The 2021 Women's Final Four is set for April 2 and 4, 2021 in San Antonio, Texas. First round action for the 2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament will begin on March 19, 2021.
The 2020 tournament, as well as other winter and spring sports, were canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. The NCAA released the following statement to announce the 2020 men's and women's basketball championships and all other winter and spring sports are canceled.
- Today, NCAA President Mark Emmert and the Board of Governors canceled the Division I men’s and women’s 2020 basketball tournaments, as well as all remaining winter and spring NCAA championships. This decision is based on the evolving COVID-19 public health threat, our ability to ensure the events do not contribute to spread of the pandemic, and the impracticality of hosting such events at any time during this academic year given ongoing decisions by other entities.
2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament: Bracket
Click or tap here for a printable bracket.
2021 NCAA women's basketball tournament dates, schedule
Regionals will be played from March 26-29, 2021. Specific dates for each regional are TBD.
| ROUND | DATES | SITE | VENUE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selection Show | Monday, March 15 | N/A | N/A |
| First Round (Round of 64) |
Friday, March 19 Saturday, March 20 |
Campus sites | Campus sites |
| Second Round (Round of 32) |
Sunday, March 21 Monday, March 22 |
Campus sites | Campus sites |
| Albany Regional (Sweet 16, Elite Eight) |
TBD | Albany, New York | Times Union Center |
| Austin Regional (Sweet 16, Elite Eight) |
TBD | Cedar Park, Texas | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park |
| Cincinnati Regional (Sweet 16, Elite Eight) |
TBD | Cincinnati, Ohio | Cintas Center |
| Spokane Regional (Sweet 16, Elite Eight) |
TBD | Spokane, Washington |
Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena |
| Women's Final Four National Championship |
Friday, April 2 Sunday, April 4 |
San Antonio, Texas | Alamodome |
How are NCAA women's basketball tournament teams selected?
There are 64 teams in the single-elimination tournament. Of those, 32 qualify automatically as conference champions by winning conference tournaments. The rest will be selected as at-large teams by the Division I Women's Basketball Championship Sport Committee.
How much do seeds matter in the NCAA women's basketball tournament?
Since 1982, at least one No. 1 seed has reached the national semifinals each season. In 2019, two top seeds made the Women's Final Four, Baylor and Notre Dame, while the other two teams, Oregon and UConn were two seeds. Going into the 2020 season, UConn has been a top seed 22 times. Two No. 1 seeds have played for the title 14 times.
UConn has the most national titles, winning 11. Tennessee is second with eight and Baylor has three.
NCAA women's basketball tournament: Future sites
| WOMEN'S FINAL FOUR | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Site | Venue | Dates |
| 2021 | San Antonio | Alamodome | April 2 and 4 |
| 2022 | Minneapolis | Target Center | April 1 and 3 |
| 2023 | Dallas | American Airlines Arena | March 31 and April 2 |
| 2024 | Cleveland | Quicken Loans Arena | April 5 and 7 |
Who are some NCAA women's basketball Cinderellas?
The biggest Cinderella is Harvard, which which was a No. 16 seed when it shocked No. 1 Stanford 71-67 in 1998. That's 20 years before the men's tournament had its first 16-over-1 stunner: UMBC against No. 1 Virginia.
However, no No. 15 or No. 14 seed has won a game. There have been six No. 13 seeds to beat a No. 4. Three 13 seeds have also advanced to the Sweet 16 (2007 Marist; 2005 Liberty; 1994 Texas A&M). Gonzaga, a No. 11 seed in 2011, is the lowest seed to reach an Elite Eight. No double-digit seed has made the Women's Final Four.
NCAA women's basketball tournament: Champions, history
| YEAR | CHAMPION (RECORD) | COACH | SCORE | RUNNER-UP | SITE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Baylor (37-1) | Kim Mulkey | 82-81 | Notre Dame | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2018 | Notre Dame (34-3) | Muffet McGraw | 61-58 | Mississippi State | Columbus, Ohio |
| 2017 | South Carolina (33-4) | Dawn Staley | 67-55 | Mississippi State | Dallas, Texas |
| 2016 | Connecticut (38-0) | Geno Auriemma | 82-51 | Syracuse | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2015 | Connecticut (38-1) | Geno Auriemma | 63-53 | Notre Dame | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2014 | Connecticut (40-0) | Geno Auriemma | 79-58 | Notre Dame | Nashville, Tenn. |
| 2013 | Connecticut (35-4) | Geno Auriemma | 93-60 | Louisville | New Orleans, La. |
| 2012 | Baylor (40-0) | Kim Mulkey | 80-61 | Notre Dame | Denver, Colo. |
| 2011 | Texas A&M (33-5) | Gary Blair | 76-70 | Notre Dame | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2010 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 53-47 | Stanford | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2009 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 76-54 | Louisville | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 2008 | Tennessee (36-2) | Pat Summitt | 64-48 | Stanford | Tampa, Fla. |
| 2007 | Tennessee (34-3) | Pat Summitt | 59-46 | Rutgers | Cleveland, Ohio |
| 2006 | Maryland (34-4) | Brenda Frese | 78-75 (OT) | Duke | Boston, Mass. |
| 2005 | Baylor (33-3) | Kim Mulkey | 84-62 | Michigan State | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| 2004 | Connecticut (31-4) | Geno Auriemma | 70-61 | Tennessee | New Orleans, La. |
| 2003 | Connecticut (37-1) | Geno Auriemma | 73-68 | Tennessee | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 2002 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 82-70 | Oklahoma | San Antonio, Texas |
| 2001 | Notre Dame (34-2) | Muffet McGraw | 68-66 | Purdue | St. Louis, Mo. |
| 2000 | Connecticut (36-1) | Geno Auriemma | 71-52 | Tennessee | Philadelphia, Pa. |
| 1999 | Purdue (34-1) | Carolyn Peck | 62-45 | Duke | San Jose, Calif. |
| 1998 | Tennessee (39-0) | Pat Summitt | 93-75 | Louisiana Tech | Kansas City, Mo. |
| 1997 | Tennessee (29-10) | Pat Summitt | 68-59 | Old Dominion | Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1996 | Tennessee (32-4) | Pat Summitt | 83-65 | Georgia | Charlotte, N.C. |
| 1995 | Connecticut (35-0) | Geno Auriemma | 70-64 | Tennessee | Minneapolis, Minn. |
| 1994 | North Carolina (33-2) | Sylvia Hatchell | 60-59 | Louisiana Tech | Richmond, Va. |
| 1993 | Texas Tech (31-3) | Marsha Sharp | 84-82 | Ohio State | Atlanta, Ga. |
| 1992 | Stanford (30-3) | Tara VanDerveer | 78-62 | Western Kentucky | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 1991 | Tennessee (30-5) | Pat Summitt | 70-67 (OT) | Virginia | New Orleans, La. |
| 1990 | Stanford (32-1) | Tara VanDerveer | 88-81 | Auburn | Knoxville, Tenn. |
| 1989 | Tennessee (35-2) | Pat Summitt | 76-60 | Auburn | Tacoma, Wash. |
| 1988 | Louisiana Tech (32-2) | Leon Barmore | 56-54 | Auburn | Tacoma, Wash. |
| 1987 | Tennessee (28-6) | Pat Summitt | 67-44 | Louisiana Tech | Austin, Texas |
| 1986 | Texas (34-0) | Jody Conradt | 97-81 | Southern California | Lexington, Ky. |
| 1985 | Old Dominion (31-3) | Marianne Stanley | 70-65 | Georgia | Austin, Texas |
| 1984 | Southern California (29-4) | Linda Sharp | 72-61 | Tennessee | Los Angeles, Calif. |
| 1983 | Southern California (31-2) | Linda Sharp | 69-67 | Louisiana Tech | Norfolk, Va. |
| 1982 | Louisiana Tech (35-1) | Sonja Hogg | 76-62 | Cheyney | Norfolk, Va. |
