Last Updated 12:13 PM, July 02, 2021
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Stanford wins 2021 NCAA championship in a thriller over Arizona

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Recap: No. 1 Stanford wins third NCAA title by beating No. 3 Arizona in thriller
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2:07 am, April 5, 2021

Recap: No. 1 Stanford wins its third NCAA title over No. 3 Arizona

After a year without the NCAA women's basketball tournament, we finally crowned a 2021 national champion. No. 1 overall seed Stanford hoists the championship after a season filled with adversity due playing through the COVID-19 pandemic, including not having the luxury of playing on its home court. Despite the challenges, the Cardinal earned its third national title and first since 1992. NCAA.com's Autumn Johnson's recaps the 2021 NCAA women's basketball championship game: 

Recap: No. 1 Stanford wins third NCAA title by beating No. 3 Arizona in thriller

Here are the results and Highlights of the championship game: 

Stanford defeats Arizona, 54-53

No. 1 Stanford def. No. 3 Arizona, 54-53 | Highlights 

🏆 SHOP OFFICIAL 2021 STANFORD CHAMPIONSHIP GEAR 🏆

12:15 am, April 5, 2021

Stanford wins the national championship in thriller over Arizona

No. 1 Stanford won its first NCAA title since 1992 in a nail-bitter against No. 3 Arizona, 54-53. This makes Stanford the first team in tournament history on both the men's and women's side to win the semifinal and final games by one point. Haley Jones won the Most Outstanding Player after a dominant performance, finishing with 17 points and eight rebounds. Lexie Hull and Cameron Brink combined for 20 points for the Cardinal. 

It was a game of runs, but Arizona's defense began to the favor the Wildcats in the second half, turning that defense into offense. The Wildcats forced the Cardinal to finish with 21 turnovers. The Wildcats used those opportunities to score in transition and found themselves trailing by only three points heading into the fourth quarter to remain remain competitive against the No. 1 overall seed.

Stanford sent their entire team to take away Arizona's go-to scorer Aari McDonald, but she started to find ways to make Stanford's interior defense pay by attacking the basket. A crucial 3 and three free throws made it a one-point game to list the Wildcats' hopes of winning their first national championship, but McDonald couldn't get the buzzer beater to fall. McDonald ended her final game with 22 points. 

11:59 pm, April 4, 2021

4Q: No. 1 Stanford 54, No. 3 Arizona 53

Aari McDonald hits a crucial three to push a 10-2 run against Stanford. With less than a minute to go, three free-throws McDonald makes it a one-point game with 5.5 left on the clock in hopes of hoisting the national championship for the first time. 

11:40 pm, April 4, 2021

End of 3Q: No. 1 Stanford 43. No. 3 Arizona 40

No. 3 Arizona's lock down defense got this team to the championship stage, and the Wildcats continues to suffocate its foes to help them cut the deficit against Stanford to make it a three-point game for a chance to win the NCAA title. Arizona racked up 10 steals in the first three quarters and has forced Stanford to turn the ball over 17 times. The Wildcats were able to convert their defense into offense in the final stretch of the third quarter to put up six points in transition.  

11:24 pm, April 4, 2021

3Q: No. 1 Stanford 41, No. 3 Arizona 31

Stanford has taken away Aari McDonald's ease to get to the basket, but that hasn't stopped McDonald. She's making sure she picks up some contact along the way to get her points from the charity shot. Four of McDonald's seven points have came from the free-throw line, including a crucial three that kick started her scoring in the third quarter. McDonald has 12 points, so far, which records 93-straight games she's scored in double-figures. This is the longest streak in the nation.
10:59 pm, April 4, 2021

Halftime: No. 1 Stanford 31, No. 3 Arizona 24

No. 1 Stanford goes on an 11-3 run to take the lead over No. 3 Arizona, 31-24. Lexie Hull's AND-1 from the three shifted the entire momentum of the run, as she completed the four-point play. Hull is leading the Cardinal's offense with eight points. A key piece of Stanford's starting line was benched as Haley Jones and Cameron Brink picked up two early fouls. Ashten Pretchel has been huge off the bench, scoring at all areas on the floor as a big. Pretchel has seven points, so far. 

However, Stanford has been plagued by mistakes caused by Arizona's pressure defense. The Cardinal turned the ball over 10 times in the first half, but the Wildcats have to find a way to capitalize on those opportunities to create offense from its defense to remain competitive in the second half. Arizona's Aari McDonald will have to find a way to get her shot off as Stanford holds the offensive threat to only five points. 

10:47 pm, April 4, 2021

2Q: No. 3 Arizona 21, No. 1 Stanford 20

Arizona begins to come alive in the second quarter, starting off with Cate Reese's back-to-back buckets in the paint. Stanford has been focused on taking away McDonald's ability to get to the basket and long-range shooting, so her teammates have stepped up to produce balanced scoring. Trinity Baptiste and Shaina Pellington have nine points together thus far. 

10:36 pm, April 4, 2021

End of 1Q: No. 1 Stanford 16, No. 3 Arizona 8

It's been cold shooting for Arizona in the first quarter as the Wildcats trail Stanford, 16-8. Arizona shot 16.7 percent, including its go-to-scorer Aari McDonald shooting 1-for-5 from the floor and 1-for-3 beyond the arc. However, Arizona's defense has kept them close in this matchup picking up two steals so far. The Wildcats have not been able to convert those steals into fast break opportunities on the other end. 

10:22 pm, April 4, 2021

1Q: No. 1 Stanford 12, No. 3 Arizona 3

No. 1 Stanford comes out blazing with consistent shooting, going on a 10-0 run against No. 3 Arizona. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Ashten Prechtel and Kiana Williams forced the first timeout of the game. Arizona's Aari McDonald was able to get off an early 3, but picked up her first offensive foul after forcing her way inside the Cardinal's paint. 

1:05 pm, April 4, 2021

National championship game is happening now

After starting with 64 teams in the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament, it comes down to No. 1 Stanford meeting No. 3 Arizona for the national title.

Here is the schedule and TV information for tonight

Stanford took down No. 1 South Carolina in its semifinal game and the Wildcats upset No. 1 UConn to set up an all Pac-12 national championship game. The Cardinal will look to win its first NCAA title since 1992, while the Wildcats will attempt to win it all in their first title game appearance.

Here's the Final Four results and highlights:

These two teams have played each other twice this season, with Stanford winning 81-54 back on Jan. 1 and 62-48 on Feb. 22. Stanford is 71-14 vs. Arizona all-time and is 9-1 in the teams' last 10 meetings. 

Both teams boast impressive senior talent in Arizona's Aari McDonald and Stanford's Kiana Williams — but many different players have stepped at different times for each squad. If this game is anything like the semifinals, fans are in for a treat. 

4:54 am, April 3, 2021

The 2021 Women's Final Four, semifinals recap

After starting with 64 teams in the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament, it comes down to No. 1 Stanford meeting No. 3 Arizona for the national title.

The Cardinal took down No. 1 South Carolina and the Wildcats upset No. 1 UConn to set the Sunday, April 4 final. The Cardinal will look to win its first NCAA title since 1992, while the Wildcats will attempt to win it all in their first title game appearance.

Here's NCAA.com's Autumn Johnson recapping Friday's Final Four action: 

The 2021 women's Final Four, semifinals recap

Here's the Final Four results and highlights:

3:27 am, April 3, 2021

Arizona takes down UConn, advances to the national title game

No. 3 Arizona advanced to the 2021 NCAA women's basketball national championship after taking down No. 1 UConn, 69-59. The Wildcats used their defense to shut down the Huskies' offense, holding them to 35.7 percent shooting. 

Arizona will play Stanford for the title at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Aari McDonald continued her tournament dominance, finishing with 26 points. McDonald did not let up the entire game with four 3-pointers. She was also tasked with defending AP Player of the Year and freshman sensation Paige Bueckers, who finished with 18 points. Arizona's defense continued to force problems, with Trinity Baptiste getting the steal and capitalizing on the fast break opportunity to put the dagger in the game. 

3:13 am, April 3, 2021

3Q: No. 3 Arizona 56, No. 1 UConn 46

UConn takes a big loss as Christyn Williams fouls out with 3.51 seconds left on the clock with the Huskies down, 56-46. Williams leads UConn with 20 points. Paige Bueckers has 13, so far. 

 

2:40 am, April 3, 2021

End of 3Q: No. 3 Arizona 48, No. 1 UConn 39

No. 3 Arizona looks to upset No. 1 UConn heading into the final quarter, 48-39, for a chance to advance to the National Championship Game. Paige Bueckers and Christyn Williams started off the quarter with seven points to make it a four-point game. So far, the backcourt duo has combined for 28 points. But it wasn't long after that Arizona's defense left UConn scoreless for three minutes as the Wildcats went on a 7-0 run. The Wildcats' defense has been the story of this matchup, but it's been UConn's pressure that held Aari McDonald to only two points in the third quarter. 

2:15 am, April 3, 2021

Halftime: No. 3 Arizona 32, No. 1 UConn 22

No. 3 Arizona leads No. 1 UConn, 32-22, at the half in its first Final Four appearance. It's been Arizona's pressure defense that's contained the Huskies, who are the No. 1 field goal percentage team in the nation. The Wildcats held the Huskies to a season-low 22 points. That suffocating defense has created nine turnovers and 12 points off of the Huskies' mistakes — UConn has more turnovers (9) than field goals (8). UConn star freshman Paige Bueckers has only 5 points on 1-for-4 shooting.

Arizona's Aari McDonald put on a show with four 3-pointers in the first half, leading the Wildcats with 15 points. The range has been contagious with Sam Thomas knocking down two 3s of her own.

1:50 am, April 3, 2021

End of 1Q: No. 3 Arizona 16, No. 3 UConn 10

No. 3 Arizona takes the lead to finish the first quarter against No. 1 UConn, 16-10. Arizona's Aari McDonald came out strong with eight of Arizona's 16 points. McDonald's frontcourt duo Cate Reese has been struggling getting her shot off inside against Olivia Nelson-Ododa, shooting 1-for-5 from the floor. However, Reese continues to battle underneath and picked up an and-1 to send Nelson-Ododa to the bench with two early fouls. 

1:36 am, April 3, 2021

1Q: No. 3 Arizona 9, No. 1 UConn 7

The buzz has been around UConn's Paige Bueckers all season, but there's another top sharp-shooter on the Final Four floor looking to make program history for Arizona. Aari McDonald has came out hot, relentlessly knocking down bother of her 3-pointers early in the first quarter against the Huskies. Sam Thomas joined in on the range game, putting up a three of her own to help Arizona gain its nine points, so far. 

11:57 pm, April 2, 2021

Stanford beats South Carolina in thriller to advance to title game

The Final Four matchup between No. 1 Stanford and No. 1 South Carolina came down to the final seconds, but Stanford came out victorious with a 66-65 win over the Gamecocks to advance to the 2021 NCAA women's basketball championship on Sunday. Stanford is one win away from its first title since 1992.

Stanford survives South Carolina, 66-65

South Carolina had to climb its way back after its two top scorers, Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke, fought with foul trouble. Cooke was held to only two points in the final quarter after going on a scoring rampage, finishing with 25 points. The Gamecocks couldn't find an answer to shut down Haley Jones, who scored in all areas. Jones led the way with 24 points, shooting 11-for-14 from the floor.

It was South Carolina's turnovers that plagued the Gamecock towards the end. Stanford's Ashten Prechtel was huge off the bench, securing a crucial steal from Destanni Henderson with 13.1 seconds left. Boston and Brea Beal looked to get the last minute shot to send South Carolina to the championship game, but couldn't get either shot to go after a Stanford turnover.

11:45 pm, April 2, 2021

🚨Stanford sets women's NCAA tournament 3-pointers record

Stanford has been blazing beyond the arc in the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament. The Cardinal set a tournament record against No. 1 South Carolina, hitting its 55th 3-pointer. Stanford has five 3's so far, shooting 71 percent. 

11:30 pm, April 2, 2021

3Q: No.1 South Carolina 45, No. 1 Stanford 43

South Carolina - who is known for its inside game - is putting on a show beyond the arc, with seven 3's, so far. Back-to-back 3-pointers from Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson ties the game 43-43, after trailing Stanford since the Cardinal's first quarter run. Henderson finally finds the bottom of the net, after being left wide open twice beyond the arc. Cooke leads the Gamecocks with 21 points, knocking down five of South Carolina's seven 3's. 

10:49 pm, April 2, 2021

Halftime: Stanford 31, South Carolina 25

It's been a game of runs, so far, as we all hoped for in the Final Four matchup between the top seeds with Stanford up 31-25 at the half. After South Carolina had a dominant start in the first quarter, the Gamecocks suffered a scoring drought that allowed Stanford to go on 16-2 run. However, South Carolina's defense has been able to keep the Gamecocks close in this matchup. Its interior defense, which features Aliyah Boston, has created problems inside not allowing Stanford to get shots off on the block while denying layups in the paint. 

Stanford has found another solution — the perimeter. The Cardinal have gotten their shots off beyond the arc, shooting 4-for-5. The four three's allows Stanford to tie the women's NCAA tournament record for most 3-pointers in a single tournament at 54. Haley Jones leads Stanford with nine points, recording a 3 of her own, but she'll have to watch her fouls in the second half after picking up two,r. South Carolina's Zia Cooke is leading the way for the Gamecocks with 12 points. 

10:35 pm, April 2, 2021

End of 1Q: No. 1 Stanford 15, No. 1 South Carolina 15

It wasn't an ideal start for Stanford as the Cardinal racked up five turnovers in the first quarter. Especially, not ideal that Stanford's lead scorer Haley Jones picked up her second foul against an aggressive South Carolina team. Jones currently has scored nine points, including flexing her range beyond the arc. Despite the slow start, Stanford was able to get out on a 9-0 run to tie the quarter, 15-15. 

 

10:14 pm, April 2, 2021

1Q: No. 1 South Carolina 15, No. 1 Stanford 6

No. 1 Stanford has came out to a rough start offensively against No. 1 South Carolina trailing, 15-6, at the first media time out. All of Stanford's six points have came from Haley Jones, including the clean up from Kiana Williams missing a fast break layup with Destanni Henderson waiting to contest her shot. The Gamecocks' suffocating defense has already forced Stanford into early mistakes with four turnovers. 

The focus will be in the paint with Cameron Brink being tasked with shutting down Aliyah Boston. However, Boston has already proven that her game goes beyond the arc, knocking down a massive three. 

9:50 pm, April 2, 2021

Final Four: What you need to know

After over two weeks in the San Antonio bubble, we are left with two teams in the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament. Stanford beat South Carolina and Arizona upset UConn to play in its first championship game on Sunday. 

Here's the Final Four results and highlights:

You can follow along here for updates throughout the night and for the whole tournament. 

No. 1 Stanford is making its 14th Final Four appearance in program history when the Cardinal take on fellow No. 1 seed South Carolina, who has made it to the semifinals three times in the past six NCAA tournaments. Both teams have significant threats on both offense and defense. 

In the second game of the night, No. 1 UConn make its 21st trip to the Final Four and face a Final Four newcomer in No. 3 Arizona, as the Wildcats have never been before. Guards should shine in this matchup with UConn's talented freshman Paige Bueckers and senior leader Aari McDonald. 

Below NCAA.com's Autumn Johnson previewed the semifinal matchups. 

The 2021 NCAA women's Final Four, previewed
10:13 pm, April 1, 2021

Stanford's Tara VanDerveer breaks down her Starting 5

Stanford's endless depth has led the Cardinal to this moment. The No. 1 seed will face No. 1 South Carolina in the Final Four. Head coach Tara VanDerveer has kept a solid Starting 5 in the past three tournament games, while bringing key players off the bench to continue its production. NCAA.com's Autumn Johnson spoke to coach VanDerveer to walk through what each Cardinal will be tasked with when they face South Carolina tomorrow.

Stanford's Tara VanDerveer breaks down her Starting 5 before facing No. 1 South Carolina in the 2021 Final Four
9:56 pm, March 31, 2021

Final Four: Schedule, matchups, tip times

And then there were four. The Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament resulted in three No. 1 seeds, plus a No. 3 seed, advancing to the Final Four. NCAA.com's Autumn Johnson previews Friday's action:

The 2021 NCAA women's Final Four, previewed

Here's the Final Four matchups and schedule:

12:40 pm, March 30, 2021

Recap: Elite Eight Day 2 recap of the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament

The No. 1 seeds, South Carolina and Stanford, took the last two spots for the 2021 Women's Final Four. The Gamecocks used tough defense to advance, while the Cardinal climbed its way back with an incredible second half performance. NCAA.com's recaps all of Day 2's Elite Eight action:

Recap: Elite Eight Day 2 recap of the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament

Here's Day 2's results: 

Monday night's Elite Eight action saw No. 1 seed UConn escape No. 2 seed Baylor by two points to knock off the reigning national champion, while No. 3 seed Arizona defeated No. 4 Indiana in the other game. The Wildcats will make their first-ever Final Four appearance in the pool of experienced No. 1 seeds. Here are the scores from Monday:

3:00 am, March 31, 2021

No. 1 Stanford tops No. 2 Louisville to reach Final Four

No. 1 Stanford fought its way back with an incredible second half to defeat No. 2 Louisville, 78-63, and advance to the Final Four. The No. 1 overall seed used a 13-0 run to cut the deficit to a 1-point game, getting a massive 3 from Ashten Prechtel. From that point, Prechtel was unstoppable with 16 points off the bench. Stanford got a huge lift in the second half from the big, who was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers.

Stanford used that spark to come alive and continued that momentum with a 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter and never look back. Louisville's Dana Evans tried to cut into the lead with back-to-back 3-pointers that brought the score to 68-60, but it wasn't enough to outpower the Cardinal's endless scoring attacks down the stretch that was led by Lexie Hull, who finished with 21 points. 

1:39 am, March 31, 2021

No. 2 Louisville leads No. 1 Stanford at the half

Louisville's Dana Evans

No. 2 Louisville is looking to take out No. 1 overall seed Stanford, as the Cardinals are heading at the half, 38-26. That's credit to Louisville's disruptive defense flustering the Cardinal, forcing Stanford to shoot nearly 28 percent from the floor. Stanford has been blazing beyond the arc in its past three NCAA tournament games with a record 43 3-pointers, but hasn't had much luck shooting 1-for-9 from the 3. Louisville however has knocked down six 3-pointers. 

Louisville's offense has been about Dana Evans and Kianna Smith's consistent shooting, combining for 18 points together so far, with both finding open looks in midrange and beyond the arc.  

12:37 am, March 31, 2021

No. 1 South Carolina blows past No. 6 Texas

No. 1 South Carolina advanced to the 2021 Women's Final Four after handling No. 6 Texas, 62-34. All eyes were in the paint with South Carolina's Aliyah Boston matching up with Texas' Charli Collier. Boston came out victorious with 10 points, eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Collier, on the other hand, was held to only 4 points, shooting 2-for-10 from the floor.  

Boston's supporting cast was dominant against the Longhorns with five Gamecocks scoring in double figures, lead by Zia Cooke with 16 points. Victaria Saxton set the pace out of the tip with the first eight points of the game, shooting 4-for-4. Saxton finished with 12 points. Destanni Henderson also chipped in 12 points, running a quickly paced offense in transition.

South Carolina's defense shut down Texas and left the Longhorns scoreless in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns couldn't get pass Laeticia Amihere, who finished with nine blocks, while chipping in 10 points off the bench.

South Carolina beats Texas, 62-34
4:50 am, March 30, 2021

Recap: Day 1 of the Elite Eight — No. 1 UConn and No. 3 Arizona punch tickets to the Final Four

Two teams punched their Final Four tickets on the first day of the Elite Eight. No. 1 UConn took down No. 2 Baylor, who were the 2019 defending NCAA champs. The night ended with a historic win when No. 3 Arizona defeated No. 4 Indiana to reach the Final Four for the first time. NCAA.com's Autumn Johnson recaps all of Monday's action: 

Recap: Elite Eight, Day 1 of the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament

Here are the results and highlights of each thriller: 

Day 2 of the Elite Eight will set the stage for the Final Four. Here's Tuesday's schedule: 

Tuesday, March 30  
7 p.m., ESPN No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 6 Texas
9 p.m., ESPN No. 1 Stanford vs. No. 2 Louisville
2:00 am, March 30, 2021

No. 3 Arizona makes history with win over No. 4 Indiana

No. 3 Arizona will make its first appearance in the Final Four after defeating No. 4 Indiana, 66-53. It was a close battle with both teams looking to advance to a stage they have never been to before. The Wildcats had the four-point lead at the half and carried that momentum all the way to the end.

Arizona's Aari McDonald, who came off of a 30-point performance to knock off No. 2 Texas A&M, sent Indiana home in the same dominant fashion, topping her performance with 33 points against the Hoosiers. McDonald made five of Arizona's nine 3-pointers, while Indiana couldn't find any luck beyond the arc, shooting 0-for-9. 

The Wildcats' pressure defense left Indiana scoreless for nearly four minutes and held them to nine points in the fourth quarter to help Arizona outlast Indiana and make program history.

1:08 am, March 30, 2021

No. 1 UConn survives No. 2 Baylor to advance to the Final Four

No. 1 UConn survived the upset push from No. 2 Baylor, 69-67, to send the defending champs home. The Huskies used a 19-0 run in the third quarter to take the lead after trailing to the Bears by two points heading into the second half.

Baylor's Didi Richards went down with a hamstring injury, a setback for the Bears then tasked with defending Paige Bueckers. Bueckers went on a scoring rampage in the second half, finishing with 28 points.

Christyn Williams chipped in 21 points for the Huskies. Williams missed three crucial free throws down the line when it was a one point game against Baylor, but she redeemed herself knocking down her last free throw to advance the score to 69-67. Baylor had its last chance to get a final shot off, but Bueckers jumped into the passing lane to get a massive steal that sent UConn to its 13th consecutive Final Four. 

11:47 pm, March 29, 2021

No. 2 Baylor leads at halftime after a slow start against No. 1 UConn

No. 2 Baylor is looking to upset No. 1 UConn — and the Bears have a two-point lead at halftime, 39-37. UConn came out to a quick start taking over the first five minutes, 16-4. Hot scoring and transition points from the Huskies, led by Paige Bueckers and Evina Westbrook, pushed the lead. They combined for 24 points.

But Baylor turned up its defense to cut the deficit with 10 straight points. Plus, Dijonai Carrington gave a spark on both ends to give Baylor the lead, finishing the half with 14 points, two steals and one block. 

11:00 pm, March 29, 2021

Elite Eight action is happening now

The 2021 NCAA women's basketball championship rolls on Monday with the start of the Elite Eight.

Monday's match-ups include the team with the most national titles in women's basketball championship history and a first-timer to the Elite Eight.

No. 1 UConn takes on No. 2 Baylor at 7 p.m. on ESPN followed by No. 3 Arizona vs. No. 4 Indiana at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Check out a preview of the Elite Eight day 1 below: 

Preview: Elite Eight, Day 1 of the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament
3:28 am, March 29, 2021

Recap: Day 2 of the Sweet 16

Only eight teams remain after Sunday solidified the rest of the Elite Eight.

No. 1 seeds Stanford and South Carolina both advanced, with the Cardinal taking down No. 5 Missouri State and the Gamecocks defeating No. 5 Georgia Tech. No. 2 Louisville then beat No. 6 Oregon, but No. 6 Texas shocked No. 2 Maryland to close out the Sweet 16.

Sunday, March 28 Game
1 p.m., ABC No. 1 South Carolina def. No. 5 Georgia Tech, 76-65
3 p.m., ABC No. 1 Stanford def. No. 5 Missouri State, 89-62
7 p.m., ESPN No. 2 Louisville def. No. 6 Oregon, 60-42
9 p.m., ESPN No. 6 Texas def. No. 2 Maryland, 64-61
Recap: Sweet 16, Day 2 of the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament

The Elite Eight games will be played on Monday, March 29 and Tuesday, March 30. On Monday, No. 1 UConn meets No. 2 Baylor at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. No. 3 Arizona plays No. 4 Indiana at 9 p.m. on ESPN.

Day 1 of Sweet 16 action yesterday provided two big upsets — as No. 1 NC State and No. 2 Texas A&M both lost. 

Here are the results and highlights for Saturday games: 

3:00 am, March 29, 2021

UPSET! No. 6 Texas stuns No. 2 Maryland

No. 6 Texas will dance to the Elite Eight after taking down No. 2 Maryland, 64-61, in a back-and-forth second half performance. Texas' tough defense held the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation, which averages nearly 92 points per game, to a season-low 61 points.

The Texas fight was lead by Charli Collier with 16 points and 11 rebounds, but it was a team effort with three more Longhorns joining Collier in double figures. Celeste Taylor and Joanne Allen-Taylor had an impressive second half performance to help shut down the Terps, combining for 29 points. Back-to-back buckets from Celeste and Kyra Lambert with a massive steal to score in fast break forced the lead to 61-59. Texas shot free throws the rest of the way to advance to its first Elite Eight since 2016. The Longhorns will next play No. 1 South Carolina on Tuesday, March 30.  

2:18 am, March 29, 2021

UPSET ALERT🚨 No. 6 Texas takes the lead heading into the fourth quarter against No. 2 Maryland

No. 6 Texas heads into the fourth quarter with a two point lead over No. 2 Maryland, who is the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation. What started off as a 9-0 run in the first quarter from the Terps has come to a back-and-forth battle as Texas' elite defense keeps the Longhorns in the game.

It's been an impressive scoring attack from Texas' Celeste Taylor, who has given the Longhorns nine crucial points in the third quarter to advance the lead. Taylor currently has 12 points and Joanne Allen-Taylor has 14 points. Maryland's Diamond Miller is currently leading the Terps with 18 points. 

12:21 am, March 29, 2021

No. 2 Louisville takes down No. 6 Oregon

No. 2 Louisville advanced to the Elite Eight and a meeting with Stanford with a 60-42 victory over No. 6 Oregon. It was all Dana Evans, who came out of a postseason shooting slump against the Ducks and tied her career-high with 29 points. Evans had a cold start, but she began to come alive by scoring in multiple fashions in midrange and beyond the arc. Evans was 11-for-21 from the floor while knocking down three 3s, including a 25-footer. 

Oregon trailed by as many as 18 points, but it tried to use a run to chip away at the deficit in the third quarter. Unfortunately, Oregon's Nyara Sabally, who was the top scorer at the time, went down with an ankle injury. Sabally finished with 14 points. Senior guard Erin Boley tried to keep the Ducks hopes alive, shooting 6-for-17 from the floor and and recording Oregon's only two 3s of the game. Boley finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds, but Evans had an answer every time the Ducks tried to get back into the game. 

Louisville forced Oregon to turn the ball over 14 times. The Ducks' last turnover was turned into a flex by Louisville's Mykasa Robinson stealing the ball and finding Evans with a behind-the-back pass. Evans took off with the assist to find herself wide open for an easy fast break point.  

8:46 pm, March 28, 2021

No. 1 Stanford breezes by No. 5 Missouri State to advance to the Elite 8

No. 1 Stanford used a balanced scoring attack to cruise past No. 5 Missouri State, 89-62, with four Cardinal scoring in double figures and 24 assists. The Lady Bears put up a fight against the Cardinal in the first half, but the star power of Stanford's endless depth was too much to contain — especially from beyond the arc. The seventh-ranked team in the country in field goals made was relentless from deep, knocking down 15 3-pointers. Senior guard Kiana Williams flexed her range, shooting 4-for-8 from deep. Williams has had stand-out performances in NCAA tournament play in front of her hometown, finishing with 16 points, four rebounds and four assists against the Lady Bears.

Missouri State's leading scorer Brice Calip was held to only two free throws in the first half and finished with 9 points overall. That's credit to Anna Wilson shutting down Calip on defense. Wilson was a on both ends, shooting 5-for-6 from the floor, 2-for-3 from the free throw line and 1-for-1 from 3. 

No. 1 Stanford dominates No. 5 Missouri State to advance to the Elite Eight

6:29 pm, March 28, 2021

No. 1 South Carolina pulls away from No. 5 Georgia Tech, 76-65

NCAA Photos South Carolina advances to the Elite Eight.

No. 1 South Carolina topped No. 5 Georgia Tech 76-65 to reach the Elite Eight for the third time in the past four tournaments. The Yellow Jackets got 16 first-half points from Lotta-Maj Lahtinen and went into the break down 39-35. 

The top-seeded Gamecocks were down star forward Aliyah Boston for much of the first half with foul trouble, but the sophomore went on a 7-0 run by herself early in the third quarter which sparked a run, turning a 4-point halftime lead into a 12-point edge by the end of the period. GT cut the deficit to six late in the game, but South Carolina's efficient shooting — 56 percent from the floor and 57 percent from 3 — was too much to overcome.  

Zia Cooke had a team-high 17 points and 5-of-6 makes from deep for the Gamecocks. She was joined in double-digits by Laeticia Amihere's 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench and another dozen points from Victaria Saxton.

No. 1 South Carolina holds off No. 5 Georgia Tech to advance to the Elite Eight
12:24 pm, March 27, 2021

Recap: Day 1 of the Sweet 16

Half of the bracket is set for the Elite 8. In the River Walk region, No. 1 UConn will take on No. 2 Baylor. As for the Mercado region, No. 4 Indiana will face No. 3 Arizona. NCAA.com's Autumn Johnson recaps how it all happened - including two major upsets that sent No. 1 NC State and No. 2 Texas A&M home. 

Recap: Sweet 16, Day 1 of the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament

Four more regional semifinal games will be played on Sunday, March 28. Here are the results and highlights for Saturday games: 

No. 4 Indiana upsets No. 1 NC State to advance to the Elite Eight

 

2:11 am, March 28, 2021

UPSET 🚨 No. 3 Arizona beats No. 2 Texas A&M to cap Saturday action

No. 3 Arizona upset No. 2 Texas A&M, 74-59, to advance to its first Elite Eight. The Aggies couldn't find an answer to contain Aari McDonald, who finished with 31 points, including six 3-pointers. In fact, it was raining 3s for the Wildcats, who knocked down 13 treys as a team against the Aggies. 

Arizona showcased its pressure defense that features McDonald, the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. The Wildcats forced Texas A&M to turn the ball over 19 times to send the Aggies home. 

Arizona followed Indiana in making program history on Saturday. Like the Wildcats, the Hoosiers are in the Elite Eight for the first time. Indiana upset No. 1 NC State. Here's a look at Saturday's scores:

1:38 am, March 28, 2021

UPSET ALERT 👀 No. 3 Arizona is blazing with the lead over No. 2 Texas A&M

No. 3 Arizona is blazing as the Wildcats take the lead heading into the fourth quarter against No. 2 Texas A&m, 59-46. Arizona took over the third quarter with an 8-0 run, followed by huge three from Aari McDonald. McDonald has 28 points and six 3's, so far. 

11:54 pm, March 27, 2021

UPSET ALERT 🚨No. 4 Indiana advances to the Elite Eight over No. 1 NC State

No. 4 Indiana will play in its first-ever Elite Eight game after taking down No. 1 NC State, 73-70. Indiana's leading scorer Mackenzie Holmes was a force inside with 16 points facing Elyssa Cunane, but unfortunately Holmes fouled out in the fourth quarter. Indiana stepped up in her absence with five Hoosiers finishing in double figures for the team win. 

Ali Patberg and Nicole Cardano-Hilary were an unstoppable backcourt duo, combining 31 points together. Back-to-back points from NC State's Jada Boyd made it a one-possession game with the Wolfpack down, 70-68, with 1:32 remaining, but it was Cardano-Hilary's two crucial free throws that helped Indiana come out on top. But it wasn't all offense for the Hoosiers. Indiana forced 17 turnovers to knock off the No. 1 seed. 

11:27 pm, March 27, 2021

No. 4 Indiana takes the lead over No. 1 NC State heading into the fourth quarter👀

No. 4 Indiana is looking to knock off No. 1 NC State, currently up 58-48 against the Wolfpack heading into the final quarter. A win could give the Hoosiers their first-ever appearance in the Elite 8. 

It's been balanced scoring for Indiana with four Hoosiers in double-figures, led by Ali Patberg with 14 points and four assists.

9:18 pm, March 27, 2021

No. 2 Baylor survives upset against No. 6 Michigan

No. 2 Baylor survives and advances in a nail-bitting win over No. 6 Michigan, 78-75, in overtime. The last Sweet 16 game that went to overtime was back in 2015. 

Baylor's NaLyssa Smith had the hot hand the entire game, shooting 11-for-11 from the floor, 1-for-1 from the three and 1-for-2 from the charity stripe. Smith finished with 24 points to help her team advance to the Elite 8. 

It was a team effort with Moon Ursin and Dijonai Carrington combining for 39 points. Back-to-back buckets from Carrington pushed Baylor's lead in the extra quarter and an easy find to Ursin underneath the basket to put the dagger in the game. 

Michigan's Leigha Brown had a chance to tie the game from beyond the arc with .9 seconds in the extra quarter, but came up short. Brown had a night in the Wolverine's first ever Sweet 16 appearance in program history finishing with 23 points. 

9:06 pm, March 27, 2021

OT 🚨 — No. 6 Michigan forces overtime against No. 2 Baylor

No. 6 Michigan trailed No. 2 Baylor all three quarters up until the last minute in the fourth quarter when Michigan's Naz Hillmon found an easy bucket underneath to tie the game, 63-63, with 15 seconds left. 

The Wolverines took their first lead in overtime, but it's been back-to-back buckets from Baylor's Dijonai Carrington to push the Bears' lead, 75-73.

7:25 pm, March 27, 2021

No. 1 UConn takes down No. 5 Iowa, 92-72

The most anticipated matchup that was hyped as the freshman showdown between UConn's Paige Bueckers and Iowa's Caitlin Clark immediately shifted to a new narrative after a slow start from both. UConn's Christyn Williams stole the show, putting up a career-high of 27 points to help the Huskies advance to the Elite 8 over Iowa, 92-72. 

Williams was also tasked with shutting down Clark on the defensive end, limiting her to only seven points in the first half. Clark came alive in the second half to finish with 21 points. Bueckers - who only had six points in the first half - was on triple-double watch with 18 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Evina Westbrook was also on the verge of a triple-double with 17 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds to chip into the team win.