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UConn and South Carolina Seasons Prove NCAA Women’s Basketball Parity Has Arrived

The NCAA women's basketball championship landscape is wide open as March Madness approaches.
Samara Elster|
Feb 16, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley directs her team against the UConn Huskies in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images
Feb 16, 2025; Columbia, South Carolina, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley directs her team against the UConn Huskies in the first half at Colonial Life Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-Imagn Images | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

March Madness is just around the corner, but all season long, women's basketball teams nationwide have proven that this season is wide open. And parity may be the name of the game come tournament time.

Geno Auriemma and UConn once dominated the sport, while in recent years Dawn Staley's South Carolina squad has been the measuring stick. But this year, there isn't one definitive favorite.

Arguments can be made for a handful of programs. Just in the past week, UConn routed South Carolina in Columbia, USC beat previously undefeated UCLA, and Texas took care of business against LSU. This means the top squads appear to be on the same tier and bracket season should be mighty interesting. Here's a look at where some of the contenders stand.

The downfall of the Gamecocks?

The Gamecocks are looking to go back-to-back and grab the program's fourth national championship, but they haven't been the same team seen in past years. It's rare to see an opponent handle South Carolina the way UConn did, which gave Staley's team their second loss in a week. But it's also worth noting that South Carolina has beaten nine ranked teams so far this season.

So there is simultaneously reason to believe South Carolina can contend, but also concern about the prospects of a repeat. The Gamecocks will enter the tournament relying on depth and without a dominant individual presence.

The Big Ten is a gauntlet

The expansion of the Big Ten Conference has made a significant impact on college sports, but more specifically on women's basketball. Every week, at least five schools in the conference have been ranked in the AP Poll. According to ESPN, the Big Ten has 13 projected bids to March Madness, which is the most for any conference.

Caitlin Clark and Iowa have ruled the Big Ten for the past three years, and the league hasn't had a national champion since 1999, but the additions of California schools could change that. And while UCLA and USC have a shot at competing for a title, other teams could also make a deep run, like Maryland and Ohio State.

UCLA had been unbeaten all season long and was the number-one ranked team until JuJu Watkins and USC came along and took them down. The next game the Bruins went down to the wire with Michigan State, albeit with Lauren Betts sidelined for that contest.

Meanwhile, the Trojans have been coming out with wins, but not easy ones. The most recent was a 69-64 victory against Washington (USC's largest comeback win of the season), in which they trailed by 12 with just under two minutes left in the third quarter.

USC has resumé boosters in wins against UCLA, UConn, and Ohio State. But they also have losses against Iowa and Notre Dame to hurt them. Containing Watkins is certainly difficult, but has been done by several opponents this season.

The hottest squads right now, Texas and Notre Dame?

The Texas Longhorns are a rising program in women's hoops. They have defeated three consecutive ranked opponents and appear to be a force to be reckoned with when it comes down to who will cut down the nets. Texas has been dominant on the defensive end and is second in the SEC in points allowed per game. With a relatively easy schedule remaining, Texas should secure a strong seed.

Then there are the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame hasn't lost a conference game yet and is led by the strong trio of Hannah Hidalgo, Olivia Miles, and Sonia Citron, who have dominated opponents on both ends of the floor.

Since their two back-to-back losses in November to Utah and TCU, the Irish have responded in a big way, winning 18 consecutive games. Notre Dame has wins over USC, Texas, and UConn under its belt so far this season. Those victories over several contenders are why they sit in the top spot in the nation at this juncture.

Last but not least, UConn

The Huskies have faced some elite competition this season outside of conference play. But the early results against other contenders did not bode well. Yet, it now seems as though Auriemma's team is finally coming together, as UConn has been bolstered by recent standout performances from Azzi Fudd.

Bad luck with injuries has hurt the Huskies in the past, but seeing both Paige Bueckers and Fudd active and healthy (along with freshman Sarah Strong) can be a scary sight for opponents. The way they played against the Gamecocks was a revelation and displayed why UConn is among the contenders.

While what UConn did against South Carolina was impressive, that result encompassed the unpredictability of this season. Both teams are in the conversation to emerge victorious in March, but they have plenty of company.

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Samara Elster
SAMARA ELSTER

Samara Elster covers basketball for Women’s Fastbreak on SI. She has extensively covered a variety of the sports teams at Indiana University with a focus on the women's basketball team. Samara has experience as a beat reporter covering the ins and outs of a team and handling the stories that emerge from that role. Her concentration on sports journalism at IU combined with her enthusiasm for the media industry drove her to pursue a career covering sports.

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