Based on the history of the women's NCAA tournament, and particularly the previous six years, one would say that the four prime contenders for ultimate triumph in New Orleans are the No. 1 seeds: Tennessee (Midwest region), Texas (West), Penn State (East) and Duke (Mideast). However, women's basketball has a slightly different face this year. It is the face of parity, and in this year's bracket there are dangerous teams like Louisiana Tech seeded as low as No. 5.
"I think it's an exciting time for women's basketball because we truly do have parity," Duke coach Gail Goestenkors said. "We all have three or more losses, which really shows the depth and quality around the country."
No. 2 seeds Connecticut (East) and Purdue (West) are receiving more acclaim than Texas, who many say is undeserving of its No. 1 status. Purdue is a team on the rise, as the Boilermakers' steady improvement over the season culminated in a Big Ten Tournament title.
"Texas' No. 1 seed was stunning," ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman said. "The Longhorns haven't played well toward the end of the regular season and then got blown out in the Big 12 conference final. In my bracket, Texas had dropped to a No. 2 seed."
UConn is the two-time defending champion, and with senior Diana Taurasi leading on the floor and Geno Auriemma walking the sidelines, the Huskies are a team no one wants to face. Connecticut has been dealt a favorable draw as far as location is concerned, as the Huskies could potentially play their first four games of the tournament in their home state.
"Whenever you can play in your own state for four games and not really have to travel, and stay where your fans are going to be able to come and watch you play, it's definitely an advantage for us," Taurasi said. "We always play really well at home, so it's definitely a plus for us."
Despite the increase in overall competition, there is one "x-factor" that has proven in the past to be crucial for winning a national championship: recent success in the NCAA tournament. The highest seeds with the most recent success are UConn (three championships in four years), Tennessee (runner-up in 2000, 2003), Purdue (1999 champion and 2001 runner-up) and Duke (top three finisher 1999, 2002, 2003).
"It's exciting to see new teams come up, but they obviously don't have the same type of experience that Tennessee, UConn and us [have had] the past few years," Duke point guard Lindsey Harding said.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.