2024 women's March Madness predictions: Bracket Picks for Elite 8, Final Four
Although we draw ever closer to the end of this year's NCAA Tournament, most of the must-watch players in women's college basketball remain alive heading into the Elite Eight. Not only are all of the No. 1 seeds still standing, searching for that coveted national title, but the matchups on tap are...well, elite.
The most notable is a rematch of last year's championship game between the reigning champions No. 3 LSU Tigers and the No. 1 Iowa Hawkeyes. Although Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes lost the matchup last year, this rematch will serve as an opportunity for revenge and redemption heading into the Final Four. If Iowa can put the ghosts of 2023 behind them, perhaps they will be the team to beat instead of South Carolina moving forward.
With two games set to start today featuring the No. 3 Oregon State Beavers vs. the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks as well as the No. 3 NC State Wolfpack taking on the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, there has never been a better time to predict who will represent each region in the Final Four of the women's bracket. Will only No. 1 seeds remain after today, or will the top seeds all advance, setting up several high-end matchups for the end of the tournament?
Here are the best predictions from around the internet.
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Elite 8 Predictions
Sunday, March 31:
No. 3 Oregon State vs. No. 1 South Carolina:
Sporting News: South Carolina 85, Oregon State 73
Bill Bender writes, "Oregon State shot 60.4% from the floor but had 26 turnovers in the 70-65 victory against No. 2 Notre Dame in the Sweet 16. A similar performance here would lead to a blowout loss." He adds later, "The interior battle with Beers will be a tone-setter. The Gamecocks surround Kamila Cardoso with efficient 3-point shooters and are shooting 43.3% from 3-point range in the tournament. That formula works, and Oregon State will not be able to overcome the turnovers this time."
ESPN: Oregon State (+15.5)
Charlie Creme writes, "This isn't an overreaction to the Gamecocks almost letting their Sweet 16 game get away. Scott Rueck is underrated tactician and will figure out a way to keep the Beavers in the game."
WISTV: South Carolina 74, Oregon State 62
Despite almost blowing their Sweet 16 game, there's a reason the Gamecocks have been at the top of the women's college basketball rankings all season. They haven't been beat yet and, per the WISTV team, the Oregon State Beavers are going to have a tough time overcoming South Carolina's +30.2 scoring differential.
No. 3 NC State vs. No. 1 Texas:
Sporting News: Texas 67, NC State 61
Bill Bender writes, "The Wolfpack are playing their best basketball right now. NC State is playing tough 3-point defense and has a +19 turnover ratio for the tournament. The Longhorns make it a grind-it-out game, but their rebounding adds up. Texas returns to the Final Four for the first time since 2003."
ESPN: Texas (-5.5)
Mackenzie Kraemer writes, "Texas' defense should be able to limit NC State's scoring. If Madison Booker can stay out of foul trouble, expect the Longhorns to cover this number."
Action Network: Texas (-5.5)
Dano Mataya writes, "I have the Horns winning by 7, but I wouldn't play it higher than that. If Texas gets off to a hot start, I would look to grab NC State live with a double-digit spread, but back the Horns to get to their first Final Four under Vic Schaefer by 6."
Monday, April 1:
No. 3 LSU vs. No. 1 Iowa
Sporting News: Iowa 84, LSU 82
Bill Bender writes, "Iowa attempts 29.5 shots from 3-point range per game, and LSU ranks second in the nation with a 10.3 rebounding margin. How do those numbers settle within the flow of the game? LSU absolutely can win the rematch and will not shy away from an up-and-down game. This is Caitlin Clark's game to shine – and she will make the right plays at the right times in a thriller."
WSFA: Iowa 80, LSU 76
The WSFA team writes, "The LSU Tigers have performed worse offensively over their last 10 games, tallying 75.9 points per contest, 10 fewer points their than season average of 85.9."
They do point out that Iowa has also decreased their scoring lately, but only by two points per game compared to LSU's ten.
FOX Sports: Iowa 80, LSU 76
Although FOX Sports likes the Hawkeyes to win this game, they do point out that LSU is 2-0 ATS this season as 1.5-point underdogs or worse. With that in mind, the Tigers might be in a good position to upset the Hawkeyes and ruin Caitlin Clark's chances at a championship yet again.
No. 3 UConn vs. No. 1 USC
Sporting News: UConn 69, USC 65
Bill Bender writes, "USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb could keep the Pac-12 alive for one more week after an instant classic, and Watkins can make that a reality. It is just difficult to envision a Women's Final Four of this magnitude without [UConn head coach Geno] Auriemma finding a way to get the Huskies a trip to Cleveland."
The Athletic: USC wins
Sabreena Merchant and Grace Raynor write, "Bueckers might be the best player on the court — mostly because her efficiency trumps that of Watkins — but USC has a track record of success against high-level competition. And even if Watkins isn’t quite at Bueckers’ level yet, the margin is essentially negligible. USC’s size, depth and unbridled confidence should be enough to carry them to the Final Four."
PickDawgz: UConn (-3)
Randy Chambers writes, "UConn has been in control of all of its games this tournament, while USC had a scare against Baylor. The Huskies also seem to be thriving on this us against the world mentality where they know nobody is saving them given the tight roster. Geno Auriemma has been here, done that a million times over, and he seems to be pushing the right buttoms up to this point. I just trust that experience, and I'm not stepping in front of Bueckers taking over the game. I'll lay the bucket with UConn."
Final Four Predictions
The Athletic: South Carolina, Texas, LSU, USC
Sporting News: South Carolina, Texas, Iowa, UConn
USA Today: South Carolina, NC State, Iowa, USC
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 women's March Madness: Predictions for Elite 8, Final Four bracket
