Everything You Need To Know About Women's March Madness 2025
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT - DECEMBER 21: JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans is defended by Paige ... More Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies during the second half of an NCAA women's basketball game at the XL Center on December 21, 2024 in Hartford, Connecticut. (Photo by)
Women's March Madness is underway, showcasing elite basketball talent and thrilling matchups on the national stage. As the 2025 tournament progresses, here's everything you need to know about its history, schedule, how to watch, top contenders, and this year's Cinderella teams.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 03: Aliyah Boston #4 of the South Carolina Gamecocks holds the trophy after ... More a win over the Connecticut Huskies in the championship game of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Target Center on April 3, 2022 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
For years, the term "March Madness" was reserved exclusively for the men's tournament, despite the women's competition delivering just as much excitement and skill. That finally changed in 2022, following the 2021 Kaplan, Hecker & Fink Gender Equity Report, which exposed major disparities in marketing, funding, and overall visibility between the two tournaments.
The 40th installment of the tournament, marking the debut of Women's March Madness, kicked off on March 16, 2022, and wrapped up with the championship matchup on April 3 at Target Center in Minneapolis. In the final, the South Carolina Gamecocks secured their second NCAA title with a 64–49 victory over the UConn Huskies, delivering UConn its first-ever loss in a championship game.
NCAA Vice President of Women's Basketball, Lynn Holzman, emphasized that integrating the "March Madness" branding into the women's tournament was a critical step in addressing gender equity. The move has since contributed to increased sponsorship, higher viewership, and greater overall recognition of the women's game.
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 09: JuJu Watkins #12 of the USC Trojans shoots the ball while defended ... More by Kiki Rice #1 of the UCLA Bruins during the Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament - Championship game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 09, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by)
The 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament will once again feature 68 teams, following the expanded format introduced in 2022. The tournament kicked off with Selection Sunday on March 16, followed by several rounds of high-stakes competition across different locations.
The tournament culminates in Tampa, where the Final Four and championship game will be held at Amalie Arena.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Rori Harmon #3 of the Texas Longhorns plays against the South ... More Carolina Gamecocks during the championship of the SEC women's basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 09, 2025 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by)
While the women's and men's March Madness tournaments follow a similar structure, key differences remain:
Women's Tournament Schedule:
Men's Tournament Schedule:
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA - MARCH 21: Hannah Hidalgo #3 of the University of Notre Dame goes up for a ... More layup during the First Round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament game between the University of Notre Dame and Stephen F. Austin State University held at Purcell Pavilion on March 21, 2025 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Abigail Dean/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
Every moment of the women's tournament will be available across ESPN's family of networks, ensuring maximum exposure and accessibility: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNews. The final will air on ABC.
The men's tournament will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, TNT, and TruTV. All CBS games are available for streaming on Paramount+. All TBS, TNT and TruTV games can be streamed on Max.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 7: Head coach Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks cuts down the net ... More after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyesduring the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)
The 2024 Women's March Madness Tournament featured a thrilling showdown between the Iowa Hawkeyes and the South Carolina Gamecocks. On April 7, 2024, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, South Carolina secured their third national championship with an 87–75 win over Iowa.
Caitlin Clark, in her final collegiate season, led Iowa to a second straight runner-up finish, while South Carolina's commanding performance furthered their dominance as one of the nation's top women's basketball programs under head coach Dawn Staley.
The championship game drew an estimated 18.9 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, according to Nielsen live-plus-same-day data, with viewership peaking at 24.1 million during the final minutes of the game (5:00 – 5:14 PM ET). This was a 90% increase over the 9.9 million viewers who tuned in for the 2023 final and an astonishing 288% jump from 2022.
In a historic first, the women's championship game outdrew the men's final in 2024. The Men's College Basketball National Championship on April 8, which featured UConn and Purdue, attracted 14.8 million viewers, nearly 4 million fewer than the women's game.
GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 09: Madison Booker #35 of the Texas Longhorns dribbles against ... More Tessa Johnson #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks in the second quarter during the championship of the SEC women's basketball tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 09, 2025 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by)
Heading into the 2025 tournament, several teams have emerged as strong contenders:
Cinderella Teams:
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