March Madness is lighting up the courts as the Women’s NCAA Tournament storms into the Sweet 16. The Second Round delivered heart-pounding upsets and dominant displays, narrowing the field to just 16 teams. With top seeds flexing and underdogs rising, the road to Tampa’s Final Four inches closer.
But which teams are in the 16-team field? Let’s take a look at the full list.
Women’s 2025 Sweet 16 Field of Teams
No.1 Seed UCLA
UCLA punched their Sweet 16 ticket by beating No. 8 Richmond 84-67 in Spokane Regional 1. Lauren Betts sparked a second-half rally, which led to the team’s third-straight Sweet 16 appearance.
No. 1 Seed South Carolina
Dawn Staley’s squad secured its 11th straight Sweet 16 by topping No. 8 seed Indiana in Birmingham Regional 2. Chloe Kitts starred with a standout defensive performance.
No. 1 Seed Texas
Texas rolled No. 8 seed Illinois 81-58, led by Madison Booker in Birmingham Regional 3. A victory in the Sweet 16 would mean a fourth Elite 8 appearance in five years.
No. 1 Seed USC
USC clinched a 74-63 win over No. 9 Mississippi State in Spokane Regional 4, their first Sweet 16 since 1994. Kiki Iriafen shone, but the win was drastically soured when star JuJu Watkins tore her ACL on a fast break, ending her season.
No. 2 Seed UConn
The Huskies crushed No. 10 seed South Dakota State 91-57, led by Paige Bueckers’ 34 points, extending their 31-year Sweet 16 streak.
No. 2 Seed TCU Horned Frogs
The Big 12 champs, led by star Hailey Van Lith, advanced in Spokane Regional 1 past first team, the No. 7 seed Louisville Cardinals.
This is already the best result in program history. Before this weekend’s victory, the Horned Frogs had never made the Sweet 16.
No. 2 Seed Duke
Duke advanced in Birmingham Regional 3 past No. 10 seed Oregon. This is the team’s second-straight Sweet 16 appearance, but the team hasn’t reached the Elite 8 since 2013.
No. 2 Seed N.C. State
N.C. State beat No. 7 seed Michigan State in Birmingham Regional 2, and Aziaha James and Zoe Brooks led the ACC co-champions.
No. 3 Seed Oklahoma
Oklahoma topped No. 6 seed Iowa, setting up a clash with UConn in Spokane Regional 4. This is the tea’s first Sweet 16 appearance since 2013.
No. 3 Seed North Carolina
The Tar Heels edged No. 6, West Virginia, earning a Tobacco Road showdown against Duke in their second Sweet 16 under Courtney Banghart.
No. 3 Seed LSU
The Tigers, led by head coach Kim Mulkey, outlasted No. 6 seed Florida State in Birmingham Regional 2 despite injuries to stars Flau’jae Johnson and Aneesah Morrow.
No. 3 Seed Notre Dame
The Fighting Irish rallied past a No. 6 seed, leaning on Hannah Hidalgo and Olivia Miles to reach the team’s fourth-straight Sweet 16.
No. 4 Seed Maryland
The Terrapins survived No. 5 seed Alabama 111-108 in double overtime, overcoming Sarah Ashlee Barker’s 45 points to advance in the same region. Like the men’s team, the team is advancing to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
While this is the men’s team’s first time in the Sweet 16 in almost a decade, the women’s team is reaching the third round for the fourth time in five years.
No. 5 Seed Ole Miss
Ole Miss upset higher seed Baylor in Spokane Regional 1, joining the SEC’s strong representation.
This is Ole Miss’s second time reaching the Sweet 16 in three years. Still, they haven’t made it to the Elite Eight since 2007.
No. 5 Seed Kansas State
K-State stunned Kentucky, the No. 4 seed, in Spokane Regional 4, proving the Big 12’s depth with a gritty Second-Round win. While the Wildcats have made the NCAA Tournament several times in recent years, this is their best result so far since 2002.
No. 5 Seed Tennessee
The Lady Volunteers upset No. seed 4 Ohio State, boosting the SEC in Birmingham Regional 3. While Tennessee has had a great deal of historical success and has made three Sweet 16s in four years, the team hasn’t reached the Elite 8 since 2016.
Women’s Sweet 16 Schedule
(#) indicates seeding. All times are Eastern.
Friday, March 28
(3) North Carolina vs. (2) Duke | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
(4) Maryland vs. (1) South Carolina | 5 p.m. | ESPN
(3) LSU vs. (2) N.C. State | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
(5) Ole Miss vs. (1) UCLA | 10 p.m. | ESPN
MORE MARCH MADNESS: Alabama, Sarah Ashlee Barker’s Historic Night Ruined in a 2OT Classic Against Maryland
Saturday, March 29
(3) Notre Dame vs. (2) TCU | 1 p.m. | ABC
(5) Tennessee vs. (1) Texas | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
(3) Oklahoma vs. (2) UConn | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN
(5) Kansas State vs. (1) USC | 8 p.m. | ESPN
Standout matchups include South Carolina vs. Maryland in a clash of titans and Kansas State testing the USC Trojans’ depth. The SEC’s six teams, including South Carolina, LSU, Ole Miss, Texas, Tennessee, and Kentucky, dominate. ACC rivals Duke and North Carolina also renew their feud.
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