Five players to watch during March Madness
USA Today’s Meghan Hall breaks down five players in the WNCAA March Madness Tournament we need to be paying more attention to.
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The 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament continued with eight games in the first day of second-round action on Sunday.
One-seeds South Carolina and UCLA advanced to the Sweet 16 with wins over Indiana and Richmond, respectively, although the Spiders gave the Bruins a scare with a lead after the first quarter. Two-seed Duke also fought off a valiant effort from 10-seed Oregon, taking down the Ducks, 59-53.
Five-seed Kansas State also busted some brackets, upsetting 4-seed Kentucky and star guard Georgia Amoore 80-79 to advance to the second weekend.
Here were the final scores and highlights from all the women’s NCAA Tournament action on Sunday:
UCLA advances to the Sweet 16 and a matchup against No. 5 seed Mississippi after coming alive in the second half against Richmond.
The top-seeded Bruins were tied with the Spiders at the intermission 36-36 before the Bruins surged in the second half. The crowd roared their approval in the team’s final game of the season at Pauley Pavilion.
Betts led UCLA with a game-high 30 points on 14-of-17 shooting and had a game-high 14 rebounds. Kiki Rice added 23 points for the Bruins.
Richmond’s Maggie Doogan, the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, led the Spiders with 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Lauren Betts, UCLA’s All-America center, has a game-high 28 points and, draped with defenders, has made 13-of-15 shots from the floor – all close to the basket. She also has 11 rebounds.
And the Bruins lead 77-58 with 4:51 left.
With the clock running out in the third quarter, the Bruins worked around the ball until feeding it to Betts under the basket. She scored on a layup with one second left to cap a remarkable quarter.
Tied 36-36 at halftime, UCLA overwhelmed Richmond by outscoring the Spiders 29-7 in the third quarter.
Betts leads all scorers with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting from the floor
Remember when this was a nailbiter? Well, it’s not anymore.
UCLA, tied with Richmond at he half, has opened up a 17-point lead in the third quarter. Deadlocked at 36-36 at the intermission, the Bruins lead 60-43 after opening the half with a 24-7 surge.
The crowd has turned raucous at Pauley Pavilion as the Bruins have opened the second half with a 13-5 surge. A basket by UCLA’s Angela Dugalic put the Bruins up 49-41 with 6:40 left in the third quarter and prompted Richmond to call a timeout.
Doogan, a junior forward for Richmond, happens to be the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and it’s easy to see why. She’s primary reason the eighth-seeded Spiders are tied with UCLA 36-36 at the half with a team-high 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field, including 2-for-3 from 3-point range.
Betts has led UCLA with 14 points on 7-of-8 shooting from the floor.
Lauren Betts, UCLA’s 6-7 All-American, is drawing lots of attention under the basket from Richmond defenders. But so far so good for Betts, who is 4-for-4 from the floor and leads UCLA with nine points. Her last basket gave UCLA a 23-22 lead with eight minutes left in the half.
The Spiders made their first six shots from the floor, including two 3-pointers. In fact, they did not miss an shot until 2:36 remained in the quarter.
Thanks to the torrid shooting, Richmond leads UCLA 20-18 at the end of the first quarter. The Spiders finished the quarter shooting 72.7 percent (8-for-11 from the floor while UCLA shot 50 percent (7-for-14).
The eyes now turn over to No. 1 UCLA vs No. 8 Richmond. UCLA has jumped out to an 8-6 lead over the Spiders, as the Bruins look to close out the night with their seventh Sweet 16 appearance under Cori Close.
Curtains out of Columbus. Tennessee is going to defeat Ohio State 82-67 to advance to the Sweet 16 after missing in 2023. The Lady Vols have had their ups and downs this season, but they may be getting hot at exactly the right time.
Tennessee is making things very hard on Ohio State, and has doubled its lead in the first five minutes of the second half. The Lady Vols lead 71-63 behind 14 points from Ruby Whitehorn and Talaysia Cooper.
Tennessee takes advantage of a strong second-half performance to go into the locker room leading No. 4 Ohio State 40-35 at halftime. Kim Caldwell’s squad trailed as much as 11 in the first quarter of Sunday’s second round women’s NCAA Tournament game.
The Lady Vols hit six 3-pointers in the first 20 minutes of action in Columbus, compared to Ohio State’s just two 3-pointers.
Ohio State guard Kennedy Cambridge heads to the locker room in Columbus after taking a hard fall to the floor after colliding with Tennessee’s Alyssa Latham while going up for a layup.
She walked off the court on her own power with a Gatorade towel over her head. After review, Latham’s foul was kept at a common foul.
Not to be held down, Tennessee finished the first quarter on a 9-4 run to get the score to 21-17. The Lady Vols will look to close the gap further on the other side of the break, as their shots finally have started to fall.
The Buckeyes have come out gunning against Tennessee. Ohio State has jumped out to a 16-8 lead thanks to a balanced offensive attack. Tennessee is seeking a trip back to the Sweet 16 after missing it last season.
Despite a lot of fight, the Horned Frogs hold off the Cardinals. TCU will advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history after an 85-70 win. TCU will see Hannah Hidalgo and No. 3 Notre Dame.
The Cardinals have made it a game, but it may ultimately be too little too late.
TCU leads by 10 with 1:45 left in the game. Louisville was down by as many as 21 points, but has continued to chip its way back in.
The Lady Vols have taken the floor in Columbus for their second-round matchup against No. 4 Ohio State, which is set to start at 8:07 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Tennessee is coming off a 101-66 win over No. 12 South Florida in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament, while Ohio State is coming off a 71-51 win over No. 13 Montana State.
TCU is 10 minutes away from punching its ticket to the Sweet 16, as the Horned Frogs lead Louisville 69-51 going into the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals put together a much better third-quarter performance than they did in the first half — as they made as many shots (nine) from the field in the third quarter as they did in the first half combined — but still couldn’t get close to the Horned Frogs.
Traditionally known for her scoring and 3-point shooting, South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao took over on the defensive end in the Gamecock’s second-round win over Indiana. The 5-foot-9 finished with four blocks, four rebounds and two steals in Sunday’s win over Indiana that sent South Carolina back to the Sweet 16 for the 11th consecutive women’s NCAA Tournament.
In a postgame news conference at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina, Paopao told reporters that she was “proud” of how she turned it up defensively on Sunday.
“Yeah, y’all see that? I’m really proud of myself. I had more blocks than threes today, but that’s okay, I thought today was more of a defensive mindset for myself,” Paopao said. “… I’m part of the seatbelt gang now, so I’m really proud of that, as well. I just have to carry that defensive mindset throughout the tournament, as well.”
A 3-pointer from Madison Conner puts No. 2 TCU up to a 56-36 lead over No. 7 Louisville in the third quarter. Conner entered the day ranked second in the country in 3-pointers made, and has now hit three 3-pointers this afternoon.
There’s a lot of basketball yet to be played down in Fort Worth, Texas, but the Horned Frogs appear to be on their way to the program’s first Sweet 16 appearance.
TCU leads Louisville 47-26 at halftime, thanks to a dominating second-quarter performance where it outscored the Cardinals 27-9 in the frame alone.
Hailey Van Lith had a scoring quiet first half for TCU, as she only has six points on 3 of 5 shooting from the field. But where Van Lith earned her money was with her play-making, as she dished out seven assists in the first half. Madison Conner and Sedona Prince, the other two pieces to TCU’s leading trio, also had a relatively quiet first two minutes, as they only had six and eight points each.
TCU only missed six shots (19 of 27 shooting) from the field in the first half; compared to Louisville’s 26 missed shots (9 of 35 shooting) in the half. Agnes Emma-Nnopu leads TCU with 16 points, 12 of which have come from beyond the arc.
A layup from Agnes Emma-Nnopu puts No. 2 TCU out to its largest lead of this women’s NCAA Tournament second-round game over No. 7 Louisville at 28-17. It’s a 15-0 run for TCU dating back to the first quarter.
The Horned Frogs continue to show why they are considered a contender for the national championship trophy with their depth, defense and high-level scoring. TCU is shooting 69% from the field to start the game, compared to Louisville’s 29%.
A 7-0 run over the last two minutes of the first quarter gives No. 2 TCU a slight 20-17 lead over No. 7 Louisville going into the second quarter.
The Horned Frogs picked up their defensive pressure in the final three minutes of the frame, as they caused the Cardinals to turn the ball over three times in the last 2:57. Hailey Van Lith only shot the ball twice in the first quarter, going 1 for 2 from the field for two points.
No. 5 Ole Miss is on to the Sweet 16 for the 12th time in program history, as the Rebels upset No. 4 Baylor 69-63 in Waco, Texas.
After trailing 29-26 at halftime, Ole Miss outscored Baylor 43-34 in the second half to put together one of the biggest wins in program history and the Coach Yo era in Oxford, Mississippi.
The Rebels will now wait to learn their opponent in the Sweet 16 of the Regional 1 Spokane side of the women’s NCAA Tournament, as No. 1 UCLA and No. 8 Richmond still have to play on Sunday in Los Angeles.
The start of Louisville vs. TCU is happening on ESPNews, as Baylor-Ole Miss is still in a tight-knit game on ESPN. Ole Miss currently leading 63-61 with 39.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Big game down in Fort Worth, Texas as Hailey Van Lith takes on her former squad for a spot in the Sweet 16.
Tied game! Sarah Andrews continues to deliver down the stretch for Baylor, this time by hitting a jumper to tie the game with Ole Miss at 61-61.
A big final 60 seconds in Waco coming up, as a trip to the Sweet 16 and Spokane, Washington is on the line.
Here comes Baylor!
Sarah Andrews splashes in a big-time 3-pointer just in front of the Baylor bench to bring the deficit within two of Ole Miss at 57-55. The senior guard is up to 12 points on the afternoon for the Bears.
We’re in for a great finish down in Waco, as it is a two-point game at the under-five media timeout in the fourth quarter. Baylor is on a 7-2 run after Ole Miss opened the frame on a 6-0 run.
Potential upset alert down in Waco, Texas!
Madison Scott hits a mid-range jumper from the charity stripes to put No. 5 Ole Miss up 54-48 over No. 4 Baylor with 7:39 remaining in the fourth quarter. It’s a 6-0 run to start the fourth quarter for the Rebels. The winner of this game gets the winner of No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Richmond in the Sweet 16 in Spokane, Washington.
Baylor holds a 44-42 lead with 3:58 left in the third quarter. The Bears have hit on four of their last five field goals. Aaronette Vonleh leads Baylor with 12 points. Sira Thienou has 12 points to lead the Rebels.
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A roaring chant of “Gamecocks” echoed throughout Colonial Life Arena on Sunday afternoon, even when No. 1 South Carolina, the reigning NCAA champion, was down at the half — something that hadn’t happened since a brutal loss to UConn in February.
Coming off a 60-point win over Tennessee Tech on Friday, South Carolina got out to a sluggish start against the Hoosiers before storming back to win 64-53. — Andy Mathis, Special to USA TODAY
Senior forward Sania Feagin helped get the Gamecocks back on track in the second half. She netted multiple baskets to open the third quarter, punishing the interior of the Hoosiers’ defense and helping South Carolina quickly build a five-point lead that expanded to double digits by the end of the third quarter.
Feagin finished with 10 points, one of three Gamecocks starters in double-figure scoring (Bree Hall finished with 11 points, and Chloe Kitts had 10). The performance was a stark contrast from South Carolina’s first-round game against Tennessee Tech on Friday, when the Gamecocks’ bench set an NCAA record with 66 points.
Feagin, a 2025 All-SEC Tournament member, is looking to join a very select club of hoopers that have won three national championships in their collegiate careers — as are her teammates and fellow starters Raven Johnson and Hall.
“We made history before,” Feagin said before the NCAA Tournament started. “We can continue to make history.” — Andy Mathis, Special to USA TODAY
Baylor holds a 29-26 lead over Ole Miss following a 13-2 run over the final 7:38 of the second quarter. Aaronette Vonleh led the Bears with 10 points. Sira Thienou led the Rebels with eight points.
The rapper Plies sat behind the South Carolina women’s basketball bench for the second-round game against Indiana on Sunday.
“I look around this place and it gives me hope,” Plies said of the erupting environment at Colonial Life Arena, the Gamecocks’ home court. “It gives me hope, what we can be as a country. For me, this is therapeutic for me, I need it.”
Plies has a longstanding friendship with Dawn Staley, gifting her a chain last week as she and the Gamecocks embarked on the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
“It was me trying to find my soft spot,” Plies said about his gift. “I didn’t want to make her feel too much like a rapper, but that’s something I feel like she openly deserved.
“I just wanted to give her flowers, that was my way of trying to show that.” — Olivia Noni, Special to USA TODAY
Read Banji Bamidele’s story about how Geno Auriemma’s celebrated his 71st birthday during the NCAA Tournament.
South Carolina retakes the lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Gamecocks trailed Indiana by one at halftime but appear to be in control now. Bree Hall leads South Carolina with 11 points.
Kansas State’s Temira Poindexter shot 8-of-15 from 3-point range against No. 4 Kentucky as the sides traded baskets in overtime. Poindexter finished with 24 points in the Wildcats’ win to reach the Sweet 16.
No. 5 Kansas State pulled off a an 80-79 win over No. 4 Kentucky in overtime. The Wildcats ended regulation knotted at 69-69. Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore and Kansas State’s Temira were exchanging 3s down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
South Carolina trails Indiana 26-25 at halftime in Columbia. The Gamecocks were 10-of-29 shooting, but have more steals, blocks and rebounds in addition to forcing more turnovers. A lot to clean up, but shots not falling playing a major factor right now. — Lulu Kesin
Indiana’s Chloe Moore-McNeil seems determined to extend her college career for at least another game, scoring 10 of the Hoosiers’ first-half points against No. 1 seed South Carolina on its home court.
“You want to be humble and realize that this could be your last game,” Moore-McNeil said before beginning play in her last NCAA Tournament. “But you also want to go out there and leave everything, knowing that you gave your all for 40 minutes.”
She scored eight of the Hoosiers’ 12 first-quarter points, as Indiana led 12-9 going into the second.
In the second quarter, after sitting on the bench for the first two minutes, Moore-McNeil picked up where she left off with an and-one layup, silencing the Colonial Life Arena crowd while bringing the Hoosier lead to six points.
In addition to her scoring, Moore-McNeil finished the first half with two rebounds and one assist. The Tennessee native has been a Hoosier during her entire time in college, a feat that is becoming much more of a rarity in the NIL era.
“She’s meant so much, not just to this program, but I think the people that are inside our locker room and the people at the university,” head coach Teri Moren said. “She’s touched more than just her teammates and us as coaches.”
Moore-McNeil has been a steady force for the Indiana Hoosiers, bringing experience and versatility to a veteran backcourt. The graduate guard averaged 9.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists this season, earning All-Big Ten Honorable Mention honors. Moore-McNeil has consistently been recognized for her defensive tenacity, previously being named to the All-Big Ten Defensive Team.
Last season, she recorded 12 points, eight assists, six boards and three steals against South Carolina in the Sweet 16, a game the Hoosiers lost 79-75.
In the second half, Moore-McNeil and her team will be looking to do what they could not in last year’s tournament: defeat South Carolina. — Carter Braun, Special to USA TODAY
South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao and Indiana’s Sydney Parrish were more than teammates at Oregon — they were roommates, confidantes, pieces of a dream that never quite fit. Three years and two transfers later, they meet as opponents Sunday for the second straight year in the NCAA Tournament, with No. 1 South Carolina and No. 9 Indiana fighting to keep their seasons — and their stories — alive. Here’s more about their friendship.
Notre Dame star Olivia Miles took the mic at Purcell Pavilion after the Irish’s win over Michigan to thank fans for their support. “Love y’all,” she said at the end.
Kentucky’s Clara Strack is 8-of-11 shooting with 20 points through nearly three quarters as the Wildcats are in a tight battle with Kansas State.
We’ve got a good one in Lexington, with Kansas State leading Kentucky 33-31 at the half. K-State outscored Kentucky 18-11 in the second quarter, but a Dazia Lawrence 2-point jumper with seconds left on the clock cut the deficit to two heading into the half. Kansas State’s Serena Sundell and Kentucky’s Clara Strack lead all scorers at 15 points apiece. Georgia Amoore has five points.
Has Hannah Hidalgo played her last at Purcell Pavilion? Moments after hitting two free throws to give Notre Dame a 73-38 in the fourth quarter, she walks off the court to applause from her teammates and Fighting Irish fans. Notre Dame will advance to play at Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama for the Sweet 16 and, potentially, the Elite Eight.
From there, the Final Four and national title games will be held at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
Kentucky holds a 20-15 lead over Kansas State after one quarter of play. Clara Strack leads the way with nine points for the Wildcats.
Heading into the media timeout in the third quarter, Notre Dame holds a 58-32 lead with 3:46 left. The Fighting Irish are on an 8-0 run.
The Kentucky vs. Kansas State second-round matchup has topped off. The Wildcats lead 7-5 at the first media timeout.
Duke is on to the Sweet 16 with a 59-53 win over Oregon. The Ducks led at halftime, but the Blue Devils took over in the second half and hung on for the victory.
Ashlon Jackson led Duke with 20 points, while Reigan Richardon added 13. Deja Kelly had 20 points for Oregon.
Notre Dame has a 46-28 halftime lead over Michigan. Michigan cut the lead by two in the quarter but are in a huge hole against the Fighting Irish.
Duke holds a 53-50 lead following a pair of free throws from Delaney Thomas. The Ducks call a timeout with 3:08 remaining. Liatu King leads the way with 12 points.
Notre Dame has led by as many as 20 points, but Michigan used an 8-0 run to cut the lead to 34-22 with 5:03 left in the first half.
Duke leads Oregon 45-40 heading into the fourth quarter. The Ducks trailed by as many as 10 in the quarter but have cut the lead back to five to make it competitive in the final quarter.
Notre Dame closes the first quarter out on a 15-1 run and leads Michigan 32-12. The Fighting Irish shot 12 of 16 from the field. Liatu King, Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Cintron each have eight points for Notre Dame.
Duke has outscored Oregon 11-0 to start the third quarter and holds a 34-28 lead with 5:45 left in the quarter. You can also keep up with the Ducks-Blue Devils game here.
Notre Dame jumps out to a 6-0 lead in the first three minutes, causing Michigan to call an early timeout.
Sunday’s second women’s college NCAA Tournament game has tipped off between Michigan and Notre Dame.
Ashlon Jackson has a pair of 3-pointers to open the second half and Duke has retaken a 29-28 lead early in the third quarter.
Oregon holds a 28-23 halftime lead over Duke, potentially setting up another upset win for the Ducks in the tournament. Deja Kelly leads Oregon with nine points, while Reigan Richardson leads the Blue Devils with nine as well.
Oregon shot 50% in the first half. Duke shot 35.7%.
Deja Kelly is off to a hot start for Oregon with nine points as the Ducks lead Duke 22-15 at the media timeout in the second quarter. Kelly is shooting 5 of 6 from the field. The Blue Devils are shooting just 6 of 21 from the field.
Defense wins the day in the first quarter in the Oregon-Duke matchup. The Ducks lead 12-9 after one quarter that saw the teams combine for 11 turnovers.
Oregon is leading 7-2 at the first media timeout with 4:42 left in the first quarter. The Blue Devils are on a 3:05 scoring drought and have three turnovers already.
And we’re off! No. 2 Duke and No. 10 Oregon tip off the action from a day full of action in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament.
We’re less than 10 minutes from the first tip of the day, as No. 2 seed Duke hosts No. 10 seed Oregon from Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.
Let’s be honest: Not all games are created equal, even in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Here’s a look at the best games to watch from the second round, courtesy of Cydney Henderson of the USA TODAY Sports Network:
- Spokane Region 1: No. 3 LSU vs. No. 6 Florida State
- Birmingham Region 2: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 9 Indiana
- Birmingham Region 3: No. 2 TCU vs. No. 7 Louisville
- Spokane Region 4: No. 4 Kentucky vs. No. 3 Kansas State
For a full rundown of games, including players to watch and more in-depth analysis, click here.
Winners and losers have already emerged from the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament. UConn looks ready to contend for a national championship. USC star JuJu Watkins was hurt in the first round. Who else finds themselves in the winners and losers’ brackets? Find out more here.
One of the biggest matchups of Sunday’s second-round action will pit No. 2 TCU vs. No. 7 seed Louisville at 6 p.m. on ESPN. Van Lith, of course, began her career with the Cardinals before transferring to LSU in 2023-24. She transferred again following the season, and has seen greater growth with the Horned Frogs.
Here’s more on her transfer from Louisville and LSU.
Upsets are why fans are glued to their TV screens during March Madness. The South Dakota Jackrabbits provided a major jolt for fans with their upset over Oklahoma State. There are more chances for upsets as the competition stiffens in the second round. See what USA TODAY’s Meghan Hall predicted for the second round here.
No. 1 seed South Carolina and No. 9 seed Indiana will face off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday. For picks, predictions and odds on the matchup — which also pits friends Te-Hina Paopao and Sydney Parrish against each other — check out the USA TODAY Sports Network.
Looking for some early insight to Sunday’s second-round games? Check out expert picks and predictions from the USA TODAY Sports Network here:
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Where to watch Women’s March Madness
- TV channels: ESPN | ABC
- Streaming: March Madness Live | Fubo (free trial)
Sunday’s second-round action will air across ESPN and ABC. Streaming options for those with a valid cable login include March Madness Live. Otherwise, Fubo covers the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial.
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