NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament 2022: Odds, Players to Watch in Sweet 16

The South Carolina Gamecocks have been the favorite to win the NCAA women's basketball tournament all season long.

South Carolina got through its first two games in the NCAA tournament in contrasting manners. Its offense looked strong in the first round, and it won a defensive struggle to advance to the Sweet 16.

The Gamecocks can win different types of games because of Aliyah Boston's presence in the paint. Boston is one of the most consistent players in college basketball, and she will have played a pivotal role if South Carolina runs to the national championship.

Plenty of other leading programs with top-tier players will make a case to cut down the nets in Minneapolis, but South Carolina is the team to beat.

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Odds

South Carolina: +115 (bet $100 to win $115)

UConn: +300

Stanford: +450

NC State: +600

Louisville: +1000

Texas: +2000

North Carolina: +5000

Iowa State: +5000

Maryland: +6000

Michigan: +6000

Tennessee: +8000

Indiana: +10000

South Dakota: +20000

Notre Dame: +20000

Ohio State: +30000

Creighton: +40000

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Players to Watch

Aliyah Boston, F, South Carolina

Boston has been a double-double machine for the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks. She averages 16.4 points and 12.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 53.4 percent from the field.

The junior forward produced a double-double in every game dating back to November 29, and she will be one of the main reasons why South Carolina makes a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Boston's length on the interior caused issues for a litany of opponents this season, and that asset will be vital on the defensive end in the second weekend and beyond.

South Carolina needs Boston to be strong on the defensive end in case it encounters another slow offensive performance such as the one it had in the second round against the Miami Hurricanes.

Dawn Staley's team managed 49 points, but it controlled the rebounding battle to prevent the ACC squad from earning a ton of second-chance opportunities. Twelve of Boston's 16 rebounds came on defense, and her four offensive boards were two fewer than Miami's team total.

Boston has been one of the best two-way players in college basketball this season, and if she continues to dominate down low, it will be hard for any of South Carolina's opponents to upset the No. 1 overall seed.

Naz Hillmon, F, Michigan

Naz Hillmon is the top scorer left in the women's tournament.

Hillmon is 12th in the nation with 21.3 points per game, and is the best scorer left in the competition after Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes were upset in the second round.

She produced 24 points in the first-round win over the American Eagles and 27 points in the second-round triumph against the Villanova Wildcats. That win took out the nation's second-best scorer, Maddy Siegrist, from the field of 68.

The senior forward comes into the Sweet 16 with four consecutive double-doubles and six in her past seven games. Hillmon does most of her damage in the paint. She was 12-of-16 in Michigan's win over Villanova.

She has also been effective on the defensive side of the ball with 10 steals and two blocks over the past three games.

Hillmon needs to be at her best for Michigan to avoid an upset at the hands of the 10th-seeded South Dakota Coyotes, who took out the Baylor Bears in the second round.

Should the Wolverines progress, the senior will also be crucial to their success in the Elite Eight in a tough matchup against either the Louisville Cardinals or the Tennessee Volunteers.

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