It Looks Like the Women’s Final Four is Going to Be All No. 1 Seeds

No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 1 UConn

Guard Hannah Hidalgo, a 5-foot-6 junior, deserves all the flowers for the way she’s propelled Notre Dame on its Elite Eight run. There were plenty who thought the Irish could be upset in the first round by Fairfield. Plenty more assumed they would lose to Ohio State in the second. And it looked like a foregone conclusion that Vanderbilt would be the team to face UConn in the Elite Eight. But Hidalgo has slayed every dragon in her path, averaging 26.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 8.7 steals and 5.0 assists per game in the tournament. But UConn is different.

I fully expect Hidalgo to have another excellent game, but she alone won’t be enough to stop the Huskies. This will be their second meeting this season; UConn won 85-47 in January. Notre Dame is much better than it was in January, but not 38-plus points better. In that game, all five UConn starters finished in double figures. Notre Dame will need elite defense and offense to even threaten the Huskies. 

Pick: UConn 

No. 3 Duke vs. No. 1 UCLA

Another rematch, as UCLA defeated Duke 89-59 in November. But Duke also lost big to LSU earlier in the season before eliminating the Tigers in the Sweet Sixteen, so previous matchups can’t be given too much weight. The only problem for Duke is that UCLA also wasn’t playing its best ball back then, and 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts didn’t even play. Neither did 6-foot-4 freshman forward Sienna Betts. So, it’s safe to say these are two completely different squads. 

Duke 6-foot-2 sophomore forward Toby Fournier has been her team’s best player all season long. But overall, Duke doesn’t have enough inside to slow down UCLA’s bigs. Between Lauren and Sienna Betts and 6-foot-4 guard Angela Dugalic, the high-low game will be an emphasis for UCLA. Kara Lawson knows how to draw up a defensive scheme, but no matter how creative she gets, UCLA simply has too many weapons. 

Pick: UCLA

No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 1 Texas

This has the potential to be the best matchup of the Elite Eight because of Texas’ Madison Booker and Michigan’s Olivia Olson, as both are big guards who also can play forward. Booker, a 6-foot-1 junior, finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in a Sweet Sixteen win over Kentucky. Olson, a 6-foot-1 sophomore, was just as dominant in Michigan’s win over Louisville, recording 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and a block. 

The point guard battle also will be intriguing, with Texas 5-foot-6 fifth-year senior Rori Harmon matching up with Michigan 5-foot-10 sophomore Mila Holloway. Harmon is the better defender, while Holloway has a more lethal offensive game. 

Texas’ edge lies in its experience. The Longhorns played in the Final Four last season, while Michigan is led by sophomores and transfers who haven’t been on this stage before. Last season’s group lost to Notre Dame in the round of 32.

Pick: Texas

No. 3 TCU vs. No. 1 South Carolina

South Carolina put on a show against Oklahoma, dominating in every facet. There may not be a better point guard in the country right now than 5-foot-9 senior Raven Johnson. She is a disruptive defender and an elite floor general, and lately she’s been showcasing her scoring as well. Johnson had 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting against the Sooners. Fellow guard Ta’Niya Latson, a 5-foot-9 senior transfer from Florida State, had her best performance as a Gamecock, scoring 28 points; she was 7-of-11 from the floor, including 4-of-4 from the three-point line, and 10-of-10 from the line. 

Latson is a first-class scorer, and the last thing TCU wants is to play her in the middle of a heater. TCU 5-foot-10 fifth-year senior point guard Olivia Miles and 6-foot-3 fifth-year senior forward Marta Suarez were unstoppable in Horned Frogs’ win over Virginia, but the other Horned Frogs didn’t perform on offense. South Carolina has too many weapons to be challenged by a team with just two scorers.

Pick: South Carolina