This one had drama written all over it. The Aggies clawed their way to a win thanks to Lisa Branch’s free throws with just four seconds on the clock. Martha McClelland was a beast, too, scoring 22 points and grabbing nine boards. March doesn’t get more intense than this.
This isn’t just a great upset. It’s the greatest. Still, the only time a 16-seed has beaten a 1-seed in the women’s tournament, Harvard walked into Maples Pavilion and stunned the mighty Stanford Cardinal. The hero? Allison Feaster. The nation’s top scorer dropped 35 points and 13 rebounds, willing the Crimson to a win nobody saw coming.
In their NCAA tourney debut, the Rice Owls made it count. Kim Smallwood scored 16 of her 22 points in the second half, toppling a UCSB team riding a 26-game winning streak. Rice didn’t just win—they ended a dynasty.
UNC ran into a blue-collar buzzsaw. Patrice Holmes dropped 18 points, including clutch free throws that sealed the win. Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders locked down the perimeter, holding UNC to 0-for-13 from deep. It was a textbook example of toughness and hustle toppling talent.
Another 13-seed stunner! Katie Feenstra led the Flames with 22 points and 12 rebounds, overpowering the Nittany Lions to grab Liberty’s first NCAA Tournament win. It wasn’t just a victory—it was a breakout moment for a program on the rise.
Remember when the Marist Red Foxes became national darlings overnight? They took down the powerhouse Buckeyes in a game that defined poise under pressure. It was Marist’s first-ever tourney win, and they played with the kind of confidence that said, “We belong here.” A true Cinderella moment.
Beating Tennessee anytime is monumental. But doing it in the first round? Against the defending champs? That’s a full-blown shockwave. Ball State, in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, lit up the scoreboard behind Porchia Green’s 23 points, ending the Lady Vols’ run before it even began. It was also the earliest tournament exit in Pat Summitt’s iconic career—proof that March truly takes no prisoners.
Talk about grit. The Wright State Raiders weren’t just in it for the experience—they were there to win. Angel Baker was on fire, scoring 26 points and grabbing 12 rebounds, including a dagger three-pointer in the final 30 seconds. It was their first NCAA win ever and the kind of clutch performance that cements legends.
Yes, it was a 3 vs. 1. But when it’s UConn, it’s always an upset. Arizona, led by Aari McDonald’s 26-point clinic, shocked Geno Auriemma’s juggernaut in the Final Four. It sent the Wildcats to their first title game ever and proved they were more than just a scrappy underdog—they were for real.
Defense wins championships—and upsets. South Dakota’s stifling defense held Baylor, a Final Four regular, to just 47 points, blowing up brackets everywhere.
