The men’s March Madness tournament begins Tuesday night with two of the First Four contests. The women’s tournament, however, will start Wednesday, meaning there is still time for you or anyone interested in building a bracket to get their picks in before the games start happening.
If you do plan on joining a bracket pool, you’ll need some information. Namely, who is the most likely to win?
While you might be interested in women’s college basketball, you may not feel you have the expertise to create a perfect bracket out of thin air. You might know some of the favorites but not all of them. Thankfully, there are people that can provide that information to you.
Here are expert predictions for the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament from around the internet.
MARCH MADNESS: Printable bracket for men’s, women’s NCAA Tournament
WOMEN’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’s Women’s Bracket Challenge for a chance at $1 million prize.
Women’s NCAA Tournament: Expert predictions
Nancy Armour, USA TODAY: Don’t be surprised by upsets
Armour writes: “Will all four No. 1s make the Final Four? Highly unlikely.
“There was a time when you could predict the Final Four before the season began and likely be right. But the caliber of play has improved so much that the women’s tournament is now ripe for the upsets that make the men’s tournament so enjoyable. … Don’t be surprised if Duke and Ohio State blow up some brackets.”
Sabreena Merchant, The Athletic: UConn to win it all
Merchant writes, “(Paige) Bueckers and (Sarah) Strong both average fewer than 30 minutes per game. Think about how much better the Huskies could be if they played an additional five or six minutes. UConn already put together an outstanding regular season, punctuated by its 29-point demolition of the Gamecocks in South Carolina. With how tough this season has been in the power conferences, the Huskies have been biding their time. If they can unlock an extra level in the postseason, this is their chance to end the UConn title drought.”
Elizabeth Swinton, Sports Illustrated: All four No. 1 seeds to reach Final Four
As the tournament approaches Swinton believes all four No. 1 seeds − UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and USC − will reach the Final Four. Picking No. 1 seeds to reach the Final Four isn’t a bad strategy at all in the women’s tournament. Across the 42 years of women’s March Madness, there have been 168 No. 1 seeds and 94 of them (56%) have reached the Final Four. While you may not get your entire Final Four correct with this strategy, you are more than likely to have a few correct names.
Nicole Auerbach, NBC Sports: USC wins national championship
Auerbach is going against the grain with her pick. She writes, “JuJu [Watkins] has great pieces around her, but ultimately this history-making moment for the Trojans will come down to her. And she’ll be more than ready for it. The Trojans will win their first national championship in four decades.”
