With No. 2-seed Duke women's basketball set to tip off against Lehigh in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, the Blue Zone is breaking down some of the opponents the Blue Devils could face in their region:
The No. 1 seed: South Carolina Gamecocks
For the fourth consecutive season, South Carolina enters the NCAA tournament as the top seed in its region. Led by legendary head coach Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks look to capture back-to-back national championships after an undefeated title run in 2024. This year, South Carolina yet again cruised through the regular season with a 27-3 record, but the team found a new gear in the SEC Tournament. Seeking to take their third consecutive conference trophy, the Gamecocks defeated Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and fellow No. 1 seed Texas by an average margin of victory of 19.3 points.
Despite the departure of 2024 NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player Kamilla Cardoso to the WNBA, Staley’s squad is not without elite talent and depth. Offensively, All-SEC forward Joyce Edwards leads the way with 13.2 points per game, although she is well supported by fellow all-conference teammates MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao. However, South Carolina’s strength lies in its two-way play, as it boasts two SEC All-Defensive players in Sania Feagin and Raven Johnson. The stingy Gamecock defense allows only 57.8 points per game, the fifth-best mark across Power 5 women’s basketball.
While South Carolina is not the tournament’s number one overall seed for the first time since 2021, the Gamecocks are still the betting favorite to be the last team standing. The road to a fourth ring of the Dawn Staley era will begin against Tennessee Tech.
The other contenders
Although the reigning champs will certainly get a significant amount of the spotlight by media and fans alike, the region contains many other programs with legitimate title hopes.
Duke stands as the No. 2 seed after an ACC Tournament that head coach Kara Lawson could not have scripted better. Following a victory against rival North Carolina to end their regular season, the Blue Devils pulled off back-to-back upsets over the higher-seeded Notre Dame and N.C. State — capturing their first ACC Tournament victory since 2013. The team possesses a mix of youth and experience, as freshman forward Toby Fournier leads the group in scoring with upperclassmen guards Ashlon Jackson and Reigan Richardson close behind. However, offense, particularly in the halfcourt, has been a struggle at times for Lawson’s squad, and it has had to rely on its stellar defensive play more often than it would like. To truly threaten South Carolina, Duke must unlock its scoring potential in March. The Blue Devils will kick off their tournament against Lehigh in the comforts of Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Another local program that hopes to make a run is the No. 3-seeded North Carolina. Despite a strong regular season, the Tar Heels finished on a slightly sour note — dropping the final two games of their ACC slate against Duke and Virginia before falling to the Wolfpack in the conference semifinals. Should the first two rounds of the tournament play out according to seeding, North Carolina and the Blue Devils will match up for the third time this season — an opportunity for either team to claim the season series and secure even greater bragging rights.
The Big 12 is represented in Region 2 by No. 6-seed West Virginia and No. 8-seed Utah. Although both squads fell short in their conference tournament, March Madness is a fresh start for everyone. The Mountaineers have relied on the immense offensive production of senior JJ Quinerly, while the Utes have been buoyed by sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens. The two guards get their buckets in very different ways and should be the top priorities for any opposing defense in the tournament.
Maryland will also be a group to watch as the region’s No. 4 seed. After a blazing 14-0 start to the season with three victories against ranked opponents, the Terrapins endured a rough second half that included a three-game losing streak against some of the nation’s top teams in Texas, Ohio State and UCLA. As it prepares for first-round opponent Norfolk State, Maryland hopes to recapture its early-season form.
The potential Cinderella: Vanderbilt
Although the women’s tournament lacks the propensity for underdog teams like the men’s, playoff college basketball is still all about upsets. As the No. 7 seed, Vanderbilt is not the typical Cinderella candidate, but given the region’s heavy-hitters at the top, any non-Carolina team making it to the Elite Eight would come as a surprise. And of the rest, the Commodores perhaps have the best shot of doing so. Freshman guard Mikayla Blakes has been unstoppable as Vanderbilt’s offensive hub, averaging 23.2 points and 3.2 assists per game. Blakes has recorded multiple 50-point games, even breaking the Division I freshman record for most points in a game with a 55-point performance in a victory against Auburn. The Commodores have plenty of flaws — namely that they have yet to prove they can take down the NCAA’s elite — but if its star freshman can play to the levels she has proven capable of, Vanderbilt has a chance to compete with anyone.
The regional narrative: Can anyone stop the Gamecocks?
South Carolina is seeking its fifth-straight Final Four appearance and third championship within that same span of time. Needless to say, Dawn Staley has constructed a true juggernaut of women’s college basketball, and anything short of winning the region would shock the college basketball world. The Gamecocks still, however, will face an abundance of stiff competition, and as has been proven again and again, nothing is ever guaranteed in March.
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