March Madness is here! After an exciting opening day of the women's NCAA tournament, we're back with 32 new teams in action on Day 2 of the first round. We're tracking all the action across all corners of the bracket, from the 2025 tournament debut of USC Trojans star JuJu Watkins to the start of Paige Bueckers' latest quest to finally win a title for the UConn Huskies.
Today, once again, we're in for 12 hours of women's hoops, so refresh the scoreboards, check your Women's Tournament Challenge bracket and consider this your destination to track all the highlights and results, along with analysis, reaction and on-site reporting from ESPN.
Jump to: Live updates | Full results and analysis
Saturday's schedule (all tips ET):
(9) Creighton Bluejays vs. (8) Illinois Fighting Illini, 7:15 p.m. (ESPNEWS)
(11) George Mason Patriots vs. (6) Florida State Seminoles, 7:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
(16) William & Mary Tribe vs. (1) Texas Longhorns, 9:45 p.m. (ESPN2)
(14) San Diego State Aztecs vs. (3) LSU Tigers, 10:15 p.m. (ESPN)
Saturday's full results and analysis
(14) Oregon State Beavers vs.
3) North Carolina Tar Heels
Final: UNC 70, OSU 49
How did UNC create separation in the second half? It all started when Lexi Donarski exploded in the third quarter, scoring the Tar Heels' first 14 points of the quarter and hitting five 3-pointers in that period --- good for the most 3's by a player in a single quarter so far this tournament. After Donarki lit the spark, everyone else followed along. Maria Gakdeng -- who found herself in early foul trouble -- scored almost as many points in the third (six) as she did the entire first half (seven), finishing the game with 13 points, five rebounds and one steal. North Carolina's defense played a huge role in slowing Oregon State -- the Beavers managed just 3-for-13 shooting when UNC used a zone defense, and it was only the third time this season Oregon State finished with fewer than 50 points in a game.
What's next for UNC: Though this is the fifth consecutive year the Tar Heels are playing in the tournament, it's the first time they're hosting since 2015, and they're determined to capitalize on that. As a No, 3 seed, UNC won the title back in 1994, but they have also failed to make it out of the second round as a No. 3 on three occasions. This year, they face West Virginia -- a squad they've faced only once, in 1979 -- in the Round of 32.
-- Kendra Andrews
(10) South Dakota State vs.
(7) Oklahoma State
Final: SDSU 74, OSU 68
How did the Jackrabbits upset Oklahoma State? The Jackrabbits have been one of the most dominant mid-major programs in the country, and on Saturday they showed that, taking down an Oklahoma State squad that had one of its best seasons in school history. South Dakota State doesn't have a player taller than 6-foot-2 and struggled at times going up against the 6-foot-6 Tenin Magassa down low, but the squad ultimately won points in the paint battle (38-26), held a +18 edge on the glass and were +10 from the free-throw line. Entering today, the Jackrabbits' roster boasted 1,036 combined games played at the school, the second-most of any program in this year's NCAA tournament; that experience and cohesion showed in the way they rallied despite facing an 11-point deficit in the third quarter. Madison Mathiowetz, Paige Meyer and Brooklyn Meyer (no relation) combined for 42 of the Jackrabbits' 50 second-half points.
South Dakota State has now won 20 consecutive games, which after today's results marks the longest active win streak in the country.
What's next for South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits advance to the second round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2023, the program's second win as a double-digit seed in the round of 64. They'll hope to make it to their second-ever Sweet 16 in Division I -- but standing in their way are the 2-seed UConn Huskies, who haven't lost that early in the tournament since 1993. -- Alexa Philippou
(16) UNC Greensboro vs.
(1) USC
Final: USC 71, UNC Greensboro 25
How did USC win?: Defense, defense and more defense. The Trojans showed once again why they are one of the elite defensive teams in the country, shutting down UNC Greensboro to just 25 points (tied for the second fewest in a game in NCAA tournament history; Duke also held Lehigh to 25 on Friday) and seven field goals in the game. JuJu Watkins led all scorers with 22 points but the performance was overshadowed by her two in-game injuries. During the first half, Watkins appeared to hurt her left wrist, but she stayed in the game. Then in the second half, she rolled her left ankle and, after a short stint in the locker room, returned to the game. The large margin of victory made her continued appearance on the floor puzzling, but the rest of USC's offense wasn't at its best. Only Kiki Iriafen reached double digits.
What's next for USC?: The Trojans will be the first to say that despite the lopsided 46-point win, they didn't play their best basketball. Offensively, they'll have to be much more efficient in the second round and beyond, but it will be crucial to see how Watkins is able to manage her ailing left wrist and ankle over the next 48 hours or so. The tournament is a marathon, not a sprint, and how coach Lindsay Gottlieb manages Watkins' minutes going forward as tougher opponents await will be a key storyline to watch. Defense will carry the Trojans far in this tournament, but their ceiling is ultimately tied to Watkins' scoring potential. -- Paolo Uggetti
(14) Florida Gulf Coast vs.
(3) Oklahoma
Final: Oklahoma 81, FGCU 58
How did the Sooners step on the gas in the fourth quarter?: It's what Oklahoma does: When the Sooners' offense takes off, it really takes off. The Sooners led by 10 at halftime, but the Eagles were as close as eight points with seven minutes left in the game. Then the Sooners went on an 18-2 run keyed by center Raegan Beers that sealed the victory. Oklahoma's inside game was just too much for FGCU: The Sooners got a single-game NCAA tournament-record 72 rebounds to 35 for the Eagles. Beers had a season-high 18 boards, which ranks second in Oklahoma's NCAA tournament history -- behind only Courtney Paris, who had 20 in 2007 against Ole Miss. Beers also led Oklahoma with 25 points, while forward Skylar Vann had 24 points and nine rebounds. The Sooners had 23 assists to the Eagles' seven.
What's next for Oklahoma?: The Sooners will face No. 6 seed Iowa, a team Oklahoma coach Jennie Baranczyk is familiar with. She played for the Hawkeyes from 2000-04 and then faced off against them yearly when she coached Drake from 2012-21. Oklahoma has lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament each of the previous three seasons under Baranczyk; the Sooners' last trip to the Sweet 16 was in 2013 under longtime coach Sherri Coale. Oklahoma will face stiffer competition inside against the Hawkeyes, who offer more size to counter Beers. Iowa beat Murray State 92-57 on Saturday, so expect Monday's Sooners-Hawkeyes matchup to be high-scoring. -- Michael Voepel
(15) Vermont vs.
(2) NC State
Final: NC State 75, Vermont 55
What made the difference after a close first half?: A 15-seed has never posted a victory in the women's NCAA tournament, but Vermont was thinking upset when it trailed by just two points at halftime and by six after the third quarter. Then the Wolfpack took over in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Catamounts 23-9. The Wolfpack struggled all game from 3-point range (4-of-20) but were able to put away the victory inside the arc, where they were 23 of 49 (46.9%). Zoe Brooks led NC State with 19 points, while fellow guard Saniya Rivers had 15 points and 12 rebounds. The Wolfpack's leading scorer this season, guard Aziaha James, had 15 points but was 4-of-15 from the field. NC State won the rebounding battle 45-34 -- Madison Hayes joined Rivers with 12 boards -- and had just four turnovers to Vermont's 13.
What's next for NC State?: The Wolfpack, a Final Four team last year, will look to get to the Sweet 16 when they face the winner of No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard on Monday. NC State has made it to at least the regional semifinals in five of its past six NCAA tournament appearances. -- Michael Voepel
(11) Columbia vs.
(6) West Virginia
Final: West Virginia 78, Columbia 59
How good is West Virginia's defense?: Columbia would likely agree: The Mountaineers' defense is elite and was the catalyst in their win in Chapel Hill. That defense was particularly devastating in the first half, which is where this game was decided. West Virginia ranks third in the country in forcing turnovers and second in steals per game (13.6), and West Virginia turned 15 first-half Columbia turnovers into 15 points. The Mountaineers led by 17 at the break. West Virginia finished the game with 17 steals (25 total turnovers forced), getting many of them from a full-court press that dictated the rhythm of the game. Ten steals came from JJ Quinerly (7) and Jordan Harrison (3), who were also West Virginia's leading scorers as they have been in all but six Mountaineers games this season. Quinerly finished with 27 points and Harrison had 23.
What's next for West Virginia?: The Mountaineers have won a game in six of their past seven trips to the NCAA tournament. But getting beyond the second round has been the issue. Their last trip to the Sweet 16 was 1992. Ending that streak will be a challenge given West Virginia's struggles on the road this season. They are 9-7 away from Morgantown and 5-5 in true road games. If North Carolina survives Oregon State, West Virginia will be playing the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill, a true road game. -- Charlie Creme
(12) Green Bay vs.
(5) Alabama
Final: Alabama 81, Green Bay 67
How did Alabama finally pull away from Green Bay?: For 3 quarters, the Crimson Tide couldn't shake the veteran Phoenix. But their size and Aaliyah Nye's shooting sparked the decisive late run in College Park. Nye scored 11 of her game-high 23 points during a 22-7 run that began at the 6:52 mark and ended in the final minute. Nye made three 3-pointers in the stretch, giving her 109 for the season, breaking her own Alabama record she set a year ago. The Phoenix, who feature five senior starters but none over 6-foot-1, ultimately succumbed to Alabama's superior length. The Crimson Tide won on the boards 43-27 and had 40 points in the paint.
What's next for Alabama?: Zaay Green's career has taken her from Tennessee to Texas A&M to Arkansas Pine-Bluff and then back to the SEC with the Crimson Tide. Before Saturday's game she had played a total of 23.9 minutes in two NCAA tournament games (with Tennessee in 2019 and Texas A&M in 2021). She made her first real opportunity count. The 6-2 point guard controlled the game and was the best player on the court. She finished with 22 points and five assists, using her size to get open midrange shots. That means Alabama moves into the second round for the second year in a row and for the third time in five seasons under Kristy Curry. Prior to that, the Crimson Tide hadn't won an NCAA tournament game since 1999 and they haven't been to the Sweet 16 since 1998. Green will be the key to ending that drought. -- Charlie Creme
(15) Arkansas State vs.
(2) UConn
Final: UConn 103, Arkansas State
Is this the best UConn has played this season?: UConn's win over South Carolina probably ranks higher given the quality of the competition, but this was about as perfect of a start to the NCAA tournament, on both ends, that coach Geno Auriemma could have asked for. It's hard to take issue with much when you produce the second-largest halftime lead in NCAA tournament history (50 points). Paige Bueckers had a muted game by her standards (11 points, 4 assists), but she didn't need to take over with Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong going nuclear. In her first March Madness game since the 2023 Sweet 16, Fudd was unstoppable. She scored a NCAA tournament career-high 27 points (6-for-9 shooting from 3) while impacting the game in a variety of other ways with 7 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks. It was a similar story for the freshman Strong, who became the first player in the past 25 seasons to record 20 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks in a NCAA tournament game. Bueckers and this version of Strong and Fudd give the Huskies the best trio in the country -- and their best shot of cutting down the nets for the first time since 2016.
Also of note, Aubrey Griffin returned to the floor after missing the Big East tournament with knee soreness, playing 10 minutes. She wasn't quite as impactful as we've seen her be, but the more she can be reincorporated into the rotation, the more a UConn squad that's already short on frontcourt depth will benefit.
What's next for UConn?: The Huskies will face the winner of No. 7 seed Oklahoma State and No. 10 seed South Dakota State, and either squad would present much stiffer competition than what they saw Saturday at Gampel. Fortunately for UConn, none of its starters played more than 22 minutes, which should help keep the Huskies fresh as the tournament progresses. -- Alexa Philippou
(11) Murray State vs.
(6) Iowa
Final: Iowa 92, Murray State 57
How did Iowa overcome early foul trouble?: Hawkeyes starting forward Hannah Stuelke had barely broken a sweat Saturday before she had two fouls and was on the bench. However, freshman Ava Heiden came in for her and had 13 points in the first half. Depth was a big part of the story for Iowa. Even with key players in foul trouble, the Hawkeyes had answers. As a team, they shot 56.2% from the field for the game, 47.1% (8 of 17) from 3-point range. All 12 Hawkeyes who got into the game scored, with five in double figures. Heiden led the way with 15 points, while guard Lucy Olsen had 12 points and 12 assists. Stuelke, despite playing just 14 minutes, had 11 points and six rebounds.
It also hurt the Racers (25-8) that standout fifth-year senior Katelyn Young went out early in the third quarter with a foot injury, finishing with just six points. She came into the game averaging 22.2 points. Young finishes her career with 3,029 points.
What's next for Iowa?: From Jan. 5 to Jan. 19, the Hawkeyes lost five Big Ten games in a row. But then things turned around dramatically. They have won 11 of 14 since, which included a victory against USC, a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The only losses were to another No. 1 seed, UCLA, and to No. 4 seed Ohio State twice. If seeds hold, the Hawkeyes would have to face No. 3 seed Oklahoma in the second round. Sooners coach Jennie Baranczyk played at Iowa (2000-04) and faced the Hawkeyes every year during her coaching career at Drake from 2012 to '21. -- Michael Voepel
