Postponed games, long COVID-19 pauses for some programs and few nonconference contests have made this season different than any we have ever seen. Yet the 2021 women’s NCAA tournament is coming into focus, and is expected to be contested by 64 teams. After last season’s tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, getting to this point feels like a mission accomplished even if the journey was unlike any other.
The NCAA tournament also will look different. The entire tourney will be played at a single destination — the San Antonio region — with multiple venues, limited fans and an adjusted schedule. The Women’s Final Four will be held at the Alamodome on April 2 and 4. The road to the Lone Star State begins with Selection Monday on March 15. Along the way, and as automatic bids are won, we will continue to update Bracketology and the projected tournament field. Fill out a bracket in ESPN’s Women’s Tournament Challenge.
Bracket Watch
In reaching the championship game of the American Athletic Conference, UCF’s spot in the field is more secure. The Knights can make the at-large conversation moot with a win over South Florida on Thursday (ESPNU/ESPN App, 10 p.m. ET). UCF’s convincing 61-39 victory over Houston likely ended the Cougars’ chances of an invitation to the tournament. Houston is now in the Next Four Out. The Bulls have narrowly escaped their two games in the AAC tournament, averaging just 49.5 points in their past two outings. As a result, they’ve dropped to a No. 7 seed. And now that UCF is no longer the Last Team In, Mississippi State takes that place.
