The eyes of the basketball world will be on American Airlines Arena in Dallas as four top women’s college teams compete for the NCAA national championship.
Semi-Final Match-Ups
The semi-final matches will feature some of the best players in women’s college hoops. In one game, No. 2-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes, led by Caitlin Clark, will face defending champions and the No. 1 seeded South Carolina Gamecocks who are unbeaten and have won 42 games in a row behind two double-doubles from Aliyah Boston.
In another game, LSU Tigers led by star sophomore Angel Reese, who has proved to be a serious offensive threat, will face Virginia Tech Hokies with Georgia Amoore’s offensive threat and Elizabeth Kitley’s impact on both ends of the floor.
Unique experience for couple possibly facing each other in National Championship
As two teams compete for a chance at the title, one exciting subplot has emerged featuring Kierra Fletcher, South Carolina women’s basketball point guard and her girlfriend Kayana Traylor who plays for Virginia Tech women’s basketball team. Both teams won their respective conference championships simultaneously and are now No.1 seeds in the NCAA tournament.
If both teams make it through to the championship game, Fletcher and Traylor may potentially face each other on the court. While they have joked about playing against each other in such a high stakes game, they understand it would be an intense experience.
Future Site of Championship announced with changes
Looking ahead to 2023, fans can expect additional changes to future tournaments. The Sweet 16/Elite Eight rounds will now be held at two sites per year instead of one site with eight teams competing at each site. The first round will be held on March 17-18 followed by second round on March 19-20, Sweet 16 on March 24-25 and Elite 8 on March 26-27. The Final Four will take place on March 31 and April 2 in Dallas with the National Championship game on April 2 to be broadcasted on ABC.
Complete List of Past Champions
As the excitement for this year’s tournament continues to unfold, it is also worthwhile to look back at past champions who have left their mark on the NCAA women’s basketball championship. The complete list of champions includes Notre Dame, Baylor, Tennessee and Connecticut, among others.
With such high stakes and so much talent on display, the stage is set for an unforgettable competition. Fans will be eagerly awaiting the semi-finals before finding out which teams will go head-to-head for this year’s championship crown.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons
