The Athletic has live coverage of women’s March Madness and every Sweet 16 matchup
The NCAA Women’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight weekend tips off this Friday at 2:30 p.m. ET, leading into four days of high-stakes matchups from which only four teams will emerge victorious.
We’ve got you covered with picks, projections and power rankings for all the remaining teams going into the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. But what if you’re new to women’s college basketball? Just tuning in for the first time? Or maybe you know big names like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese and you’ve watched a few games — but you’re not totally sure which players to really pay attention to, or which rivalries might turn into upsets, or what to watch for over the weekend’s games.
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If that sounds like you: Here is your guide. We put together a quick, fun Q&A with one of our women’s college basketball experts, Ben Pickman. He’ll answer our burning questions about women’s hoops’ top stars, key matchups and biggest “what ifs” going into the Sweet 16.
Let’s get into it!
We should probably start with Caitlin Clark. If someone is tuning in to watch her for the first time, which other players on Iowa should make us take notice? In maybe more relatable terms — who is Caitlin Clark’s Scottie Pippen?
Ben: During the Hawkeyes’ run to the Final Four last year, Clark had a clear complementary partner in center Monika Czinano, who was a three-time All-Big Ten first-team center herself. On this year’s team, there isn’t a clear second option quite as accomplished. But Kate Martin — a three-year captain — is lauded for her leadership and is a key secondary option. She averages 12.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, but her impact is often intangible.
And speaking of that, which NBA player is Caitlin Clark best compared to? Steph Curry? Kobe? Jordan??
Ben: Earlier this season, I dove into the data behind Clark’s jumper to try and see who she compared to. In undertaking the exercise, it was striking how much she already shoots like some of basketball’s all-time greats, in particular, Curry. “I would compare her to Steph; obviously, you take it with a grain of salt,” her trainer Kevin O’Hare told me earlier this winter. “In how far out she shoots, her release, how good she is with the ball in her hands to create stuff.”
This LSU vs. UCLA game has about a billion backstories but is shaping up, on the court, to be possibly the best game of this tournament. Lauren Betts was ESPN’s No. 1 recruit two years ago. She spent a year at Stanford and then transferred to UCLA. Is this the game where she goes to the next level and possibly becomes a star, going against Angel Reese, playing through injury and having a ton of skill?
Ben: Ahead of the tournament, I went out on a limb and picked UCLA to win the national championship, with Betts as my Most Outstanding Player. So … I appreciate the question. UCLA has only lost three times in games where she appeared and, entering the tournament, was nearly 15 points better per 100 possessions with her on the court than off of it. Offensively, she is near automatic around the basket, shooting 72 percent at the rim and 52.6 percent in the paint leading into March Madness, both marks well above the national average. She’s also a top shot-blocker and does a good job contesting without fouling. She definitely has a tough matchup in front of her, with Reese and Aneesah Morrow presenting matchup challenges, but Betts could be a breakout star nevertheless.
If we go back two years, EVERYTHING was UConn’s Paige Bueckers. Then she tore her ACL, missed almost two full years and came back this season without a ton of widespread fanfare. But she has been a postseason beast — three double-doubles and 27 points or more in the last five. Is she going to end up being the star of this tournament when the dust settles? Is UConn good enough to get to the Final Four and give her that stage?
Ben: If she keeps playing the way she is, and UConn keeps winning, then there’s no reason to pick against her. She has the potential to outduel some of the top guards in the country. A possible matchup with USC star JuJu Watkins could occur in the Elite Eight and a matchup with Clark and Iowa looms in the Final Four. The question about the length of UConn’s run is less about Bueckers, however, and more about those around her. Perhaps no team nationally has dealt with as many significant ailments as the Huskies, who have had five players suffer season-ending injuries. They are short on depth, as a result.
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The South Carolina Gamecocks have destroyed everything in their path so far. Are they entertaining to watch as far as electric basketball? Or are they just really impressive fundamentally and do everything well?
Ben: Both! And they shouldn’t be overlooked (or not discussed) just because they are so dominant. Like last year’s Gamecocks team, this year’s is also undefeated at this point in the season. But this year’s group features an entirely new starting five and a number of players stepping into new (or much bigger) roles. Freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley is bound to do something eye-popping in these next few rounds, so keep a particular watch for what she can do coming off South Carolina’s elite bench.
For someone who is really new to the women’s game and might just know a few of the household names like Clark and Reese, who are some of the young players coming up this year who are getting more attention and are likely to be the ones to carry the sport forward when Clark and Reese have moved on? What should fans be watching for with those young stars? What excited you about them?
Ben: So many! I mentioned Fulwiley above, and Betts fits this category, too. But No. 1 seeds USC and Texas are both led by freshman stars, with JuJu Watkins leading the Trojans and Maddie Booker starring for the Longhorns. Notre Dame is led by freshman guard Hannah Hidalgo, who is not only a dynamic scorer on offense but one of the most impactful defenders in the country. There are plenty of players who are primed for big performances over these next few days and through the next couple of seasons.
LSU fan question … Angel Reese has been in a bit of a funk this tournament. Do you think she just needed to work out some of the rust between losing the SEC final (in a tense matchup) and starting the NCAA Tournament? Will we see the Angel we’re used to in the Sweet 16?
Ben: I’m not as concerned about Reese’s production as I am about LSU as a whole. They advanced past No. 14 Rice despite committing a season-high 24 turnovers. Coach Kim Mulkey said afterward she saw her players demonstrate “a lot of selfish play” and called it a bad performance. Their win over Middle Tennessee saw improvement, and a 27-point win followed, but the Blue Raiders actually led at halftime before the Tigers opened the game up. UCLA is a difficult matchup, not only because of Betts but also because of its overall depth. Reese will need to produce against the Bruins, but so too will those around her.
(Photo of MiLaysia Fulwiley: Tim Cowie / NCAA Photos via Getty Images; photo of Lauren Betts: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)