Tournament in five years. The Tigers finished seventh overall in the SEC (8-8) and recorded a 20-11 overall record. The biggest win for the Tigers came in January, when they upset LSU 67-62 at Neville Arena. Graduate student Honesty Scott-Grayson averages 17.4 points per game for Auburn and will be key to a potential Tigers run in the tournament.
The Wildcats are making their fourth consecutive NCAA Women’s Tournament, all under head coach Adia Barnes. Only two years ago, Aari McDonald led the Wildcats to the 2021 NCAA championship in dramatic fashion. The Wildcats went 8-15 in the Pac-12 this year and finished seventh behind Utah.
- When: Thursday, March 21
- Where: Gampel Pavilion — Storrs, Conn.
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- How to watch: ESPN2
- Next opponent: No. 5 Syracuse
No. 16 Holy Cross vs. No. 16 UT Martin
Holy Cross punched its ticket to the 2024 NCAA Women’s Tournament by winning its second consecutive Patriot League Conference title. The Crusaders finished the season with a 20-7 overall record, including an 11-7 record in conference play.
The UT Martin Skyhawks earned their automatic bid by winning the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The Skyhawks advance to the dance for the fifth time in program history and the first since 2014.
- When: Thursday, March 21
- Where: Carter-Hawkeye Arena — Iowa City, Iowa
- Time: 9 p.m. ET
- How to watch: ESPN2
- Next opponent: No. 1 Iowa
For more information on the 2024 NCAA Women’s Tournament, visit the CBS Sports Women’s College Basketball hub. You can check the latest news, view team rankings and print your own NCAA Women’s Tournament bracket.
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