The Post breaks down the regions for the women’s NCAA Tournament as follows:
albany 1
Will there be anyone to stop undefeated South Carolina? Dawn Staley’s gold standard program is somehow even better with the graduation of all five starters from last season’s Final Four team. There’s nothing in this area that will trouble the Shamcocks in the foreseeable future until the Elite Eight, where they’ll either have short-handed No. 2 Notre Dame or No. 3 No. 3, a stealth Pac-12 threat very far from home. They are expected to play against Oregon State.
Featured players
Hannah Hidalgo: Notre Dame’s electric point guard, a 5-foot-6-inch native of New Jersey, quickly became one of the best players in the country as a freshman. She’s averaging 23.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists and — this is — 4.6 steals per game.
bracket buster
No.13 Fairfield: The Stags will face No. 4 Indiana, which boasts a 31-1 record and the No. 5 scoring defense in the nation. Fairfield has never won an NCAA Tournament game and is 0-5 on the road. The shoes fit. Florida Gulf Coast, ranked 12th, also appears to be in good shape.
Post selection
south carolina: The Shamcocks still boast the best defense in the country, anchored by towering center Camila Cardoso. This season, they have transfer Te Hina Paopao, improved point guard Raven Johnson, and highlight reel freshman Milesia Fulwilly, who can also hit threes and score in bulk. .
albany 2
No one would fault the committee for making things easy for Caitlin Clark, the sport’s star and TV ratings driver. There is a serious threat for Iowa starting in the second round. No. 4 Kansas State, a potential Sweet 16 opponent, has already defeated the Hawkeyes once this season. Then it gets really interesting. No. 3 LSU, which dominated Iowa in last year’s memorable title game, could be waiting in the Elite Eight. But the Tigers will first have to get past tenacious No. 2 ranked UCLA.
Featured players
angel lease: Saying Caitlin Clark here is redundant. You’ve already seen her. Instead, go with Reese, an attractive frontwoman who will help LSU win back-to-back titles. Her numbers (19.0 points, 49.1 percent shooting, 13.1 rebounds) don’t jump off the page, but no one has a faster motor.
bracket buster
9th place Princeton: The four-loss Ivy League champions passed several tests in their nonconference slate. Carla Berube’s team plays a tough defense, smart offense and has the talent needed in Caitlin Chen, a senior point guard who pulls the strings.
Post selection
University of California Los Angeles: Surprise, surprise. The Bruins finished second in the nation’s best league (Pac-12). They are well coached (Kori Close). And they have enough strength to survive a two-game blowout in three days, led by senior leader Charisma Osborn, 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts and stalwart point guard Kiki Rice. We are prepared.
portland 3
Naturally, a star-studded region that could choke or descend into chaos. No. 1 USC risks relying heavily on star freshmen, even a talented freshman like JuJu Watkins. No. 2 Ohio State University went from No. 2 in the nation to being eliminated in the opening game of the Big Ten Tournament. No. 3 UConn has talent, tradition, and a horribly shallow rotation. No. 4 Virginia Tech faces questions regarding the health of star center Elizabeth Kitley.
Featured players
juju watkins: USC’s freshman phenom ranks second in the nation with 27 points per game, but he’s not as efficient as Clark (6-foot-2 guard shoots 40.5 percent), but as smooth as we are. He is a 3rd level scorer. I’ve seen it for years. She’s just getting started.
bracket buster
No.7 Duke: Carla Lawson’s team hasn’t lost a game by more than eight points since mid-January. It may not be pretty, but the Blue Devils are a team that will get rebounds, make free throws and finish games in the low 60s.
Post selection
university university: It seems silly to say about a team that has traditionally been in the spotlight, but people are sleeping on the Huskies. According to Her Hoop Stats, he ranks third in the nation in net rating. Paige Backers is back better than ever and has a flair for the dramatic in big games.
portland 4
Bracket segment for die hards. This is where his S-curve bends with Texas’ “worst” No. 1 seed and Stanford’s “best” No. 2 seed. Toss up? It might not have been much, as the Longhorns continued their inspired play down the stretch. Circle two potential barn burners for the second round: No. 3 North Carolina – No. 6 Tennessee and No. 4 Gonzaga – No. 5 Utah has two of the best offenses in the tournament. There is one.
Featured players
Cameron Brink: Stanford’s center is the best two-way player in the country. The projected No. 2 pick in next month’s WNBA Draft and the future face of the Los Angeles Sparks is averaging 17.8 points, 11.9 rebounds and 3.5 blocks per game.
bracket buster
6th place Tennessee: A matchup against a team with 12 losses could easily blow up in the first round. But the Vols are within a second of defeating No. 1 South Carolina in the SEC Tournament, and WNBA forward Rikea Jackson (19.4 points, 8.0 rebounds) is typically the best player on the floor. .
Post selection
texas: The Big 12 champions are a rare team with elite offense and defense after losing Lori Harmon midway through the season. The Longhorns are led by March maestro head coach Vic Schaefer and phenom freshman point forward Madison Booker (16.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 4.9 assists).
