NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2023: Updated Championship Odds, Picks
The 2023 women's NCAA Tournament is already one that won't be forgotten any time soon.
Monumental upsets on the women's side are a little harder to come by. So when two No. 1 seeds are already eliminated by the Sweet 16, it's a notable tourney. It's only the second time since 1982 that it's happened.
In the tournament's first weekend, No. 8 seed Ole Miss stunned the Stanford Cardinal, while the No. 9 Miami Hurricanes brought an end to No. 1 seed Indiana's tournament run.
The result is two regions that are now wide open without a clear favorite.
It's also made South Carolina a sizable favorite to be cutting down the nets on April 2 at the conclusion of the tournament.
Here's a look at the title odds for each of the 16 teams that are left, picks for each region and a guess as to whether or not South Carolina will fulfill the hype.
Championship Odds
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South Carolina -275
UConn +750
LSU +1000
Iowa +1200
Virginia Tech +4000
Tennessee +4000
Utah +5000
Maryland +6000
Villanova +8000
Notre Dame +8000
Ole Miss +10000
Louisville +10000
Ohio State +10000
Miami +30000
UCLA +50000
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
Final Four Picks
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South Carolina vs. Iowa
South Carolina is the odds-on favorite to win the national championship, and it's easy to see why. The Gamecocks carried an average point differential of nearly 31 points through an undefeated season, and they haven't slowed down through two tournament games.
Dawn Staley's squad beat Norfolk State and South Florida by 32 and 31 points respectively. Given the upset of two other No. 1 seeds, the dominance stands in stark contrast of other top seeds and illustrates how dominant they've been all season.
Their path to the Final Four is straightforward. They'll get a UCLA team they beat by nine earlier in the season and the winner of Maryland-Notre Dame.
In the Seattle 4 region, Iowa has a much clearer path to the Final Four with the No. 1 seed. They have the highest-scoring offense in the country at 87.4 points per game, fueled by one of the most electric offensive forces in Caitlin Clark.
Clark has yet to truly go off in the tournament. She scored 26 against Southeastern Louisiana and 22 against Georgia with 12 assists in each game. She put up 30 in the win over Ohio State to close out the Big Ten tournament.
It's hard not to see her hit that mark at least once in the tournament to set up a huge matchup with South Carolina and its vaunted defense.
LSU vs. UConn
The Greenville 2 side of the bracket might be the most interesting one at this point. Without No. 1 seed Indiana, there's a strong case for all four teams to come out of the region.
Maddy Siegrist is a National Player of the Year contender and could carry them all the way. But Miami just got done beating the Hoosiers. LSU and Utah figures to be a close game with the winner being the favorite to advance further.
Angel Reese's dominant recent form should give the Tigers an advantage. She had 25 points, 24 rebounds, six blocks and three steals in their 66-42 win over Michigan. Utah, meanwhile, is coming off a seven-point win over No. 10 seed Princeton.
UConn has made 15 straight Final Four appearances. It's hard to argue with that kind of precedent. The Huskies are one of the few teams who have been competitive with South Carolina, losing 81-77 when they played in February.
That was without Azzi Fudd in the lineup. The guard missed most of the season with a knee injury but has since returned to form, scoring 22 points in the second-round win over Baylor.
it's hard to tell what the ceiling is with her in the lineup but it's good enough to get back in the Final Four.
Champion Pick: South Carolina
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There's no need to get cute here. South Carolina is the real deal. The defending champions are undefeated for a reason, and their status as the odds-on favorite has been well-earned.
While other teams are surviving close calls, Dawn Staley has her team continuing their elite form. They are on a 40-game winning streak going back to last season and four of the five starters who took home the title last season are back.
Staley plays a deep rotation with nine players logging at least 15 minutes against South Florida. They don't rely on just one player and have built a tremendous culture that results in a team that consistently plays hard and outperforms their opponent.
The Huskies are probably best suited to challenge South Carolina. The return of Fudd makes them an interesting challenger, but when they met in the final last year, it was a 64-49 game.
It might be closer this year, but South Carolina is a team of destiny.
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