South Carolina top overall seed in women’s NCAA Tournament

South Carolina earned the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday night. 

This year’s bracket expanded to 68 teams for the first time to match the men’s field with the play-in games on Wednesday and Thursday. The Gamecocks will face the winner of Howard and Incarnate Word — one of the First Four games.

Expanding the field was one of the many changes to the women’s basketball tournament in the wake of inequities revealed at last season’s NCAAs. The last four teams in the field will play games on Wednesday and Thursday. 

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The NCAA announced the selections on Sunday for the first time since 2006 this year. They hope to move it back to its normal Monday night slot next year when they also would like to play the opening round play-in games at a neutral site, similar to the men’s event in Dayton, Ohio. 

Connecticut’s Christyn Williams, center, reacts after receiving the tournament’s most outstanding player award. 
(AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

While there are changes to the tournament there is a welcome return to normalcy. The top 16 seeds again will host the first- and second-round games, a year after the entire tournament was played in a makeshift bubble in San Antonio because of COVID-19 concerns. Though the coronavirus is still impacting the country, the NCAA expects to be able to play the tournament in its normal locations, including at campus sites for the first weekend. 

 South Carolina Gamecocks forward Aliyah Boston drives against the Tennessee Lady Vols in the first half at Colonial Life Arena.
(Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports)

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