Reseeding the women’s Sweet 16: Where do bracket-breakers Ole Miss, Miami land?

Toss the chalk out the window. The 2023 women’s NCAA tournament bracket needs a pencil with an extra large eraser.

Perhaps inspired by 8-seed Ole Miss‘ upset of Stanford on Sunday, ninth-seeded Miami sent a second No. 1 seed home in as many nights, eliminating Indiana in Bloomington on Monday. It’s the first time in 25 years that two No. 1 seeds failed to reach the Sweet 16. How’s that Women’s Tournament Challenge bracket looking now?

In their two victories, the Hurricanes erased a 17-point deficit to beat Oklahoma State in a game in which they didn’t lead until the fourth quarter, and then Monday they never trailed against the No. 2 team in the country en route to the tournament’s biggest upset.

And that wasn’t all.

Two other lower seeds won on the road in Seattle 4, leaving Iowa as the only top-four seed in the Sweet 16 in the region.

All of which means this NCAA tournament now needs some significant reseeding. Virginia Tech has gone from a No. 1 … to a No. 2 … and now back to a No. 1. Tennessee has looked so good the Lady Vols vaulted up two seeds. Ole Miss and Miami are still on the list, and who would have thought Notre Dame, playing without two starting guards, would still be around, and Stanford, with two All-Americans, would not?

As great as these past four days have been, perhaps it’s a good thing that the tournament takes a break for three days so everyone can catch their breath.

Here’s a look at our reseeding of this unexpected Sweet 16 before the games resume Friday.

No. 1 seeds

South Carolina Gamecocks
NCAA seed: No. 1 overall (Greenville 1)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Norfolk State 72-40; defeated South Florida 76-45

South Carolina did to South Florida what it seems to do to every prepared, hard-nosed, but undermanned opponent: The Gamecocks absorbed the Bulls’ best in the first quarter and into the second. But by midway through the third, South Carolina’s physical superiority, talent and depth started to bring the result that always seems inevitable. South Florida led after the first quarter and only trailed by four at the half. For most, that only lasts so long against the Gamecocks. South Carolina ended the third quarter with a 19-5 run, and the Bulls were done. The win streak has reached 40 and now the Gamecocks stay in nearby Greenville, where they just won the SEC tournament, with the Final Four two games away.

Up next: vs. UCLA on Saturday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

UConn Huskies
NCAA seed: No. 2 (Seattle 3)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Vermont 95-52; defeated Baylor 77-58

At nearly the exact same time another No. 1 seed was going down, and Colorado and Duke played into overtime, the Huskies were simply taking care of business. There would be no home team letdown in Storrs. UConn didn’t pull away until the third quarter, and the Huskies secured the win against a stubborn Baylor team to reach the Sweet 16 for a remarkable 29th straight time. Azzi Fudd scored 22 points, the most since her return at the start of the Big East tournament, and Aaliyah Edwards delivered an efficient 19 points. The Bears made 12 3-pointers, which could be a concern with Ohio State’s Taylor Mikesell looming in the next round, but UConn shut down everything else Baylor tried to do, allowing just eight fourth-quarter points.

Up next: vs. Ohio State on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ABC)

Iowa Hawkeyes
NCAA seed: No. 2 (Seattle 4)
NCAA tournament: Defeated SE Louisiana 95-43; defeated Georgia 74-66

After Iowa’s hard-fought win over Georgia, some headlines said Caitlin Clark‘s 22 points led the way. But her 14 assists were the biggest reason the Hawkeyes are in their third Sweet 16 in the last four NCAA tournaments. Iowa scored five baskets in a row late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, and none of them were by Clark, but she set each up with a varied display of passing excellence. Her deep shooting gets on SportsCenter. Clark’s assists win games. From the 0:17 mark of the second quarter until there was 6:50 left in the game, Clark, the national leader in assists per game, had a hand in 27 consecutive Iowa points. The run only included three Clark baskets.

With 1-seed Stanford out, the rest of the Seattle 4 Regional is full of defensive-minded teams which will all have one objective when they meet Iowa: Slow down Clark. Georgia got close — Clark was only 6-of-17 from the field — but found a way, like she has most of the season.

Up next: vs. Colorado on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Virginia Tech Hokies
NCAA seed: No. 1 (Seattle 3)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Chattanooga 58-33; defeated South Dakota State 72-60

South Dakota State has posed problems for Power 5 schools for years under coach Aaron Johnston. The Hokies made sure it didn’t happen Sunday. Led by Georgia Amoore, they made five 3-pointers in the game’s first six minutes, and then rode Elizabeth Kitley‘s physical dominance in the second quarter to build a 23-point halftime lead. Virginia Tech reached the program’s second Sweet 16 (and first since 1999) and now has a school-record 29 wins. The Hokies have all the ingredients of a Final Four team: plenty of veterans, good guard play, multiple shooters, outstanding defense and a pair of stars in Kitley and Amoore. But they now must go far away from home and have entered unchartered waters for a program looking for its first Elite Eight.

Up next: vs. Tennessee on Saturday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

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No. 2 seeds

Maryland Terrapins
NCAA seed: No. 2
NCAA tournament: Defeated Holy Cross 93-61; defeated Arizona 77-64

The more WNBA scouts watch Diamond Miller in these high-profile games, the more excited they must get. Miller’s game is built for March, but it might be even more suited for June, July, August and the WNBA’s summertime schedule. Whether it was leading the break, making a defensive play on the rim or finishing with an acrobatic move in the paint, she was again the catalyst Sunday as Maryland pulled away from Arizona. With a 32-point dominance of Holy Cross and a 13-point win over the Wildcats, the Terps have been the most impressive team in the NCAA tournament.

Miller is headed to her third consecutive Sweet 16 after finishing with 24 points on 11-for-19 shooting, 7 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals Sunday. She has yet to take that next step to the Elite Eight, but with a depleted Notre Dame up next, the Terps are heavy favorites to advance for a possible meeting with South Carolina, a rematch of a November game that Miller missed due to injury.

Up next: vs. Notre Dame on Saturday (11 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Utah Utes
NCAA seed: No. 2 (Greenville 2)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Gardner-Webb 103-77; defeated Princeton 63-56

Great teams find ways to win even when everything doesn’t go according to plan. If Sunday’s second-round win over Princeton is an indication, Utah might have joined the group of great teams. The Utes, who make 8.5 3-pointers per game, were just 1-for-15 from deep. They also committed 20 turnovers and allowed the smaller Tigers to get 20 offensive rebounds. Yet despite numerous runs by Princeton, Utah never trailed. Alissa Pili‘s 28 points led the way, and her 61 in two games leads all NCAA tournament scorers. No. 3 on the list? Angel Reese of LSU, the Utes’ next opponent.

Up next: vs. LSU on Friday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN)

LSU Tigers
NCAA seed: No. 3 (Greenville 2)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Hawaii 73-50; defeated Michigan 66-42

Angel Reese scored 25 points, pulled down 24 rebounds and blocked six shots, and after the win over Michigan declared she didn’t play that well. That’s a high bar she has set for herself. The performance of some of her teammates did hit a higher level, and that is good news for LSU after its disappointing production in the opening round. Jasmine Carson hit three 3-pointers and Alexis Morris scored 11 points after the Tigers’ starting backcourt combined for just eight points against Hawaii on Friday. LSU still looks inexperienced in these moments — the Tigers’ last trip to the regionals was in 2014. However, Reese scored 25 points in the Sweet 16 against Maryland last season, Morris has played in two Sweet 16 appearances (one each with Baylor and Texas A&M) and, of course, Kim Mulkey won three national championships at Baylor.

Up next: vs. Utah on Friday (5 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Tennessee Lady Vols
NCAA seed: No. 4 (Seattle 3)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Saint Louis 95-50; defeated Toledo 94-47

The Lady Vols have had the benefit of playing a pair of double-digit seeds, but they have also been really good. They won both games by a combined 92 points, and it’s easily the biggest point differential in the tournament (South Carolina’s, for comparison, is 63). That’s worth a seed line bump. In fact, Tennessee is now the top No. 3 seed. The growth of this Tennessee team is undeniable as roles have become more defined. The Lady Vols jumped on the Rockets early, forcing turnovers and converting them into points. The Tennessee team of December might have let Toledo back in the game. Not now. The Lady Vols won every quarter, got playing time for 13 players and set themselves up well for their trip to Seattle.

Up next: vs. Virginia Tech on Saturday (6:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2)

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No. 3 seeds

Ohio State Buckeyes
NCAA seed: No. 3 (Seattle 3)
NCAA tournament: Defeated James Madison 80-66; defeated North Carolina 71-69

The Buckeyes started the season 19-0, largely without star guard Jacy Sheldon. Somehow, they thrived without her, but Ohio State wouldn’t survive without her now. The senior scored seven of her 16 points in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning runner with less than two seconds to play. That saved the Buckeyes from blowing a 12-point, fourth-quarter lead. A leg injury kept Sheldon on the sidelines until she returned for good just in time for the Big Ten tournament. She was able to reclaim the point guard spot from the capable but less experienced Rikki Harris, and in two NCAA tournament games that leadership has been the difference.

Up next: vs. UConn on Saturday (4 p.m. ET, ABC)

UCLA Bruins
NCAA seed: No. 4 (Greenville 1)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Sacramento State 67-45; defeated Oklahoma 82-73

Playing her final game in Pauley Pavilion, Charisma Osborne made sure it wasn’t the season’s final game, period, scoring a career-high 36 points to get UCLA back to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. The Bruins had to withstand a furious third-quarter rally by the Sooners. Osborne’s 13 fourth-quarter points and 12-for-12 effort from the line helped. UCLA now has the least desirable task in the regionals: playing South Carolina. But the Bruins were tied with the Gamecocks after three quarters in their game in Columbia on Nov. 29.

Up next: vs. South Carolina on Saturday (2 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Villanova Wildcats
NCAA seed: No. 4 (Greenville 2)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Cleveland State 76-59; defeated Florida Gulf Coast 76-57

None of the chaos of the tournament hit suburban Philadelphia. The Wildcats have trailed for a total of 3:09 in two games and have been able to play relatively stress-free. Behind Maddy Siegrist‘s tournament-leading 66 points, they have played two almost duplicate dominant games. Villanova is now one game away from the Elite Eight for the first time in 20 years. The win over FGCU also marked the 30th of the season, making this the winningest team in program history.

Up next: vs. Miami on Friday (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Louisville Cardinals
NCAA seed: No. 5 (Seattle 4)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Drake 83-81; defeated Texas 73-51

Defense propelled the Cardinals into the Final Four last March. If Monday night is any indication, it’s what they are leaning on again. With a little help from Texas’ inability to convert consistently at the rim, Louisville completely shut down the Longhorns. The Cardinals flipped the script on Texas, the eighth-rated defensive team in the country, according to HerHoopStats.com, by shooting 46.8%. The Longhorns entered the game allowing opponents to shoot just 37.1%. Unranked the rest of the season after falling out of the Top 25 in early December, and with its most losses (11) since 2011, Louisville is now on its way to a sixth straight Sweet 16.

Up next: vs. Ole Miss on Friday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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No. 4 seeds

Ole Miss Rebels
NCAA seed: No. 8 (Seattle 4)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Gonzaga 71-48; defeated Stanford 54-49

The upset of the tournament — perhaps the upset of the last 12 NCAA tournaments — belongs to the Rebels. Their elimination of Stanford on Sunday marked the first time a No. 1 seed didn’t reach the Sweet 16 since 2009. Defense won Ole Miss its first-round game and was even more effective against the Cardinal. The Rebels held the country’s fifth-rated offense, according to HerHoopStats.com, to its second-lowest point total of the season, and Ole Miss won despite making only one field goal in the fourth quarter. Coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin went 16-45 in her first two years trying to rebuild the program. Since, the Rebels have finished second in the WNIT, lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament and are now in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2007.

Up next: vs. Louisville on Friday (10 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Colorado Buffaloes
NCAA seed: No. 6 (Seattle 4)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Middle Tennessee 82-60; defeated Duke 61-53 OT

No player is as crafty with the ball than Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. No one is as fast with it as Colorado’s Jaylyn Sherrod. Next weekend they will appear on the same court. Sherrod’s speed and Quay Miller‘s size were just a little too much for Duke to overcome, and the Buffs became the third road team to win Monday. Colorado was also just as close to becoming a fourth team to blow a double-digit lead. After a quick start, the Buffaloes felt the squeeze of the Duke defense and fell behind in the fourth. But a Sherrod layup sent the game to overtime, where Colorado proceeded to play its own stifling defense, holding the Blue Devils without a field goal for the entire extra five minutes.

Up next: vs. Iowa on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

Notre Dame Fighting Irish
NCAA seed: No. 3 (Greenville 1)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Southern Utah 82-56; defeated Mississippi State 53-48

The history books will show that Notre Dame reached its 19th Sweet 16 in 2023. The context is far more impressive. Niele Ivey was named ACC Coach of the Year, but what she has done since might deserve another award. The Irish have won two games without the backcourt that was on the floor for most of the season. Injured Olivia Miles and Dara Mabrey watched from the bench as the Irish used defense and toughness to move on past the Bulldogs. Notre Dame didn’t make a 3-pointer and had 19 turnovers and just five assists. The offense looked only modestly better than the version that scored 38 points in the ACC tournament semifinals against Louisville. But behind Lauren Ebo‘s NCAA tournament school-record 18 rebounds and Sonia Citron‘s 14 points (10 on free throws), the Irish advanced probably about as far as they can.

Up next: vs. Maryland on Saturday (11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN)

Miami Hurricanes
NCAA seed: No. 9 (Greenville 2)
NCAA tournament: Defeated Oklahoma State 62-61; defeated Indiana 70-68

Not only did Miami pull off the biggest upset of the tournament (just slightly bigger than Ole Miss over Stanford), the Canes did it without ever trailing the No. 2 team in the country. More impressively, they never wilted as the Hoosiers kept coming, tying the score three times in the final three minutes. Destiny Harden, a fifth-year senior who has been a cornerstone of the program, hit the game-winner with three seconds left. That served as the final answer on a night in which Miami seemed to have all of them. Two games, two different strategies, the same result — and that puts the Hurricanes in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992, the longest time between appearances for any team left in the field.

Up next: vs. Villanova on Friday (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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