Women's March Madness 2024: First-round tournament updates - ESPN

The first round of the 2024 women's NCAA tournament continues Saturday, with 1-seeds Iowa (3 p.m. ET, ABC) and USC (4:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in action.

All games are on ESPN networks and the ESPN App.

We're breaking down every game as the field is cut in half and 32 teams are eliminated. And be sure to check out everything we learned Friday on Day 1.

Can Indiana take this shooting into the later rounds? The Hoosiers lifted their energy a level toward the end of the first half and a 12-3 run gave them a four-point lead at the break. That energy turned to execution in the second half, leading to a blowout win over Fairfield. With Sara Scalia leading the way, Indiana made seven of its 14 3-point attempts in the second half and more impressively assisted on 14 of 17 field goals. Scalia scored 18 of her 27 points in the second half and made five 3's. The Hoosiers' 10 3-pointers were the most they have made in a game in a month.

What this means for Indiana: Health has been a problem late in the season with injuries to Mackenzie Holmes, Sydney Parrish and Lilly Meister. Teri Moren said that even practicing has been a challenge. But all looked well in Bloomington on Saturday afternoon. All three of those players played double figure minutes. Most importantly, Holmes seemed to move well and even blocked three shots to go with her 13 points and six rebounds.

What it means for Fairfield: The Stags played well in the first half. For stretches, they were the better team. Their 31-2 record won't soon be forgotten and with coach Carly Thibault-DuBonis signing a contract extension this week, Fairfield should be playing more meaningful games in March very soon. — Charlie Creme

How did the shorthanded Huskies fare in their NCAA tournament