Women's NCAA tournament 2022 bracket holds few surprises

One year after being played in a one-city bubble, the 2022 women's NCAA tournament is making history again. For the first time, the field expands to 68 teams, with a First Four set of games on Wednesday and Thursday. This is also the first time since 2006 that the women's bracket was revealed on a Sunday.

For all that is new this season, the women's NCAA selection committee faced some similar challenges from last year. The COVID-19 pandemic continued to impact the season, with some teams missing players and coaches for important games or having to take long pauses. And with the return of the top-16 teams getting to host first- and second-round games, it was as important as ever to be among the top-four seeds in a region.

This year's bubble also was more hotly contested than in recent years, even with 36 at-large berths available instead of the typical 32. All of those things made the committee's job that much more difficult.

Did the committee get it right? What seeds, snubs and regional placements stand out the most? Let's take a look.

Baylor controlled its own destiny: Had the Bears beat Texas and finished the job in the Big 12 tournament, they would have been the top seed in Wichita. Instead, after the Longhorns pushed them around to the tune of a 67-58 upset, the committee had no choice: Baylor is a No. 2.

Complete your bracket by selecting the winner for each game of the women's NCAA tournament. Play Tournament Challenge

As a result, Louisville, which had lost its grip on the top line with losses to North Carolina and Miami, regained that spot. Ultimately, the Cardinals and Bears both end up in the Wichita Regional as the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds, and it would have been that way even if Baylor won. Now the spots are just