Women’s Elite Eight power rankings: Who can make it to the Final Four?
· Yahoo Sports
Editor’s note: This article is part of the Bracket Central series, an inside look at the run-up to the men’s & women’s NCAA Tournaments, along with analysis and picks during the tournaments.
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All season, UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina have been on another level than the rest of the country’s teams.
All four advanced to the Elite Eight as No. 1 seeds with the Final Four on the horizon. (All four participated in last season’s Final Four.)
But nothing is a sure thing in March, so No. 6 seed Notre Dame, No. 3 seed Duke, No. 2 seed Michigan and No. 3 seed TCU will try to play spoiler while punching their own ticket to Phoenix.
Connecticut Huskies
The Huskies took care of North Carolina with relative ease, even with Azzi Fudd only scoring 10 points. Sarah Strong and freshman Blanca Quiñonez made up for it with 21 and 16 points, respectively. The Huskies didn’t necessarily need a lot of offense out of Fudd, as their defense took care of the Tar Heels. Indya Nivar had 20 points, but no one else cracked double-digits. Fudd has a way of stepping up when the Huskies need her, which is good because the Huskies have to get good scoring performances from both her and Strong from here on out.
UCLA Bruins
The Bruins have the most individually talented roster in the country. Against Minnesota, Lauren Betts and Kiki Rice were particularly effective, with Betts’ recording 16 points, five rebounds, five blocks and three steals, and Rice finishing with 21 points, three steals and three assists. There aren’t many defenders who can slow down either player, and if they do, there is still the rest of the Bruins to contend with. As long as UCLA controls the pace and gets out in the fastbreak, the Bruins should find themselves back in the Final Four.
Texas Longhorns
Rori Harmon is playing with both the urgency and the control of a fifth-year senior. She had 11 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, six steals and just one turnover to lead Texas past Kentucky. Having a point guard with that much poise is a huge plus for Texas. Harmon’s defense has always been her calling card, and it was on full display against Kentucky point guard Tonie Morgan. Morgan is skilled, but Harmon forced her into eight turnovers, which stalled the entire offense. Harmon is the start, but the entire Longhorns roster plays that kind of defense, which is a concern for any opponent.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Great teams take their regular-season losses and learn from them to be better in the postseason. That’s exactly what South Carolina did. The Gamecocks suffered a regular-season defeat to Oklahoma and improved in every way to top the Sooners in the Sweet 16. On defense, the Gamecocks held Oklahoma, which loves to shoot from long range, to just 6 of 20 from 3. The Gamecocks forced Oklahoma into tough, contested shots, while getting excellent looks for themselves on offense. It was truly a complete performance for a South Carolina team that is playing its best basketball when it matters most.
Duke Blue Devils
The Blue Devils made things hard on themselves against LSU, allowing the Tigers to go on a massive run at the end of the game. But Ashlon Jackson erased all of the late-game chaos with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer to send the Blue Devils to the Elite Eight. Despite letting LSU make it a game, Duke's response was impressive. Their defense gives them a chance in any game, and while Duke in the underdog, the Blue Devils have a chance. It will at least be closer than the 30-point Bruins' victory in their November meeting.
Michigan Wolverines
In March, you need your stars to perform. But that alone isn’t enough. Unexpected performances are often what gets a team to the next level, which is exactly what Te’Yala Delfosse did for Michigan against Louisville. The sophomore came off the bench to record 10 points, eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks. Add in 19 points from Olivia Olson and 16 from Syla Swords and you have a winning combination against Louisville. But for Michigan to get past the dynamic Texas defense, the Wolverines will need high production from more than just a trio of players.
TCU Horned Frogs
Virginia’s Cinderella run came to an end against TCU thanks to stellar performances from Olivia Miles (28 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists) and Marta Suárez (33 points, 10 rebounds). The duo have been the driving force behind TCU’s success all season. But with deep and well-rounded South Carolina on deck, TCU can’t rely on just two players. And if the Horned Frogs happen to get past the Gamecocks, then they would likely face UConn. It’s a tough road from here on out.
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Irish are unexpectedly back in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019. Notre Dame had stacked rosters in 2023-24 and 2024-25, yet neither of those squads could accomplish what this team has. Notre Dame’s success this season is a credit to Hannah Hidalgo’s monster stat lines (31 points, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists in the Sweet 16 win over Vanderbilt) and the rest of the Irish's buy-in. Hidalgo will need that kind of performance plus a whole lot more from the rest of the Irish to have a chance against UConn.
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