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Teams, players to watch in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament
Notre Dame's Lindsay Allen playing against the North Carolina Tar Heels on January 22, 2017. Notre Dame won the game 77-55, and considered one of the biggest threats to UConn's winning streak.  Andy Mead/YCJ/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Teams, players to watch in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

Now that the Division 1 women’s bracket has been set, we can look ahead at which teams and players are worth your attention in each region. (By default, we already know that all eyes will rightfully be focused on Connecticut, the heavily favored defending champions.)

Bridgeport Region

Team to watch – #3 Maryland


Maryland Terrapins center Brionna Jones (42) drives to the basket against Purdue Boilermakers forward Ae'Rianna Harris (32) in the first half during the women's Big Ten Conference tournament on March 5, 2017. Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Terrapins may be better than some of the 2-seeds in the tournament, but not only were they given a 3-seed, but they could be on a collision course with UConn in the Elite Eight. That being said, two of the better players in the nation start for Maryland, in the inside/out combination of the nation’s best center Brionna Jones and perimeter threat Shatori Walker-Kimbrough. Maryland is one of just three teams that UConn beat by single digits and they may be the only team in the Bridgeport region that could respond right back to any Huskies run in a game.  They just can’t overlook West Virginia (who beat Baylor in the Big 12 tournament) or second-seeded Duke. 

Team to watch – #4 UCLA


UCLA Bruins guard Jordin Canada (3) looks to pass away from Oregon State Beavers guard Mikayla Pivec (0) during the second half of the women's Pac-12 Conference Tournament on March 4, 2017. Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Pac-12 is a deep conference with seven teams being chosen by the selection committee. UCLA’s play is a testament to how competitive the ladies out west truly are. Junior guard Jordin Canada leads the Bruins in scoring with 18 points per game, but she has some quality help with Monique Billings (16.8) and Kennedy Burke (12.5). Even before thinking of UConn, a tough second-round game against fifth-seeded Texas A&M would be a huge test of the talented trio.

Player to watch – Brittney Sykes, Syracuse


Syracuse Orange guard Brittney Sykes (20) drives to the basket as Michigan State Spartans forward Nia Hollie (12) defends during the first half at the Carrier Dome on Nov. 30, 2016. Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

The two-way guard was a major piece in the Orange’s shocking title game appearance last spring, but she may be even better now. Averaging 19 points per game is nice, but her career averages of 1.97 steals per game attest to how well she plays passing lanes. Syracuse has a tough road as the eighth seed, starting with Iowa State and potentially UConn in the second round. If by some miracle the Orange can pull off the biggest upset in women’s college basketball history, she’ll have nearly everything to do with it.

Stockton Region

Team to watch – #1 South Carolina


South Carolina Gamecocks forward Mikiah Herbert Harrigan (21) and center Alaina Coates (41) celebrate with the SEC logo during the women's SEC Conference Tournament on March 5, 2017.  Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

As a number one seed, the Gamecocks won’t be playing in a region closer to home. In fact, the team has been put in a California-hosted region three of the last six years in spite of their high seeds. They also were sent to Sioux Falls, South Dakota as a 1-seed last March. It’s a bit unfair considering that they not only won their conference (Baylor did not), but they’ve led the nation in attendance three years in a row. It may not matter much in the grand scheme of things – top seeds do get to start the first two rounds of the tournament on campus. Also, SC made the Sweet Sixteen three times in the last five years and made the Final Four in 2015 while playing close to home in North Carolina.

So how does Dawn Staley’s team respond? How will not having a majority of their fans come to Northern California impact them in the middle rounds? More importantly, how is this team going to fare without star center Alaina Coates, who will miss the tournament because of her nagging ankle injury? 

Team to watch – #3 Florida State


Kai James (42) center Florida State University (FSU) Seminoles leads a celebration at mid-court following an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) game Thursday, February 23, 2017, at Donald L. Tucker Civic Center in Tallahassee, Florida.  David Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

For a few years, the Seminoles have been one of those potential breakout teams that are so common in sports. In being one of those teams, you either get schooled by the more established powers, as Baylor did in the Sweet Sixteen last year, or you stumble against a team you should have beaten as they had against Miami in this year’s ACC tournament. Florida State has lost three of the last five games, including a blowout loss at Notre Dame and the two-point loss to Miami. It could be a challenge just getting out of their side of the bracket with good teams in sixth-seeded Missouri and second-seeded Oregon State as potential opponents. Yet if they manage to live up to their potential against those squads, South Carolina, Marquette or even Miami could stand in the way of their first Final Four appearance. 

Player to watch – Sydney Wiese, Oregon State


Oregon State Beavers guard Sydney Wiese (24) talks with head coach Scott Rueck during the first quarter of the women's Pac-12 Conference Tournament at KeyArena on March 5, 2017. Jennifer Buchanan-USA TODAY Sports

The Beavers are a better defensive team, but when it’s time to score, they have one of the better talents in the Pac-12. Wiese averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.6 assists and just under a steal per game for the Beavers this season. She’s an excellent three-point shooter at 45.9%, which actually is better than her overall shooting percentage of 45.7%. She gives teams fits because her length at 6’1 can force defenses to draw taller players to the perimeter.

Oklahoma City Region

Team to watch – #2 Mississippi State


Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs forward Victoria Vivians (35) on a fast break against the Texas A&M Aggies during the first half at the women's SEC Conference Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 4, 2017. Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

They couldn’t figure out South Carolina in two meetings this year, but Mississippi State was clearly the second best team in a competitive SEC. At 29-4, they had the sixth-best scoring margin in the NCAA at 19.5 points thanks to a solid half-court offense and a tough defense that only allowed 55.4 points per game. While they’ll likely get past Troy to start the tournament, at least two of the nation’s top offensive teams could await them: DePaul in the second round and Washington in the Sweet Sixteen. Great defenses force opponents to change. Can they do that in hopes of getting out of Oklahoma City? 

Team to watch – #5 Tennessee

There are teams who seem to get by on their names just as much as they do their games, and it seemed to have been the case when the 19-11 Lady Volunteers were given the fifth seed in the region. In every NCAA hoops tournament, men or women, these are the teams that get the proverbial side-eye unless they rise up to the billing that their seeds bestowed upon them. With Tennessee, you wonder if this means that all of that dynamic scoring talent will push them ahead for a date with Baylor in the Sweet Sixteen or if they are a prime target for a #5/#12 upset in their first round matchup against Atlantic 10 champion Dayton. This season has shown that Tennessee is capable of more, splitting the season series with the region’s #2 seed Mississippi State, beating another #2 seed in Stanford and two one-seeds in South Carolina and Notre Dame.

Player to watch – Diamond DeShields, Tennessee


Tennessee Lady Volunteers guard Diamond DeShields (11) reacts during the game against the Florida Gators at Thompson-Boling Arena on Feb. 23, 2017. Brianna Paciorka/ Knoxville News Sentinel via USA TODAY NETWORK

As mentioned last week, DeShields is the catalyst of this squad. Because the Lady Vols have been so uneven, they haven’t been in the national spotlight as much as their prestigious past would suggest. The athletic guard plays with a bit of a chip on her shoulder, something that Tennessee can thrive with to prove that they truly earned the five-seed. She’s carried tournament teams in the past, including as a freshman in North Carolina, and she’ll have to do the same with a bit of a tougher road ahead.                                      

Lexington Region

Team to watch – #10 Drake


Drake head coach Jennie Baranczyk address this team on March 10, 2017. DrakeWBB/Twitter

So it’s not to the same degree as UConn, but winning 22 straight games – the second longest winning streak going – entering the tournament looks pretty nice. But it’s also how they’ve done it. The Missouri Valley Conference champs have a quick and very productive backcourt duo in Lizzy Wendell and Caitlin Ingle that push a fast-paced offense. The Bulldogs want to get into a track meet with opponents, as they were 7th in the NCAA in scoring (83.1 points per game) and 8th in scoring margin (18.8 point differential). There had been debates about their seeding as there always seem to be with mid-majors in college sports, but they will start in Kansas State against a Wildcat team which also wants to run. If Drake moves on, they’ll deal with second-ranked Stanford. Could they push their pace against two of the most established programs in the women’s field? 

Team to watch – #1 Notre Dame


The Notre Dame Fighting Irish pose for a picture after defeating the Duke Blue Devils during the women's ACC Conference Tournament on March 5, 2017. Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

The entire bracket is set up so that potentially the Fighting Irish would be the last team that stands in the way of a fifth straight title for Connecticut. They may have the “easiest” bracket based on how the other regions have been stacked with top teams – even UConn’s path to the title has potential roadblocks from any of the other top-five teams in Bridgeport. Yet, even with the beneficial draw, Notre Dame still has to get the job done. Though UConn has gotten the better of the rivalry in recent years, the two teams do have quite a bit of tournament history, making a potential third national title game against each other all the more intriguing.

Player to watch – Lizzy Wendell, Drake

The senior forward averages 21 points per game, but largely does so with a very good mid-range game (her three point percentages have declined each season). With Ingle picking spots on the floor for Wendell to work, Drake’s offense may remind you a slight bit of the Toronto Raptors – DeMar DeRozan and a healthy Kyle Lowry attack the rim and teammates are just supposed to be open. 

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