N.C.A.A. Women’s Tournament: What to Watch as the Field Narrows to 16

The conclusion of the second spherical of the N.C.A.A. ladies’s basketball event on Monday will characteristic established applications like Tennessee and Connecticut, unestablished applications making an attempt to achieve that degree and gamers reaching out for March stardom.

Video games start at 4 p.m., Japanese time, on ESPN, when the No. 1 seed North Carolina State performs the No. 9 seed Kansas State. Beneath are 4 video games which can be more likely to be compelling. Wins don’t come simply at this stage.

All occasions are Japanese.

Villanova vs. Michigan | 6 p.m. | ESPNU

Two productive forwards face off.

The Michigan senior Naz Hillmon and the Villanova junior Maddy Siegrist have loads in widespread. Each are smaller publish gamers who’ve flown below the nationwide radar for a lot of the season regardless of productive scoring and team-defining play.

On Monday, in Ann Arbor, Mich., what makes every participant distinctive will develop into apparent. Hillmon is a drive across the basket, utilizing refined footwork and power to attain and defend effectively. Siegrist has higher vary and 3-point means and might reduce shortly inside for straightforward layups.

Each put up good numbers within the first spherical. Hillmon had 24 factors and 11 rebounds and sat within the fourth quarter after steering Michigan to a snug lead in opposition to American. Siegrist performed 38 minutes to push Eleventh-seeded Villanova into the second spherical for the primary time since 2018.

Michigan, a No. 3 seed, made it to the spherical of 16 final yr for the primary time in program historical past, as a No. 6 seed. Villanova has been to the event’s third spherical as soon as earlier than, in 2003. Whether or not Hillmon’s conventional publish play or Siegrist’s quick breaks and deep pictures show simpler, a group with restricted event historical past will add an important line to its document e-book.

Notre Dame vs. Oklahoma | 6 p.m. | ESPN2

A chalk matchup of evenly matched groups.

This recreation, in Norman, Okla., is among the extra evenly matched of the second spherical. Fourth-seeded Oklahoma and fifth-seeded Notre Dame struggled to comprise their lower-seeded opponents within the first spherical, counting on 3-point capturing and offensive schemes to maintain them in entrance.

Every group has a go-to sharpshooter. In Notre Dame’s case, it’s Dara Mabrey, a sister of the W.N.B.A. participant Marina Mabrey. Dara Mabrey, a senior guard, hit 5 triples within the opening spherical, which is greater than her common however an indicator of what she is able to.

Guard Taylor Robertson is combating for a spot within the 3-point-shooting document books, having etched her title throughout Oklahoma’s. She made 4 of 10 3-point makes an attempt within the Sooners’ first-round recreation, which was truly beneath her season common of 45 %.

The sport might come all the way down to how the groups’ different contributors carry out; neither group has a very sturdy protection, so aggressive rebounding might be essential. The Irish freshman guard Olivia Miles recorded her second profession triple-double in factors, rebounds and assists within the first spherical.

Madi Williams, the Sooners’ main scorer and rebounder, had six rebounds within the first spherical. The winner of this recreation will be the one which quells the potential shootout.

Belmont vs. Tennessee | 7 p.m. | ESPN

Belmont appears to topple an in-state energy.

It took two overtimes, however for the second consecutive yr, Twelfth-seeded Belmont made it to the second spherical.

Belmont performed harder protection than its opponent was anticipating and hit well timed baskets, buying and selling the lead with fifth-seeded Oregon earlier than outlasting it. The sophomore guard Tuti Jones led the Bruins with 22 factors, whereas Destinee Wells — a 2021 event favourite — had 16 factors and seven assists.

Now, the battle for Tennessee will happen in that state’s ladies’s basketball mecca, Thompson-Boling Enviornment, in Knoxville, the home the Corridor of Fame coach Pat Summitt constructed.

Fourth-seeded Tennessee prevailed over Buffalo within the first spherical, 80-67, nevertheless it wasn’t easy. The storied program final made it out of the second spherical in 2016 — earlier than that journey, it had fallen in need of the spherical of 16 solely as soon as, in 2009. The Girl Volunteers, then, are lengthy overdue for a event run, and they’re counting on guards Rae Burrell and Jordan Horston to drive the problem.

Tennessee’s Tamari Key might be the distinction maker. A 6-foot-6 heart, she has a number of inches on the tallest gamers who play for Belmont. Though they defended Oregon’s 6-foot-7 Sedona Prince nicely, the Bruins might be weak if Key and her teammates discover a approach to exploit the mismatch. In any other case, Belmont is nicely positioned to slay one other big.

Central Florida vs. Connecticut | 9 p.m. | ESPN

UConn faces a former convention foe.

The No. 2 seed Connecticut will play the No. 7 seed Central Florida for the primary time in N.C.A.A. event play, however the groups are nicely acquainted after competing for years within the American Athletic Convention. The Knights are 0-13 in opposition to UConn.

Central Florida fields an skilled squad in its quest for the upset in Storrs, Conn. Central Florida has refined its protection and permits opponents 47.6 factors per recreation, the bottom in Division I.

UConn will current a formidable problem to that protection given the latest return of its sophomore Paige Bueckers, who missed a lot of convention play with an harm. This Huskies group may even take a look at the Knights’ often low-scoring offense, which caught fireplace in opposition to Florida.