Played every year between March and April, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament is one of the most exciting, nail-biting, and often shocking events in women’s college sports. Much like the men's tournament, the single-elimination contest begins with a pool of 64 teams—32 of which receive automatic qualification into the tournament and 32 that are chosen by a committee.
The tournament is then divided into 4 brackets of 16 teams, ranked by record from 1 to 16. With lower-ranked teams paired against their higher counterparts, these squads go on to battle it out to see who can stay alive through the finals. It’s a prime time for upsets and blowouts—when titans are toppled or favorites go all the way, and miraculous moments go down in college hoops history.
The first 4 days of competition are some of the busiest in college sports, with the first and second rounds taking place at 16 campus sites across the country. It’s a non-stop thrill ride as the women bring all the baseline-to-baseline action, knocking each other out on their way to the Regional Semifinals and Finals. Better known as the Sweet 16 and Elite 8, these rounds are held at 1 location in each region—this year at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington; the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri; the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky; and the Times Union Center in Albany, New York.
It’s then another epic 4 days as the last-standing 16 teams bring everything they have to narrow it down to the top squad in each region. These 4 then continue on to compete in the high-energy Final Four at Columbus, Ohio’s Nationwide Arena. The final game pits the best of the best against each other in an exciting matchup that’s not to be missed. There’s nothing like watching the game in person, and there are budget-friendly tickets for all basketball fans.
While there’s always a team that’s the favorite to win, the 2018 competition is anyone’s game. Will UConn, the tournament’s top-winning team, add another victory to their resume, or could South Carolina go on to repeat last year’s win? Or perhaps, could a Cinderella team shock us all to unexpectedly nab the title? Don’t wait too long to grab your tickets, as the buzzer-beating drama is sure to pack in the crowds.
