NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2017: Monday's Schedule, Bracket Predictions
Monday's eight games in the 2017 NCAA women's basketball tournament won't be lacking for star power as the second round draws to a close.
The two winningest teams in tournament history—the Connecticut Huskies and Tennessee Lady Vols—will be in action. Connecticut faces a rematch of last year's championship game as it takes on the Syracuse Orange. Tennessee, meanwhile, will clash with the Louisville Cardinals.
The best player in college basketball will also take the court when Kelsey Plum leads the Washington Huskies against the Oklahoma Sooners.
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Here's a look at Monday's schedule, followed by a preview for three of the most intriguing matchups.
Second-Round Schedule
| Bridgeport | No. 8 Syracuse vs. No. 1 Connecticut | 6:35 p.m. | ESPN2 | Watch ESPN | UConn |
| Lexington | No. 7 Kansas State vs. No. 2 Stanford | 6:35 p.m. | ESPN2 | Watch ESPN | Kansas State |
| Bridgeport | No. 10 Oregon vs. No. 2 Duke | 6:40 p.m. | ESPN2 | Watch ESPN | Duke |
| Oklahoma City | No. 5 Tennessee vs. No. 4 Louisville | 6:45 p.m. | ESPN2 | Watch ESPN | Louisville |
| Oklahoma City | No. 6 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 Washington | 9:05 p.m. | ESPN2 | Watch ESPN | Oklahoma |
| Oklahoma City | No. 9 California vs. No. 1 Baylor | 9:10 p.m. | ESPN2 | Watch ESPN | Baylor |
| Stockton | No. 12 Quinnipiac vs. No. 4 Miami | 9:10 p.m. | ESPN2 | Watch ESPN | Miami |
| Bridgeport | No. 5 Texas A&M vs. No. 4 UCLA | 10:05 p.m. | ESPNU | Watch ESPN | UCLA |
Predictions
No. 8 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 1 Connecticut Huskies
Syracuse was excellent in the first round against the Iowa State Cyclones, winning by 20 points, 85-65. They also shot 15-of-29 from three-point range.
The Orange will need a similarly hot night on the offensive end if they're going to avenge last year's defeat to the Huskies.
Syracuse's high-tempo style will either be a massive asset for the Orange or the instrument of their demise. They rank third in forced turnovers (21.91 per game) and 15th in scoring offense (79.1 points per game). Such a risky strategy can backfire in a big way when things are going wrong.
Because Syracuse can be such a difficult team to play, the Orange can't be written off completely.
Still, 31 points separated them and the Huskies in last year's national championship. And although this year's Connecticut team is without Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson and Morgan Tuck, it's 33-0 with an average margin of victory of 33.7 points a game, second-best in the country.
Connecticut can't keep winning forever, but the Baylor Bears look to be the Huskies' only competition on their side of the bracket.
No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners vs. No. 3 Washington Huskies
You know a player has set a high standard for herself when going 10-of-20 is considered a "tough shooting night." At least that's how one reporter termed Plum's first-round performance. The moment comes around the 5-minute, 16-second mark of the video below, courtesy of Washington's official Twitter account:
While much of the Huskies' focus on defense will be on the Sooners' guard duo of Maddie Manning and Peyton Little, they'll also have to worry about Vionise Pierre-Louis inside.
The junior center had 17 points, nine rebounds and nine blocks in her team's 75-62 win over the Gonzaga Bulldogs. She's averaging 12.1 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
Calling Washington a one-woman team would be unfair, but putting the onus on Plum may be Oklahoma's best strategy to secure passage to the Sweet 16.
In the national semifinals last year, Plum shot 5-of-18 in Washington's 80-59 loss to Syracuse. And in Washington's past two meetings with Oklahoma, she scored 75 combined points but failed to come out on the winning end.
No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers vs. No. 4 Louisville Cardinals
Tennessee head coach Holly Warlick argued the Lady Vols and Cardinals are two sides of the same coin.
"We're both up and down, we're athletic, we can rebound, we shoot the three," she said, per the Louisville Courier-Journal's Danielle Lerner. "As we're similar teams, we may go inside more than they do but they stretch the floor out and have players that can face up. I would think this game would be really fun to watch."
This matchup is particularly enticing with Asia Durr and Diamond DeShields on opposite sides. Durr is averaging 19.1 points a game and shooting 40.9 percent from three-point range, while DeShields—the likely No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft—is posting 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.9 assists a night.
Louisville will be buoyed by what's likely to be a raucous KFC Yum! Center.
The Cardinals would be tough enough on a neutral court. They rank 23rd in field-goal percentage (45.0 percent) and 43rd in opponent field-goal percentage (37.0 percent).
With Tennessee going into enemy territory, going through Louisville and advancing to an eighth straight Sweet 16 will be even more difficult.
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