Which 10 teams might win women's NCAA title? - ESPN

We've reached a point where almost anything can happen in the early rounds of the women's NCAA tournament. Last season, No. 1 seeds Stanford (to Ole Miss) and Indiana (to Miami) lost in the second round.

But by the regionals, big-time upsets are rarer. In the past 10 years, just two seeds below No. 4 have advanced to the women's Final Four: No. 5 Louisville in 2013 and No. 7 Washington in 2016.

The lowest-seeded team to ever win a national championship is No. 3: North Carolina in 1994, Tennessee in 1997 and LSU last season.

So when you consider which teams could win the 2024 NCAA title, no squad beyond the projected top 16 seeds appear to be a viable choice.

But who are the top teams among that group? Let's look at the clear favorite to win the 2024 title and the biggest challengers.

MiLaysia Fulwiley scores a career-high 24 points to lead top-seeded South Carolina past the 2-seed Tigers' four double-digit scorers in the 79-72 championship win.

The Gamecocks, Division I's only undefeated team, have lost two games or fewer in four of the past five seasons. They seemed nearly unbeatable last season, but ran into the NCAA tournament's hottest player, Iowa's Caitlin Clark, and their own cold perimeter shooting in a national semifinal loss.

Saturday, South Carolina was nearly upset by Tennessee in the SEC tournament semifinals but escaped with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. It showed that even a rare time when the Gamecocks appeared to be in deep trouble, they still got out of it.

South Carolina lost Aliyah Boston, the WNBA No. 1 draft pick, along with four other starters from last year. But this season's team has six players who average between 14.0 and 9.2 points; the team's balance is part of why South Carolina is so