With the dust settling on the major conference tournaments, the stage is set for the Women’s Basketball NCAA Tournament, and ESPN’s latest bracketology has painted an intriguing picture. The Tennessee Lady Vols find themselves as an 8-seed, gearing up for a potential clash with 9-seed Syracuse. This matchup carries an extra layer of drama as Lady Vols forward Alyssa Latham could face off against her former team.
The venue for this showdown? UCLA’s home court, where the Bruins sit comfortably as a 1-seed.
Should Tennessee pull off the upset, a ticket to the Sweet 16 would be punched, sending them to Sacramento. There, they might encounter formidable foes like 4-seed West Virginia or 5-seed Kentucky.
But let’s not forget, UCLA handed the Lady Vols a tough 22-point loss in LA earlier this season. And with Tennessee wrapping up their season on a seven-game losing streak, they’ve got some hurdles to clear.
The selection committee usually tries to avoid early rematches, but given Tennessee's encounters with every projected 1-seed, the options narrow down to UCLA and UConn for an 8 or 9-seed showdown.
Representing the SEC, Tennessee is one of ten teams projected to make the tournament, a testament to the conference’s strength, second only to the Big Ten's 12 teams. The ACC follows with nine, and the Big 12 with eight. Meanwhile, the Big East and Atlantic 10 are each projected to send two teams to the dance.
Mark your calendars for Selection Sunday on March 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN, with the first round tipping off on March 20-21. The anticipation is building, and the Lady Vols are ready to make their mark.