Sun Mar 23 19:20:00 UTC 2025: **UConn Dominates, South Carolina Ascends in Upset-Free NCAA Women’s Tournament Opening**
**BIRMINGHAM, AL & SPOKANE, WA —** The first two rounds of the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament witnessed a surprising lack of upsets, but several teams made history with dominant performances. While no team seeded 11th or lower managed a win, a record six teams – UConn, LSU, Notre Dame, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas – surpassed 100 points, a feat never before accomplished in a single tournament. Four teams (UConn, South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Duke) achieved victories by more than 50 points, marking only the second time this has occurred in the tournament’s history.
UConn’s 103-34 rout of Arkansas State highlighted the weekend’s action. Azzi Fudd’s spectacular performance, with 27 points and 7 assists, fueled the Huskies’ offensive efficiency. South Carolina, already impressive, further solidified its top ranking after a record-breaking 108-48 victory over Tennessee Tech, scoring 108 points and amassing a 60-point margin – both program records.
Other notable performances included USC’s 71-25 win over UNC Greensboro, although concerns linger about JuJu Watkins’ ankle injury. Oklahoma set a new tournament rebounding record with 72 boards. Despite their wins, several top teams showed vulnerabilities, such as Texas’ relatively close 105-61 win against William & Mary and Kentucky’s near collapse against Liberty.
The tournament continues with the round of 32, featuring several intriguing matchups, including South Carolina against Indiana, UCLA against Richmond, and UConn facing South Dakota State. The path towards the Final Four promises to be intensely competitive as the remaining teams, ranked from South Carolina at the top to Oregon at the bottom, battle for a national championship.
First Piper 