NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2015: Sunday's Elite 8 Schedule, Predictions
The 2015 NCAA women's college basketball tournament hasn't necessarily been filled with shocking upsets, but it has featured plenty of high-level competition, which will undoubtedly continue during the Elite Eight.
Two teams will earn a Final Four berth Sunday, and they are guaranteed to be great regardless of who comes out on top. That is because No. 2 Florida State will meet No. 1 South Carolina before No. 2 Baylor and No. 1 Notre Dame do battle later in the day.
All four teams have enjoyed spectacular seasons, and they are all threats to go the distance. Prior to Sunday's Elite Eight slate, here is a look at the schedule as well as some analysis regarding how each game will play out.
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Sunday's Elite Eight Schedule
| Sunday, March 29 | 12 p.m. | No. 2 Florida State | No. 1 South Carolina | ESPN |
| Sunday, March 29 | 8:30 p.m. | No. 2 Baylor | No. 1 Notre Dame | ESPN |
Breaking Down Sunday's Elite Eight Games
Florida State vs. South Carolina
Both Florida State and South Carolina narrowly avoided upsets in the Sweet 16, but their resiliency has led them to the Elite Eight, and they are just one win away from a trip to the prestigious Final Four.
The No. 2 Seminoles barely edged No. 3 Arizona State 66-65 Friday behind 21 points from guard Leticia Romero. The Gamecocks were in a similar position against No. 4 North Carolina, but they were able to advance thanks to the heroics of guard Tiffany Mitchell.
She hit the game-winner to sink the Tar Heels and received heavy praise from South Carolina head coach and former WNBA star Dawn Staley, according to Avery Wilks of Rivals.com:
At 33-2, anything short of a Final Four appearance would be a major disappointment for the Gamecocks. Perhaps the same can be said for Florida State at 32-4, but South Carolina is a team that was ranked No. 1 in the country at one point this season, and it certainly has championship aspirations.
Perhaps the biggest X-factor in this Elite Eight game will be South Carolina's bench. Center Alaina Coates scored 18 points off the bench against North Carolina in the Elite Eight, and there is no doubt that it gave the Gamecocks a huge lift.
The Seminoles can't match South Carolina in terms of depth, and that is what will ultimately put the Gamecocks over the top and into the Final Four.
Baylor vs. Notre Dame
For all the struggles that Florida State and South Carolina had in the Sweet 16, Baylor and Notre Dame were just the opposite. The Bears and Fighting Irish marched into the Elite Eight by virtue of double-digit wins, and they are both in top form.
While Baylor took care of Iowa by 15 points, Notre Dame wiped out Stanford 81-60. The Irish were paced by guard Lindsay Allen's 28 points, but they also got 21 points out of Naismith Trophy finalist Jewell Loyd.
With such a dominant one-two punch, it is no wonder that Notre Dame has made it this far and accumulated a record of 34-2. Also, while this may be a down year for the Cardinal, they did beat UConn, which shows just how impressive Notre Dame's Sweet 16 victory was.
If it wasn't already obvious after that game that the Irish are prepared for the Elite Eight, Loyd made sure everyone was well aware, according to Mary Green of The Observer:
There is no question that Baylor has a chance to knock off Notre Dame due to the oftentimes dominant trio of Sune Agbuke, Nina Davis and Niya Johnson, but ND's recent dominance is tough to ignore.
The Irish have won 20 straight games since surprisingly and disappointingly losing to Miami (Florida) back in January. It is clear that the Irish were motivated by that loss, and they will continue to ride the wave of momentum past the Lady Bears.
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