The opening weekend of the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament is in the books, and it was unfortunately highlighted by a major injury to USC star JuJu Watkins and an overall lack of excitement — a few second-round games, namely Maryland’s double-overtime victory over Alabama — aside.
The upside to the lack of upsets, though, is that the Sweet 16 is loaded. Every single No. 1, 2 and 3 seed advanced, and no seed higher than a No. 5 is still alive. That should mean plenty of competitive and entertaining basketball lies ahead.
Before the action gets started on Friday, let’s take a moment to reset and reseed the Sweet 16.
Re-seeding the Sweet 16
1
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Huskies
The Huskies rolled through the opening weekend with a 69-point win over Arkansas State — the biggest margin of victory in a tournament game since they beat St. Francis by 88 back in 2018 — and a 34-point win over South Dakota State. Their high-powered offense is firing on all cylinders, Paige Bueckers tied her career-high with 34 points in her final home game and Azzi Fudd announced she’ll be returning to Storrs next season. The vibes are extremely high for the Huskies, who are the current betting favorites to win it all.
2
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Gamecocks
For the second year in a row, the Gamecocks found themselves in a real scrap with Indiana early in the tournament, but were able to hang on for the win. Could that be a good omen as they try to become the first team since UConn (2013-16) to repeat as champions? The Gamecocks’ depth and defense are their two biggest strengths, and those were on full display in the first two rounds.
3
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Bruins
The Bruins were the No. 1 overall seed heading into the tournament, but didn’t look the part during the first half of their second-round matchup with Richmond, whose five-out offense caused real problems. Eventually, though, the Bruins’ size and athleticism proved too move for the Spiders, as Lauren Betts delivered arguably the best performance of her college career. She’ll need to step up again on Friday against a feisty but undersized Ole Miss team.
4
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Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish dropped to a No. 3 seed after a disappointing close to the regular season and an early exit from the ACC Tournament, but during the opening weekend they showed why they were ranked No. 1 in the country just a few months ago. Crushing Stephen F. Austin is one thing, but the way they dismantled Michigan showed that they are officially back on track. The only real concern for them is Olivia Miles’ ankle, which she tweaked in the first round. She did start against Michigan, but was not as effective as usual. They’ll need her as close to 100% as possible against TCU.
5
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Longhorns
The Longhorns had slow starts in both of their first-round games before eventually overwhelming William & Mary and Illinois, and we didn’t really learn much in either contest. Their size, elite defense and effort on the glass was far too much for lesser opponents, but real questions remain about their offense, which relies almost entirely on scoring in the paint and getting to the line. How will that formula fare as the opponents get tougher? Tennessee, who loves to get up and down and launch 3s, will be a real stress test in the Sweet 16.
6
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Lady Tigers
The Tigers were another team that limped, figuratively and literally, into the Big Dance. They lost three of their last four games heading into the tournament and stars Aneesah Morrow (foot) and Flau’Jae Johnson (shin) were both dealing with injuries. Now that both are healthy and back to their best, the Tigers look underseeded as a No. 3. They destroyed San Diego State and Florida State during the opening weekend and scored 100-plus points in both wins. In fact, the Tigers looked so good that they’re actually slight favorites to beat NC State and return to the Elite Eight for the third consecutive year.
7
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Horned Frogs
Very few teams can shoot the ball as well as the Horned Frogs, as they proved by going 19 of 40 from beyond the arc in their wins over Fairleigh Dickinson and Louisville to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history. But while this is a new height for the school, it isn’t for the players, nearly all of whom have gone on deep tourney runs at their previous schools. That experience will be key as they prepare for a Sweet 16 showdown with Notre Dame, whom they beat back in November in what was, at the time, a huge upset.
8
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Wolfpack
The Wolfpack had to dig deep in the first round to finally pull away from Vermont. That near-scare clearly woke them up, and they destroyed Michigan State in the second round two days later. Most of the key figures on this season’s team were a part of the Final Four run last year, so we know they wont be afraid in big moments. But can they consistently make shots? When they do, they look almost unbeatable. They’ll have to be locked in on Friday against an LSU team that beat them by double digits earlier in the season.
9
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Trojans
The Trojans lost star guard JuJu Watkins to a torn ACL during their second-round win over Mississippi State, which was not only a major blow to their national title hopes, but women’s basketball as a whole. Watkins, the likely Naismith Player of the Year, accounted for 30% of their offense during the regular season and it’s impossible to make up for her impact on both ends of the floor. With Kiki Iriafen and an elite defense, this is still a very solid team, and they could find a way to beat Kansas State in the Sweet 16, but it’s hard to see them going any further than that.
10
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Sooners
The Sooners run and run and run. They lead the nation in pace (80.5), and most opponents cannot keep up. Florida Gulf Coast and Iowa certainly could not during the first two rounds of the tournament, and now Oklahoma is into the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013. There, they’ll face a UConn team that looks primed to finally win a national title again. The Sooners play a style that lends itself to upsets, but they’ll need to shoot the ball much better than they did during the first weekend.
11
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Blue Devils
The Blue Devils were minutes away from being on the wrong side of the first — and potentially only — major upset of this tournament, but found a way to sneak past Oregon in the second round. That performance was not encouraging, but it did come without star freshman and leading scorer Toby Fournier, who could be back for the Sweet 16. Like so many top teams, the Blue Devils can really get after it on the defensive end, but have trouble finding consistent offense. Fournier’s potential return would be a major boost on that side of the ball.
12
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Tar Heels
The Tar Heels have largely flown under the radar during the first two rounds of the tournament. They had a business-like win over Oregon State, then fought off West Virginia in a contest that was at times an affront to basketball. Their defensive-minded style doesn’t make for the most exciting action, but it does give them a chance to win games. Will it be enough against their archrival Duke in the Sweet 16? We’ll soon find out.
13
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Wildcats
The Wildcats’ win over the other Wildcats from Kentucky in the second round was one of the best games of the tournament so far. Star center Ayoka Lee’s return to action from a foot injury that cost her most of the last two months has been a huge boost. Lee gives them a legitimate interior presence to go along with their elite 3-point shooting (38.8%, second in the country). Due to JuJu Watkins’ absence, they have a real chance to beat No. 1 seed USC and advance to the Elite Eight for just the second time in program history.
14
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Lady Volunteers
The Lady Volunteers are this season’s team that could beat anyone or lose to anyone. Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise, then, that after dropping three of their final four games prior to the tournament, including a loss to Georgia, they destroyed South Florida and beat Ohio State in Columbus to reach the Sweet 16. First-year coach Kim Caldwell’s unique style features frequent substitutions, full-court pressure, fast-paced action and plenty of 3-pointers. When their shots start falling, look out. Could they stun Texas? Yes. Could they lose that game by 25? Also yes.
15
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Rebels
The Rebels went into Waco and took down Baylor largely because they forced the Bears into 21 turnovers. That is the Rebels’ M.O. They’re tough, they’re physical, they’re athletic and it’s not fun to play against them for 40 minutes. Effort can only get you so far, though, and the Rebels have often fallen short against the best competition this season (8-9 in Quad 1 games). They’re going to have a tough time changing that trend against UCLA, especially considering their lack of size in the paint to deal with Lauren Betts.
16
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Terrapins
The Terrapins’ double-overtime win over Alabama in the second round was an instant classic and one of the best tournament games in years. Sarah Te-Biasu shouldn’t have to buy a meal in College Park any time soon after all of the clutch shots she hit to keep the Terps alive. As exciting as that game was, it didn’t give anyone confidence that the Terps can hang with South Carolina. For that matter, neither did Maryland’s first-round win over Norfolk State, which was much closer than it should have been.