UConn and South Carolina Dominate as NCAA Women's Tournament Begins

The first round saw higher-seeded teams cruise, record-breaking performances, and a few upsets setting up intriguing second-round matchups.

UConn delivered the largest margin of victory in the first round, defeating Arkansas State 103-34, with Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers playing together in the tournament for the first time since 2022.
South Carolina set a new NCAA Tournament record with 66 bench points during their 108-48 win over Tennessee Tech, showcasing their depth and dominance.
South Dakota State, a 10-seed, upset 7-seed Oklahoma State 74-68 to advance to the second round, marking their second Round of 32 appearance in three seasons.
Higher-seeded teams overwhelmingly dominated, with three No. 1 seeds winning by an average margin of 48 points, while only two games on Saturday were decided by single digits.
Iowa advanced to the second round with a 92-57 win over Murray State, maintaining strong offensive form despite losing Caitlin Clark to the WNBA last season.