A heated competition, the 2023 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament is set to kick off this week with some top teams vying for history. In the frontrunning position will be the South Carolina women’s squad who notched a perfect 32-0 record and the No. 1 NET ranking heading into the NCAA Tournament. Following the Gamecocks is Indiana who compiled a 27-3 overall record in the Big Ten this season. Rounding out the final four of these squads are Stanford (28-5 in the Pac-12 this season, along with a strength of schedule ranking of eight) and Iowa (26-6, NET ranking of six and SOS of seven). This should be an excellent tournament with all of these teams aiming for history at a chance to compete in the Lone Star State for the championship game.
For this article, SBS will be going over what to look for from each squad and also who will take home the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball championship.
Odds to Win NCAAB Women's National Championship | |||
---|---|---|---|
South Carolina | -200 | -200 | -200 |
Indiana | +700 | +700 | +700 |
Stanford | +700 | +700 | +700 |
UConn | +900 | +900 | +900 |
The reigning champions from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), South Carolina has run over the competition this season to the tune of a perfect 32-0 record. Also, the reigning champions from the 2022 NCAA Tournament, head coach Dawn Staley’s squad is a powerhouse with multiple weapons down the lineup. Guard Zia Cookie is one to watch, pacing the squad in points per game at 15.3. Joining her in an explosive backcourt is Raven Johnson who is the leader on the team in assists per contest at 3.4.
Led by the electric Mackenzie Holmes, the Hoosiers are a squad that very much established themselves at the top of the hyper-competitive Big Ten. With an overall record of 27-3, Indiana stumbled a bit down the stretch, losing in two of their last three games, but had an otherwise spectacular season. Regardless, if Holmes can be her efficient self during the tournament (22.3 ppg, 68.8 field goal percentage, and 7.3 rebounds ppg) then Indiana should be solid in each game they play. This is a battle-tested squad.
One of the strongest teams historically, Stanford had another great campaign in 2022-23 (28-5) prior to the NCAA Tournament. Another No. 1 seed in the tournament, the Cardinal is a very well-balanced team led by another strong forward in Cameron Brink. The six-foot-four forward from Beaverton, OR paces the squad in ppg at 14.9 along with rebounds per game at 9.5. Similar to Indiana though, Stanford has dropped two of their last three games, including a four-point loss to UCLA in the Pac-12 Championship. Nonetheless, their NET ranking of four is still notable.
Certainly one of the heavyweight contenders in all of women’s basketball, the Huskies are a squad that has run the Big East for a number of years. Geno Auriemma’s team has been on a heater to end the season, notching a five-game winning streak, including locking down another Big East title. Aaliyah Edwards is the key player for the Huskies here as she averages 16.6 ppg along with a stout field goal shooting percentage at 57.3%. Another forward, Dorka Juhasz is a problem for opposing offenses, she averages 10.0 boards per contest.
Prediction: The Gamecocks have dominated the competition the whole year, so while they could regress a bit, they are still the squad to beat.
Once you are all set with your NCAA women’s basketball bets, make sure to check out the variety of resources that SBS has just for you. Similar to their male counterparts, a great page to always have bookmarked during March is the SBS NCAAB betting sites page which covers all the latest betting markets related to college basketball. Of course, if you are perhaps uncertain about which options are there for you when it comes to withdrawals and deposits, SBS has you covered with our payment methods rundown. On this page, you can see a wide variety of options available from traditional banking routes to cryptocurrencies. On a final note, if you are in need of more high-stakes wagering, look no further than our VIP sports betting sites breakdown which covers all the perks of VIP sports betting.