March Madness creates the best basketball of the year, and the second round didn’t disappoint.
As if the women’s NCAA tournament first-round games weren’t enough of a ride, the No. 2 seed Duke Blue Devils started a roller coaster of back-and-forth games with a nail-biting win over No. 10 seed Oregon. No. 5 seed Kansas State and No. 4 seed Kentucky decided regulation wasn’t enough. It had to be an overtime March Madness banger. The No. 5 seed Alabama Crimson Tide and No. 4 seed Maryland Terrapins also wanted in on the madness with a thrilling double-overtime cinematic matchup that was the best game of the women’s NCAA tournament thus far.
Several 5-seed teams pulled out stunning upsets over 4-seeds during the Round of 32, upending the women’s March Madness bracket ahead of the Sweet 16. However, the second round didn’t come without peril. On Monday, USC Trojans superstar JuJu Watkins suffered a knee injury against No. 9 Mississippi State, immediately unable to put any weight on her leg. The second round of the women’s NCAA tournament is done. Let’s examine which teams solidified their cases to remain in the Big Dance and which teams need a long look in the mirror.
These are the winners and losers from the second round of March Madness:
Loser: USC and star JuJu Watkins’ injury
USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins went down with a season-ending knee injury during the No. 1 seed Trojan’s matchup against 9-seed Mississippi State, the program confirmed. During the first quarter, Watkins ran down the court in lockstep with a Mississippi State defender when she suddenly fell to the floor, clutching her right knee. Watkins was down for several moments before being helped to her feet and carried off the court.
Watkins’ knee injury is just the latest in a slew of other injuries the USC star suffered this March Madness. She also hurt her left hand and ankle during the Trojan’s first-round matchup. An update on Watkins’ injury was not immediately provided, but later, the Trojans shared she would not return. If Watkins is out for an extended period of time, the question now becomes: How far can USC go without its biggest star?
Winner: UConn’s Paige Bueckers and her standout performance vs. South Dakota State
No. 1 draft pick Paige Bueckers picked a good time to turn into “Paige Buckets,” her NCAA tournament alter ego. The No. 2 UConn Huskies rolled past No. 10 South Dakota State to a 91-57 win behind a vintage performance from Bueckers, who had 34 points and four steals. She was also 3-of-5 from beyond the arc and shot 66% on the night. It was her second 30-point outing during an NCAA tournament, tying her career-high.
“On behalf of our seniors ― our whole entire team ― I’ve had the time of my life here. It’s been five years [that] I dreamt of as a kid…. Thank you for this season, for everything… I love you. This will always be my home,” Bueckers said postgame to the UConn faithful. The Huskies move on to face center Raegan Beers and the No. 3 seed Oklahoma Sooners in the Sweet 16.
Loser: Maryland’s endurance after double-OT vs. Alabama
No. 4 seed Maryland will need every bit of rest before its date with No. 1 seed South Carolina in the Sweet 16. It survived a heart-pumping 111-108 matchup Monday with No. 4 Alabama in a game that seemingly never wanted to end. Maryland climbed from the depths of defeat, down 17 in the third quarter, to force the game into extra time.
Crimson Tide guard Sarah Ashlee Barker lit up the floor with a show-stopping 45 points, eight rebounds and three steals, and Terrapins guard Sarah Te-Biasu answered for Maryland with 26 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals, including five colossal shots from 3-point range. After the lead switched too many times to count during both additional periods, the matchup was inching toward three overtimes ― as if everyone watching could stand more ― when Maryland shut the door on Alabama with a gutsy deflection as time expired.
Winner: South Carolina’s second-half heroics vs. Indiana
Another year and another Indiana-South Carolina matchup is making fans sweat. On Sunday, the No. 1 seed Gamecocks were down one at the half, 26-25, to the 9-seed Hoosiers. The game was too close for comfort ― very similar to a 2024 Sweet 16 matchup between the two ― for a South Carolina program used to controlling the tempo against opponents.
However, the Gamecocks went deep into their bag and pulled out some fantastic sequences from forward Sania Feagin in the third quarter to create breathing room. Forward Chloe Kitts added 10 second-half points and 11 rebounds that shut the door on Indiana, secured the 64-53 victory and quelled whatever panic the team had before the Sweet 16.
Loser: Texas’ Rori Harmon and her up-and-down March Madness run
Texas Longhorns guard Rori Harmon needs more production if Texas wants to make it to the Final Four or national championship game. The No. 1 seed Longhorns play in the Sweet 16 next against a hungry 5-seed Tennessee Lady Volunteers team. When Texas played Tennessee in January, it only won by four points, and despite an eight-assist day from Harmon, the senior guard had just eight points on an abysmal 27% shooting. Tennessee will likely look to avenge that loss and keep Harmon in a shooting funk.Ahead of the Sweet 16 showdown with the Volunteers, Harmon only had a single field goal against the No. 8 seed Illinois Fighting Illini after putting up a near double-double against No. 16 William & Mary. She has to create more for herself. If she can produce anywhere from 12-15 points and keep up her assists production, she gives Texas a chance to make the Elite Eight with fewer worries.
Winner: TCU’s Hailey Van Lith and her chances of being a WNBA first-round pick
If there were any questions about TCU Horned Frogs guard Hailey Van Lith, she seemed to answer them with a standout performance against her former team, 7-seed Louisville. Van Lith had 16 points and 10 assists, plus five rebounds in 2-seed TCU’s win.
Her WNBA stock is rising with each March Madness matchup, building on her stellar season with career-highs in field goal percentage and assists per game. Through two NCAA tournament games, she has 29 points, 17 assists and nine rebounds. If she keeps this pace through TCU’s Sweet 16 appearance, Van Lith could be a first-round draft pick.
Loser: Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore and her painful game-winning shot vs. Kansas State
Kentucky guard Georgia Amoore couldn’t save the Wildcats against No. 5 seed Kansas State. Unfortunately, No. 4 seed Kentucky failed to end the game in regulation and found itself in a wild overtime shootout. The two teams traded baskets in extra time, stealing the lead from moment to moment until Kansas State forward Temira Poindexter sent a lofty 3-point shot into the air to take the lead 80-79.
As more time ticked off the clock, Kentucky was left with one last attempt to keep their March Madness run alive. Amoore inbounded the ball with about three seconds left, got it back with two seconds remaining and pushed up a floater. It brutally bounced off the rim and onto the floor as time expired. Her college career ended sourly, but the result seemingly didn’t faze Amoore. “I’m not gonna let one shot affect five years,” Amoore said. “That’s pretty much it.”
Winner: Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Head coach Niele Ivey is likely breathing better after the No. 3 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish rolled past No. 6 seed Michigan, 76-55. Notre Dame had three starters in double figures, including guard Hannah Hidalgo, who had 21 points and two steals against the Wolverines.
The Fighting Irish’s other star, guard Olivia Miles, who suffered an ankle injury during the first round, played limited minutes but looked good in her time on the floor. Miles had eight points, five assists, four rebounds and one steal. After underwhelming games before the NCAA tournament with lackluster defense, Notre Dame forced 16 Michigan turnovers, had nine steals and scored 10 points from takeaways.
Loser: Louisville squandering Jayda Curry’s 40-point day
Louisville Cardinals guard Jayda Curry put the team on her back in a gritty battle with No. 2 seed TCU. Curry had 41 of the Cardinal’s 70 points in its 85-70 loss to the Horned Frogs. Curry’s sensational day for No. 7 seed Louisville included an astounding six shots from beyond the arc and perfection from the free throw line. Unfortunately, the Horned Frogs had four players in double-figures, which spoiled Curry’s 40-point outing.
Winner: Duke’s Ashlon Jackson and her ‘Night Night’ celebration vs. Oregon
Nobody had a more clutch second-half performance Sunday than Duke guard Ashlon Jackson. Jackson didn’t hit a single 3-point bucket in the first half while the Blue Devils were down five points to the 10-seed Oregon Ducks. However, she met the moment when Duke’s season was on the line.
She opened the second half with back-to-back-triples, eventually working her way up to five 3-point shots and 20 total points on the day, including a clutch game-sealing three with under a minute left in regulation. After her colossal basket, she gave Oregon a little Steph Curry-inspired “Night Night” celebration. Duke advanced to the Sweet 16 with a 59-53 victory.
Winner: Tennessee Lady Volunteers
For all the questions about the 5-seed Tennessee Volunteers ahead of the NCAA tournament, Kim Caldwell’s team silenced many of them during the first two rounds of March Madness. Tennessee opened the NCAA tournament with an emphatic 101-66 win over No. 12 South Florida, one of six 100-point blowout wins in the Round of 64, followed by an upset victory over No.4 Ohio State.
For the third time in three years, the Volunteers have a date with the Sweet 16. “I felt like it’s kind of personal,” Zee Spearman said. “Everybody been sleeping on us all year, and we just showed them what we can do.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: March Madness winners, losers as women’s Sweet 16 bracket takes shape
