NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2015: Sunday's Schedule, Bracket Predictions
The 2015 women's NCAA tournament continues Sunday with the start of the second round. There are 32 teams left standing in pursuit of the national championship, and a couple of the top contenders will be in action today.
One thing learned over the first couple days is that the men's game has more parity. That said, the level of competition should begin to rise noticeably on the women's side starting now. Even the No. 1 seeds in action have some tricky matchups.
With that in mind, let's check out the entire slate of Round 2 action on tap for Sunday. The schedule is followed by a closer look at some of the day's best contests.
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Sunday's Schedule
| 12 p.m. | No. 3 Iowa | No. 11 Miami | ESPN2 (regional) |
| 12 p.m. | No. 4 Duke | No. 5 Mississippi State | ESPN2 (regional) |
| 2:30 p.m. | No. 2 Kentucky | No. 7 Dayton | ESPN2 (regional) |
| 2:30 p.m. | No. 2 Baylor | No. 10 Arkansas | ESPN2 (regional) |
| 7 p.m. | No. 1 South Carolina | No. 8 Syracuse | ESPN |
| 7 p.m. | No. 3 Oregon State | No. 11 Gonzaga | ESPN2 |
| 9 p.m. | No. 1 Notre Dame | No. 9 DePaul | ESPN |
| 9 p.m. | No. 4 California | No. 5 Texas | ESPN2 |
Predictions for Top Games
Kentucky vs. Dayton
Although the Kentucky men are generating all of the attention in their pursuit of perfection, their counterparts on the women's side are also playing well. The Cats opened the tournament with a 45-point destruction of Tennessee State.
They feature a trio of players scoring in double figures. Losing Janee Thompson to a leg injury back in January was a setback, but other players have stepped up to fill the void. Linnae Harper handled point guard duties well in the tournament opener, as Jen Smith of the Lexington Herald-Leader noted:
Kentucky will face off with a Dayton squad that's been on quite a roll. The Flyers opened the season 1-3 but have gone 25-3 since that point, including just two losses since early January. It should lead to an entertaining clash with the Wildcats holding a slight edge.
Prediction: Kentucky by 3
South Carolina vs. Syracuse
The Gamecocks are seemingly rounding into form at the perfect time. They have earned four straight wins by at least 16 points, including an opening-round blowout of Savannah State. Their only losses of the entire season were road games against Connecticut and Kentucky.
South Carolina has a pair of go-to scorers in Tiffany Mitchell and A'ja Wilson. It transforms into a title contender when the secondary offensive options are clicking, as Aleighsa Welch was Friday. She talked about the vibe this time of year, per David Caraviello of The Post and Courier (Charleston, South Carolina):
Syracuse has endured an up-and-down campaign. The Orange did play the Gamecocks tough earlier in the season, however, losing by just four. That should give them enough confidence to at least keep it close deep into the second half.
Prediction: South Carolina by 10
Notre Dame vs. DePaul
The dynamic duo of Jewell Loyd and Brianna Turner was at it again for Notre Dame in its tournament opener. The pair combined for 30 points on 14-of-22 shooting while also chipping in seven rebounds. It's exactly what the Fighting Irish need as they get deeper in the event.
They are currently riding an 18-game winning streak that includes wins over Tennessee, Florida State, Louisville and Duke. Things are clearly trending in the right direction. The Associated Press (via ESPN) passed along comments from head coach Muffet McGraw after beating Montana on Friday.
"At this part of the year, it's all about moving forward," she said. "We won't even watch the game. We're going to focus on DePaul immediately after this. I think this time of the year it's about building confidence and celebrating the victories."
DePaul may be a No. 9 seed, but the Blue Demons pushed the Irish to the limit back in December. The game went to overtime before Notre Dame narrowly escaped. Expect a more polished performance from the favorites this time around.
Prediction: Notre Dame by 9
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