The field of 68 for the women's NCAA Tournament has been set and the usual faces are at the top. UCLA secured the No. 1 overall seed while Texas, South Carolina and USC grabbed the remaining No. 1 seeds in their respective regions.
As of now, it's assumed at least one of these "big four" will be competing for a national championship when the tournament concludes in Tampa, Florida. But, as history has proven, these seedings are merely a number. The NCAA Tournament is all about a team's placement in the bracket and how they match up against their opponents.
This prompted the CBS Sports women's basketball team to take a long, hard look at the women's NCAA Tournament bracket. In the process, they identified teams that could lace up its boots and ride their way to the Final Four as a potential dark horse championship contender.
Before we jump into our selections, we first have to define the traits that comprise a "dark horse." For this exercise, candidates must be seeded No. 5 or lower. However, one special case that breaks this rule because we feel this team has been dramatically overlooked, despite their favorable seeding.
No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers
Slow starts and inconsistency led to surprising losses to Georgia and Vanderbilt for the Lady Vols in March. That being said, Tennessee's aggressive, high-tempo style of play makes them dangerous. This is a team that had very close losses to Texas, South Carolina and LSU. They also upset UConn in February. The potential is there, they just have to stay focused and play hard on defense when the ball is not going in. -- Isabel Gonzalez, trending sports and basketball writer
No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia made a name for itself last year when it nearly upset Caitlin Clark and Iowa. Now, Mountaineers are hoping to make it past the second round for just the second time in school history. They have the talent to do so, particularly on the defensive end. What the Mountaineers lack in size, they make up for with tenacity. Behind their disruptive full court press and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year JJ Quinerly, they led the country with an astounding 29.3% opponent turnover rate, and their 78.6 defensive rating was second only to UConn. -- Jack Maloney, staff basketball writer
No. 7 Louisville Cardinals
The NCAA Tournament is where the best of the best come to play. With that in mind, you'll be hard pressed to find a starting five in the field of 68 as balanced on both ends of the floor as Louisville's.
On the offensive end, the Cardinals boast a two-headed monster consisting of All-ACC guards Jayda Curry and Taijanna Roberts who, together, account for over 13 points a game. Their scoring is complimented by forwards Olivia Cochran and Nyla Harris, who contribute reliable and efficient post points. But it's on the defensive side of the ball where the Cardinals can really impose their will and make a run in this year's tournament.
Not only was Louisville a top-10 offensive team in the ACC this season, they were also a top-10 defensive team as they held opponents to just 67 points per game. They are pressuring ballhawks who average over 14 steals a game. This forces high-powered offenses to slow down, protect the rock and play the style of ball that favors the Cardinals. Louisville also thrives in grinding, close games (the Cardinals' average margin of victory is only 4.9 points). This, along with their placement on the bracket, leads me to believe that Louisville could be a dark horse team in this year's tournament. -- Xavier Hamilton, staff basketball editor and feature writer
No. 2 Duke Blue Devils
Yes, I know the No. 2 seed doesn't scream "dark horse". And, I know the Blue Devils had a successful run in last year's tournament, reaching the Sweet 16 before falling to UConn.
But, hear me out on this one.
Although the women's basketball field continues to get deeper and stronger, it's still top-heavy. Kara Lawson has meticulously navigated this tower of titans to build a culture at Duke that's anchored on the defensive end of the floor.
The Blue Devils hold opponents to 58.2 points per game, while scoring 73.9. This allowed Duke to win high-stakes games against top-10 opponents and take down conference powerhouses Notre Dame and NC State in the ACC Tournament. That being said, it's likely that we're overlooking a formidable 2-seed to shine light on the sport's crown jewel programs. That's why Duke qualifies as a dark horse championship contender. -- Erica Ayala, trending writer and on-air analyst
