In 2022, the NCAA women’s basketball tournament will make March Madness its own tournament and expand to include 68 teams. Adding the first four rounds proved not to be that productive for its participants — Only No. 11 Mississippi State can win its next game in the Round of 64 in 2023 — But if nothing else, it provides an opportunity to build momentum.
Two games on the first day of the year are expected to go down the stretch: No. 11 Richmond vs. No. 11 Nebraska, and No. 16 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 16 Missouri State.
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Here’s how to watch Wednesday night’s action.
How to watch the first four games of Day 1 of the Women’s NCAA Tournament
Date: Wednesday, March 18
See it in person? Get your tickets on StubHub.
|
game |
area |
Time (Eastern Time) |
television |
stream |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Richmond vs. |
sacramento 2 |
7pm |
ESPN2 |
Fu Bo (watch now) |
|
Stephen F. Austin VS Stephen F. Austin |
fort worth 3 |
9pm |
ESPN2 |
Fu Bo (watch now) |
All ESPN networks are also available to watch on ESPN Unlimited.
Game 1: No. 11 Richmond vs. No. 11 Nebraska
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium – Durham, NC
richmond
The Atlantic 10 sent two teams to the dance this season, including Richmond, which went 26-7 and received big votes. They are led by conference player of the year Maggie Doogan, an efficient forward who is earning some attention as a potential first-round pick in the 2026 WNBA draft. The senior is averaging 21 points (best in the A-10), 7.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 50.3 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from three-point range.
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Spiders play slow, looking for quality shots from beyond the arc — About half of their field goal attempts were three-pointers — Their can utilization rate is 37%, ranking ninth in the country. Defensively, they don’t send many players to the free throw line, but they struggle to stop opponents on the offensive glass.
nebraska
Huskers has been tagged CompetitorPeter Keating as a potential upset candidate against sixth-seeded Baylor, citing their top-20 offense and impressive schedule strength. Of course, they need to beat Richmond first, but their resume suggests they’re capable of more.
Nebraska has lost to its top 10 opponents, but fell behind by eight points against second-seeded Michigan and two points against fifth-seeded Michigan State. It makes up for what it lacks on defense on offense, ranking in the top 10 nationally in two-point field goal percentage (54.7) and assists per game (18.4). Keep an eye on Big Ten guard Britt Prince: She averages a team-high 17.4 points per game and shoots .534/.452/.905 from the field.
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What’s next: The winner will face No. 6 Baylor on Friday at 2 p.m. ET.
Game 2: No. 16 Stephen F. Austin vs. No. 16 Missouri State
Location: Moody Center – Austin, Texas
Stephen F. Austin
After winning the Southland Conference Tournament, the Ladyjacks punched their ticket to the big dance for the second consecutive year under coach Leonard Bishop. This is a team defined by depth: Five players average at least 11 points per game, including long-range shooter Harmanie Dominguez (7.7 3-pointers per game, 37 percent shooting).
Bishop’s team wanted to push the tempo, and while that helped improve the score, it also led to a lack of ball security. SFA averages more turnovers (17.9) than assists (17) per game, with as many as 31 turnovers in a single game this season. Still, the fact that the Ladyjacks got the win speaks volumes about their ability to make the most of every scoring opportunity.
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missouri
The Lady Bears successfully transferred from the Missouri Valley Conference by qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in their first season as a member of Conference USA. Missouri is no stranger to the big dance — This is the fifth trip since 2016 — But it was coach Beth Cunningham’s first success since taking over the program three seasons ago.
Offensively, nearly a quarter of the Lady Bears’ points come from the free throw line, while they average just 4.2 three-pointers per game. Relying so heavily on the whistle tends to cause concern heading into the postseason, but it was their defense that secured the conference championship game victory, holding Louisiana Tech to a season-low 38 points.
What’s next: The winner will play No. 1 Texas on Friday at 4 p.m. ET.
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Updated top four odds
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Nebraska Cornhuskers, Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks, Richmond Spiders, Missouri Lady Bears, Women’s College Basketball, Sports Betting, Fubo Partnership, How to Watch
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