In Fort Worth, Texas, UConn and Notre Dame continue their tradition as frequent contenders in the Sweet 16 of the women”s NCAA Tournament. Joining them are North Carolina and Vanderbilt, both of which have made several appearances but not with the same regularity. These four teams are among only 15 to reach the second weekend of the tournament at least 15 times.
The defending national champions, the top-seeded Huskies, are set to face the No. 4 seed Tar Heels, while No. 2 seed Vanderbilt takes on No. 6 seed Notre Dame in a highly anticipated matchup featuring two of the nation”s leading scorers.
“You play, what, 36 games, and you try to put yourself in this situation as often as you can,” stated Geno Auriemma, the 12-time national champion coach of UConn. “I think every team that”s here knows that this weekend is probably the biggest weekend of the year. I know everybody talks about the Final Four and all that, but getting there is a lot harder than what happens after you get there, I think.”
UConn, boasting a perfect 36-0 record, enters its 32nd consecutive Sweet 16 appearance, extending its all-time total to 33. The Huskies are riding a remarkable 52-game winning streak, led by AP All-Americans Azzi Fudd and North Carolina native Sarah Strong. Conversely, the Tar Heels, with a record of 28-7, are making their 20th Sweet 16 appearance, marking a notable return after only one appearance in the previous nine seasons.
“It means a lot. … We had a lot of milestones every year that we wanted to accomplish. Each year we keep growing and taking that extra step,” remarked third-year UNC guard Indya Nivar.
In a twist of fate, Notre Dame”s Iyana Moore faces her former team, Vanderbilt, as the Commodores (29-4) make their first Sweet 16 appearance since 2009. The Fighting Irish (24-10) benefit from Moore”s experience, who previously averaged 13.1 points over three seasons with the Commodores.
“She was a big part of our rebuild at Vanderbilt, so I”m excited to see her and I”m just excited to play against her, see what she”s learned,” commented Vanderbilt senior forward Sacha Washington, who remains close friends with Moore.
This marks the 15th consecutive time Notre Dame has reached at least the Sweet 16 since beginning its streak in 1995, aside from missing out in 2021. The Irish previously claimed the national title in 2018 and were runners-up the following year, but have not advanced past the Sweet 16 since.
“I think it”s incredible what Vandy has done this year,” Moore noted. “They”ve been put in a great position just to go out there and be polished in March.”
Notre Dame”s Hannah Hidalgo, who leads the nation with 5.6 steals per game and ranks third in scoring at 25.2 points, is the only returning starter for the Irish. The team faced significant changes after losing eight players from last season, including three who are now playing professionally and three others who transferred.
“It speaks volumes. … The team that we have, they just are connected,” said sixth-year coach Niele Ivey, who has been part of both of Notre Dame”s national championships.
Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes leads the country in scoring, averaging 27 points per game, while Hidalgo follows closely behind. This matchup between top scorers adds an intriguing layer to the upcoming games.
UConn”s Sarah Strong, originally from Durham, North Carolina, opted for the Huskies despite heavy recruitment from the Tar Heels. “It was definitely a tough decision. I love Courtney. I love UNC. Just, yeah, every time I visited, she”s made me feel so welcome,” Strong reflected on her choice to join UConn.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on these storied programs as they vie for a spot in the next round of the NCAA Tournament.
