Top-ranked UConn and the other favorite s in women’s college basketball can’t wait for March Madness to begin.
The Huskies are the defending champion and the last time they didn’t win another one the next year was way back in 2000. UConn won three straight titles in 2002-04, back-to-back crowns in 2009-10 and four in a row from 2013-16.
The beloved annual tradition that is the NCAA Tournament opens with Selection Sunday this weekend, opening the door for hundreds of thousands of fans to fill out brackets and take a shot at winning the office pool.
The tournament tips off with the First Four on March 18-19, with the first round starting March 20 at sites across the country. For the first time, the NCAA will punish teams that do not provide player availability reports. Fines start at $10,000. The reports are intended to to combat betting-related pressure, solicitations and harassment athletes receive from bettors connected to their playing status.
If you like the tourney at 68 teams, enjoy the moment! Discussions continue on whether to expand the field by at least fourteams and possibly more.
The betting favorites
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the favorites to win the national championship are UConn (minus-300), UCLA (plus-200), Texas (plus-800) and South Carolina (plus-900). LSU (plus-1600) is the next on the list and then the best odds available are 50-1 longshots.
How to watch the tournament
Every game of the women’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — on ESPN’s networks and streaming services. The championship game will be aired on ABC for a fourth straight season.
Who is playing
There are 31 automatic bids for league tournament champions. The selection committee will then pick 37 at-large teams. The full field will be revealed on Selection Sunday, March 15, starting at 8 p.m. Eastern.
When the Madness begins
The First Four matchups (March 18-19) and first- and second-round games (March 20-23) are on campuses, with sites announced this weekend.
The second week of the tournament will take place at two sites: Fort Worth, Texas, and Sacramento, California. The Sweet 16 matchups will take place March 27-28, with regional finals March 29-30.
The Final Four in Phoenix on Friday, April 3, begins at 7 p.m. Eastern and the championship game begns at 3:30 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, April 5.
___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball
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