No. 3 TCU Women's Basketball Hosts UC San Diego on NCAA Tournament Opener

The women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament is back in Schollmaier Arena. TCU women’s basketball (29-5) notched a No. 3 host seed and will open tournament play against No. 14 seed UC San Diego (24-8) on Friday, March 20 at 11 a.m. The game will be televised on ESPN.

The Horned Frogs earned a national seed for the second consecutive season, one of 10 programs nationally to do so, while the Tritons are making back-to-back appearances. Last year, TCU reached the Elite Eight while UC San Diego lost to Southern University in the First Four round.

Following the TCU-UC San Diego game, No. 6 seed Washington and No. 11 seed South Dakota State will face off. The winners of those games will play on Sunday, March 22 in the second round.

Scouting UC San Diego

UC San Diego is relatively new to the Division I ranks. In July 2024, the Tritons became a full-fledged Division I program after a four-year transition from Division II. Athletic programs are not eligible for postseason competition during the transition period, so UC San Diego has made the NCAA Tournament every year it has been eligible.

This season, the Tritons posted a 24-8 overall record while sweeping the Big West regular season and tournament titles. Their lone game against a power conference opponent came against Washington on Nov. 28. UC San Diego lost 67-50.

Still, UC San Diego is establishing a winning tradition and will be looking to start a Cinderella run in Fort Worth. Senior guard Makayla Rose leads the charge, particularly on defense, where she averages 3.18 steals per game and has already set the program’s Division I record for steals in a season (102).

Rose also averages 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.06 assists. She earned four all-conference honors: Big West Defensive Player of the Year, Co-Best Hustle Player, All-Big West First Team, and Big West All-Defensive Team.

Erin Condron, a 6-4 forward/center, earned All-Big West First Team honors, too, after pacing the Tritons in scoring (15.7 points per game), rebounds (8.6), and field goal percentage (53.6%). Condon has logged 10 double-doubles and blocked 42 shots.

The rest of UC San Diego’s starting lineup of senior guard Sabrina Ma, junior guard Dymonique Maxie, and redshirt-junior guard Rosa Smith received All-Big West Honorable mention honors. Ma leads UC San Diego in 3-pointers made per game (2.2), Maxie has dished out a conference-best 145 assists and has a 1.84 assist-to-turnover ratio, while Smith knocks down 1.9 3-pointers per game and shoots 41% from the field.

Defense is a strength for this team as it forces nearly 20 turnovers per game and holds opponents to 62 points, and that tenacious approach could help the Tritons keep the game close early on. TCU, though, has more size, depth, and tournament experience, which should ultimately help it get past UC San Diego.

TCU women's basketball — Guard Donovyn Hunter and the Horned frogs earned a host seed in the NCAA Tournament. | Brian McLean - On Assignment Photo/KillerFrogs.com for TCU On SI

TCU Notables Heading Into Friday

By the time the tournament starts, nearly two weeks will have passed since the Horned Frogs last played a game. TCU faced West Virginia in the Big 12 title game on Sunday, March 8. UC San Diego beat Hawaii in the Big West tournament title game on Saturday, March 14.

Last year, TCU had a similar gap between games and came out slow in the first round game against Fairleigh Dickinson. The Horned Frogs eventually cruised to a 22-point win, but TCU head coach Mark Campbell and his coaching staff took a few lessons from that experience.

“This weekend, Saturday and Sunday, we brought in a referee crew and played on the Schollmaier, on the main court, and tried to get some game simulation reps and make sure we stay in a rhythm,” Campbell said on Sunday after the selection show. “And, so, I did not do that a year ago, added that to our routine this week, and hopefully that helps.”

Campbell also said the team worked through different lineups and added some new wrinkles.

“Now that you've been together 10 months, it's fun, and you're able to add some stuff that you haven't done because they know our system,” he said. “They know how to play out of it regardless of who's in there.”

TCU’s roster features 10 new faces this season, but brings plenty of March Madness experience as eight active players have played in a combined 33 tournament games: guard Taylor Bigby (10), guard Donovyn Hunter (8), guard Olivia Miles (6), guard Maddie Scherr (3), center Clara Silva (2), forward Natalie Mazurek (2), forward Marta Suarez (1) and guard Veronica Sheffey (1).

Home Court and the Frog Forum

The road to the Final Four officially runs through Fort Worth, as No. 3 TCU brings an NCAA-leading 42-game home winning streak back to Schollmaier Arena for the opening rounds. This home-court advantage is no accident; it's a product of a relentless atmosphere fueled by a fan base that has turned the Frog Forum into the digital heartbeat of Horned Frogs athletics. On the forum, "purple pulse" is at an all-time high as die-hard fans analyze every matchup and rally the community to "show out" for Mark Campbell's squad.

For a team that has been perfect for Fort Worth all season, having the backing of a crowd that is as vocal in the stands as they are on the boards gives the Frogs a psychological edge that few opponents can match in March.