Top Seeds Battle in First Round of NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — The first round of the 2025 Women’s Basketball NCAA Tournament kicked off Saturday with some highly anticipated matchups, including No. 1 seeds Texas and USC. Texas, the tournament’s third overall seed, faced No. 16 seed William & Mary, while USC, the fourth No. 1 seed, went up against No. 16 seed UNC Greensboro.

USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb expressed her discontent over the Selection Committee’s decision to seed her team fourth. “I feel like we were disrespected,” Gottlieb said. The Trojans’ journey to redemption began with their game against UNC Greensboro at 3 p.m. ET. Last season, USC reached the Elite Eight, bolstered by standout performance from JuJu Watkins, who set an NCAA record for freshman scoring. The Trojans welcomed former Stanford star Kiki Iriafen this season, adding to their championship aspirations.

Texas, also coming off an Elite Eight appearance in 2024, is seeking another deep tournament run. The Longhorns faced William & Mary after a recent slump in their offensive performance. Head coach Vic Schaefer is working to address these issues ahead of the matchup.

Although UConn entered the tournament as a No. 2 seed, they were ranked first in the NET rankings, demonstrating their strength throughout the season. The Huskies secured a crucial victory over South Carolina in mid-February by taking an aggressive approach. Head coach Geno Auriemma is counting on that same energy as they face No. 15 seed Arkansas State at 1 p.m. ET.

No. 3 seed LSU, the reigning national champion, is another team to watch, led by healthy stars Aneesah Morrow and Flau'Jae Johnson. Coach Kim Mulkey‘s Tigers are set to take on San Diego State at 10:15 p.m. ET. Meanwhile, No. 3 seed Notre Dame snapped a slump with a dominant 106-54 win against No. 14 seed Stephen F. Austin, featuring five players scoring in double digits, led by Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron who each tallied 24 points.