Women's March Madness winners and losers: Duke guard Reigan Richardson on hot streak

Well, the first big upset finally bubbled up in women's March Madness. But it came from a team no one saw coming … unless you’re from Durham, North Carolina, that is.

Seventh-seeded Duke shocked Ohio State 75-63 on the Buckeyes’ home floor, sending the regular season Big Ten champ packing Sunday. Just a month ago, Ohio State was a trendy pick for the Final Four. Now the only Big Ten teams still dancing are Iowa and Indiana, after Oregon State dispatched Nebraska, too.

In 2023, two No. 1 seeds, Stanford and Indiana, were upset at home. Ohio State might not have been a top seed, but losing at home in the postseason, especially when you pack the stands with 8,333 loud supporters, is tough. But consider this good for the women’s game overall, as parity continues to improve.

Otherwise, NCAA Tournament rookies are coming up big, veterans are doubling their usual output and one of the most visible faces in all of college sports is refusing to let the defending champs fall in the second round. Read on for more winners and losers.

WINNERS

Nicki Collen, Baylor

In her third season as a college head coach, Nicki Collen is headed to the Sweet 16. That’s an impressive accomplishment for anyone, but it’s especially meaningful for Collen, who followed a legend in Kim Mulkey. Collen was hired after Mulkey, who won three titles at Baylor and turned the Bears into a powerhouse, left for LSU. Collen came to Baylor after five years in the WNBA; before that she had a long career as a college assistant. The Bears have been solid but far from super during Collen’s tenure in Waco, Texas, but a win like Sunday’s — Baylor upset Virginia Tech on the Hokies’ home floor — could pay dividends for a long time.

Reigan Richardson, Duke

Talk about a good two-game stretch. The junior guard for the seventh-seeded Blue Devils scored 53 points in Duke’s first two NCAA Tournament wins, helping the Blue Devils to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2018. On Sunday, Richardson scored 28 points and grabbed seven rebounds in helping Duke pull off an upset over second-seeded Ohio State, which was playing at home. This came after she scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds in Duke’s come-from-behind 72-61 win over Richmond in the first round. It’s an especially impressive stretch for Richardson considering she averages 12.4 points and 2.5 rebounds.

OPINION: Will anybody beat South Carolina? It sure doesn't look like it as Gamecocks march on

Angel Reese, LSU

When her team needed her most, the defending Most Outstanding Player was, well, outstanding. Reese scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in LSU’s 83-56 win over Middle Tennessee State, a game in which the Tigers trailed by as much as nine. Down 36-32 at halftime, Reese had just six points and six boards, all defensive. But she turned it on in the second half, grabbing offensive boards and getting to the line — LSU shot 37 free throws compared to just nine attempts for MTSU. She also grabbed two steals and blocked one shot.

“I didn’t want to let my team down,” Reese said. “I had another off night scoring but I was just doing whatever I could to help the team. Getting steals, getting in the passing lanes, help my point guard.

“Like I said, I don’t want to let my team down. I didn’t want this to be my last game.”

New kids on the block

You just never know how first-timers are going to fare come NCAA Tournament time. The stakes are heightened when it’s win or go home, and then there’s the pressure of wanting to keep winning for their senior teammates. For some, it’s too much.

But not for the most heralded newcomers in this year’s tournament.

Freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson led South Carolina, with Fulwiley scoring a team-high 20 and the two combining to go 7-of-12 from 3-point range.

Elsewhere, Oregon State’s Timea Gardiner, playing in her first tournament, had 17 points and four blocks in the Beavers’ win over Nebraska. Duke’s Delaney Thomas, another freshman, scored eight points and grabbed eight rebounds, while teammate Taina Mair, a sophomore transfer from Boston College playing in her first NCAA Tournament, chipped in 11 points and four assists. And Texas freshman Madison Booker had a double-double in the Longhorns’ win over Alabama, scoring 21 and grabbing 10 rebounds.

“I think it's the theme of women's basketball at this point, where you've got a lot of young players who are coming in and making an impact. They grew up watching the NCAA Tournament. They grew up watching the WNBA. So to get their opportunity to play on a big stage, they prepared themselves for it,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said.

“And it's the right situation. All the freshmen, all the freshmen that are in the national spotlight, they picked good situations in which they can shine.”

LOSERS

Ohio State guards

Talk about a rough outing at the perimeter. The Buckeyes hit just one 3 the entire game, shooting a miserable 9% (1-of-11) from the perimeter in a 75-63 upset loss to Duke. Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State’s All-American guard, was 1-of-4 from deep and even worse, former Duke standout Celeste Taylor was 0-for-4. Meanwhile, Duke hit five 3s as the Blue Devils pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament.

North Carolina

We’re not trying to pile on, North Carolina. Honest. And we feel bad for your injury woes. It was going to be tough to beat South Carolina even at full strength.

But did you see the score? Did you know South Carolina’s bench outscored your entire team?

Lopsided scores and stats like this usually don't pop up outside of the First Four, especially from a team in one of the Power 6 conferences. Here’s hoping you get healthy.

Injuries

They stink at any time. But they really, really stink at this time of year.

Not to take anything away from Baylor, but the game against Virginia Tech would have been completely different if three-time ACC player of the year Elizabeth Kitley hadn’t blown out her ACL in the Hokies’ final game of the regular season. North Carolina was going to have a tall task against overall No. 1 seed South Carolina even at full strength, but the score probably wouldn’t have been as cringeworthy as it was.

And Notre Dame losing Kylee Watson — another ACL — in the ACC tournament might not be as devastating as it was to lose Olivia Miles ahead of March Madness last year. But it’s not ideal, either, and we’ll see how the Fighting Irish make up for her absence against Ole Miss on Monday.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rookies shine; Tar Heels melt down in women's games Sunday