Women's March Madness is always a wild time, and never has that been more true than in recent years. Now that Sunday selections have been made and brackets are set, it's time to start diving into what each team will and will not bring to the floor — and oh boy, is there a lot to dive into.
This year's tournament will see six teams entering the fray for the first time ever. Each team has the potential to do some damage and surprise fan favorites with an upset... but whether or not they can pull it off remains to be seen.
George Mason, No. 11 seed
The Patriots join March Madness for the first time after having won the A-10 championship on March 9. The 73-58 win was a major one for the team, who previously lost to the Hawks twice in the regular season. If Zahirah Walton, who is currently averaging 15.1 points per game, is on point then the Patriots have a real shot at taking down No. 6 seed Florida State this month.
William & Mary, No. 16 seed
William & Mary must first tackle fellow No. 16 seed High Point. They aren't entering the tournament with the strongest record, but the team did manage to win the CAA championship and might have a real shot at sealing the deal. Having said that, the winner of that game goes on to play Texas.
Arkansas State, No. 15 seed
The Red Wolves fought hard to earn their first trip to the tournament when they took down James Madison and were crowned Sun Belt champions, but they face a mighty foe when they go up against UConn in the tournament's first round. Though the odds are surely stacked against them, the Red Wolves are likely to wage the mightiest fight they can.
Fairleigh Dickinson, No. 15 seed
The Knights enter the tournament for the first time after having secured the Northeast Conference championship against Stonehill. The team will go up against TCU in the first round, a steep challenge that they will need graduate student Tenesia Brown, who averages 14.4 points and 9 rebounds per game, to help them approach the right way.
UC San Diego, No. 16 seed
The Tritons must first take on Southern to secure their spot against UCLA in the tournanment. Of course, once they're in that game it's likey the best plan will be to fight as hard as they can as if Lauren Betts won't be there every step of the way.
Grand Canyon, No. 13 seed
The Antelopes will square off against No. 4 Baylor in the first round of the tournament, a prospect that might bring the program's winning streak to an end.... unless they can pull off a big upset. If Trinity San Antonio has anything to say about it, Grand Canyon could do just that.