NCAA Women's Basketball Bracket 2016: Championship Odds for Final Four
For all of the talk of Connecticut's dominance, the NCAA women's basketball tournament has actually offered more parity than usual.
Last year, the Final Four consisted exclusively of No. 1 seeds, three of which defeated No. 2 seeds in the Elite Eight. While UConn claimed the Bridgeport Region to nobody's surprise, Oregon State, Syracuse and Washington have disrupted the status quo.
If Sunday's semifinal showdowns go according to plan, Tuesday's championship game will prove the ultimate David vs. Goliath matchup. If not, grumpy detractors—who probably all dislike the Golden State Warriors and other dominant sports squads—can quit complaining about UConn being too good.
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| Sun., April 3 | No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 2 Oregon State | 6 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sun., April 3 | No. 4 Syracuse vs. No. 7 Washington | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Tue., April 5 | Championship Game | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| UConn | 1-10 |
| Oregon State | 25-1 |
| Syracuse | 28-1 |
| Washington | 30-1 |
Full tournament bracket available on NCAA.com.
Final Four Preview
Connecticut vs. Oregon State
Texas gave UConn its toughest test of the tournament, only losing Monday's Elite Eight matchup by 21 points.
That's not sarcasm. The Huskies won their three previous games by 51, 46 and 60 points, respectively. Now 36-0 with a 40.3-point margin of victory, they have claimed all but five of their victories by over 20 points.
Two wins separate UConn from its fourth consecutive title and second undefeated season in three years. ESPN Stats & Info documented the program's historic run:
After edging out a three-point win over top-seed Baylor, Oregon State earned the unenviable task of stopping the juggernaut. A foregone conclusion for UConn instead amounts to a first for the Beavers, who have never competed in the Final Four.
Fueled by a tenacious defense relinquishing 51.2 points per contest, the Dallas Region's No. 2 seed is well-equipped to avoid a blowout. Opponents have notched a minuscule 31.7 field-goal percentage and 3.3 three-pointers per game. Long-range shooting made all the difference on Monday, when the Beavers drained seven threes while allowing one to the Lady Bears.
Then again, the Huskies are just as strict defensively with Breanna Stewart shielding the paint. In order for Oregon State to defy the odds, top scorer Jamie Weisner must steal the show like she did on Saturday. In a 83-71 win over DePaul, the senior scored a season-high 38 points.
Even though South Carolina and Notre Dame suffered upsets, it's hard to fathom UConn experiencing a similar fate. This is a squad that has won every game by double digits. A team bigger, faster, stronger and more fundamentally sound than every competitor. Good luck, Oregon State.
Syracuse vs. Washington
By a show of hands, who successfully predicted No. 4 Syracuse meeting No. 7 Washington in the Final Four? Great, now put your hand down, liar. According to espnW, a microscopic portion of the population picked them both to make the Elite Eight:
Makes sense, considering neither program has ever reached the Final Four before this year. As noted by Jessica Luther, they weren't given much of a chance to do so by FiveThirtyEight's initial projections:
"Syracuse and Washington will meet in the Final Four pic.twitter.com/gsqdU1Euj0
— Jessica Luther (@scATX) March 27, 2016"
They're not escaping with fluky wins, either. Syracuse is averaging a 16-point victory margin, while Washington—in spite of playing three consecutive higher seeds as the underdog—has won every game by at least nine points.
Syracuse sends two college hoops squads to the Final Four, and both got there in similar fashion. While these Orange benefited from upsets in the Sioux Falls Region, they also overcame a fourth-quarter deficit to upend No. 1 South Carolina, whose only previous loss came against UConn.
Alexis Peterson has registered over 20 points in all four tournament contests, culminating in a 29-point outburst over Tennessee. After watching the junior pick apart her squad in the Elite Eight, Tennessee coach Holly Warlick praised her performance to the Associated Press' Eric Olson.
"She's a special kid. She's competing. It's her time to shine," Warlick said. "She stepped up and made things happen. She ran her basketball team. She kind of put them on her back and said, 'We're not going to be defeated.'"
Meanwhile, Washington continues to persevere with a six-player rotation anchored by Kelsey Plum. The star guard has averaged 26.3 points per tournament game, also earning admirers along the way. Kentucky coach Matthew Mitchell complimented the junior after their Sweet 16 meeting:
Washington's starters get a week to rest, eliminating any fatigue fears for Sunday's showdown. Yet Peterson and sharpshooter Brianna Butler propel a prolific Orange offense that already engineered the tournament's biggest upset.
Fans who enjoy uncertainty over transcendent excellence will prefer this toss-up featuring two red-hot scorers and teams peaking at the perfect time.
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