March Madness: Spokane 1 region bracket Cinderella, players to watch, schedule, odds and more
[More region breakdowns: Birmingham 2 | Birmingham 3 | Spokane 4]
The 2025 NCAA women's tournament is just days away. Here's everything you need to know about the Spokane 1 region.
No. 1: UCLA (+500 to win the national title at BetMGM)
No. 2: NC State (+4,000)
No. 3: LSU (+4,000)
Though they earned the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, the Bruins aren't the betting favorite entering the tournament. Both South Carolina (+260) and UConn (+290) have shorter odds.
[Yahoo Fantasy Bracket Mayhem is back: Enter for a shot to win up to $50K]
Only one team has been able to beat UCLA this season, and it isn't in this region. The Bruins have been incredibly dominant all year long while claiming the top seed in the tournament. Outside of games against USC, very few teams have even come close to beating them. Iowa came closest last month with a two-point battle in Iowa City.
Lauren Betts is perhaps the best center in the country, averaging 19.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game. Paired with guard KiKi Rice, who is shooting a clean 50% from the field, the Bruins may be untouchable until Tampa.
Keep an eye on Harvard here, which earned one of the historic three bids from the Ivy League this spring. The Crimson went 24-4 on the season and won both of the Quad 1 games that it played, which is huge considering the quality of the league that they play in. Everything runs through star guard Harmoni Turner, who finished in the top 10 nationally in scoring.
Harvard plays much slower than Michigan State likes to as well, which could be a big advantage for the Crimson. Don't be surprised if the Spartans fall early. If that happens, and Turner stays hot, the Crimson could find themselves on their deepest tournament run ever. This is their first tournament appearance since 2007, and they've only made it out of the first round once.
Don't be surprised if George Mason stuns Florida State early. The Patriots are in the tournament for the first time in school history after rolling through the Atlantic-10 tournament. Zahirah Walton has averaged more than 15 points per game, and she got them to a 27-5 finish while winning 15 of their last 17 games.
UCLA C Lauren Betts
The 6-foot-7 center has been huge for UCLA all season. She's averaged 19.6 points and 9.7 rebounds per game while averaging a Big Ten-best 2.9 blocks per contest. Though the Bruins have more than just Betts at their disposal, everything runs through her.
Harvard G Harmoni Turner
Turner erupted this season at Harvard, and she's a huge reason why the team is in the tournament in the first place. The senior put up 22.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.8 steals per game this season, all of which led the team. If she takes off, the Crimson can make a big run.
Baylor G Darianna Littlepage-Buggs
Littlepage-Buggs averaged a double-double for the Bears this season with 14.3 points and a Big 12-best 10.5 rebounds per game. She hasn't played since Feb. 15 while dealing with a knee injury, but she's expected to return for the tournament this week — which should be a huge boost for the Bears.
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 UC San Diego/No. 16 Southern (Los Angeles, Friday, 10 p.m. PT, ESPN)No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech (Los Angeles, Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS)No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Ball State (Waco, Friday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPNU)No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 13 Grand Canyon (Waco, Friday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPNU)No. 6 Florida State vs. No. 11 George Mason (Baton Rouge, Saturday, 7:45 p.m,ET, ESPN2)No. 3 LSU vs. No. 14 San Diego State (Baton Rouge, Saturday, 10:15 p.m. ET, ESPN)No. 7 Michigan State vs. No. 10 Harvard (Raleigh, Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET, ESPNEWS)No. 2 NC State vs. No. 15 Vermont (Raleigh, Saturday, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This one is simple. UCLA should absolutely win the region and punch its first-ever ticket to a Final Four. The Bruins have been running the show in the Big Ten all year long, and they knocked off South Carolina months ago. Why would that stop now?
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
How much is St. Andrews worth to the Scottish economy? The dollar figure is shocking
How much is St. Andrews worth to the Scottish economy? The dollar figure is shocking Visitors traveling to St. Andrews to play golf are worth the equivalent of hosting three Open Championships in Scotland every year, according to new research. The study by the Sport Industry Research Centre at Sheffield Hallam University found that visitors and their families who come to play the Old Course and six others managed by St. Andrews Links Trust generate about $430 million annually for the Scottish economy. This supports 4,300 full-time jobs across the country. Researchers calculated the amount visitors spent directly on golf in St. Andrews as well as on hotels, restaurants, bars, shops and local travel providers. St. Andrews Links - whose other courses include the New, Jubilee, Castle, Eden, Balgove and Strathtyrum courses - welcomes an average of 2,000 playing visitors every week. Around 72% of those visitors come from overseas, with the USA (40%) and Canada (6%) being the key markets. A further 28% of visits were from the UK, with the remaining 26% coming from elsewhere. Across visitors from all locations, 84% said they were 'likely or very likely' to return in the future. More: Golfweek's Best 2025: The top 50 classic courses in Great Britain and Ireland 'This is the first such study looking solely at the impact of golf in St. Andrews on the town and the wider Scottish economy," said Neil Coulson, chief executive of St. Andrews Links Trust. 'It clearly shows the massive impact on the town and that our visitors are delivering a boost to communities across Scotland each and every year. This impact has probably been undervalued in the past. 'The unique place that St. Andrews holds as the lifeblood and source of the sport means that both golfers and non-golfers want to come here and experience this place for themselves. But this only works if we continue to invest in our facilities and in ensuring we strive for excellence in customer experience.' St. Andrews Links Trust is a charity with all of its revenue reinvested into the sport, facilities and in community initiatives across the region. For every $1 that passes through the tills of St. Andrews Links from visitors, an additional $4.65 is generated for other businesses in the town. "Scotland has a proud reputation as the birthplace of the game and St. Andrews is home to many links courses, not least the Old Course, which are the envy of the world," Scottish Business Minister Richard Lochhead said. "This report hits home the scale of the benefits we all reap from the trust's courses, alongside the broader impact of golf tourism, which boosts the economy by £300 million every year and supports around 5,000 jobs. "I commend the Trust for all it does to sustain and grow the game and I'm looking forward to the return of The Open to St Andrews in 2027, which, backed by Scottish Government funding, will further increase our standing as a first-class host of major events." Of the 283,000 rounds played on the seven St. Andrews Links courses in 2023, 152,000 (54%) were played by visitors to St. Andrews. More than half of visitors combined their St. Andrews Links trip with a visit to another iconic layout in Scotland, the most popular being Kingsbarns (29%), Carnoustie (25%), Dumbarnie (15%) and Crail (14%). Vicki Miller, chief executive of VisitScotland, added: 'This comprehensive study showcases the important role golf plays in Scotland's visitor economy, with St. Andrews standing at the heart of this as a globally recognised asset. 'Scotland continues to be the destination of choice for golfers worldwide, and beyond the course, our renowned hospitality, culture, and heritage offer a truly distinctive and enriching experience for all who visit. We welcome this research, which reinforces Scotland's reputation as a world-leading tourism and events destination.' Professor Simon Shibli, from Sheffield Hallam University, said: 'Economic impact studies tend to look at the effects of one-off major sport events. For St. Andrews Links Trust we have had the opportunity to investigate the economic impact of a permanent year-round golf business. "Using gold standard methods to interview over 2,400 golfers, our research reveals a significant asset to the Scottish economy, which has arguably not been fully appreciated. St. Andrews Links Trust is not only a thriving business in its own right, it is also a catalyst for considerable tourism and employment benefits.'


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Iowa baseball reveals 2026 Big Ten schedule
Iowa baseball reveals 2026 Big Ten schedule As Iowa baseball continues its long and winding offseason, the program announced its Big Ten schedule for the upcoming 2025-26 campaign, which includes some familiar foes and a few new opponents. Headlining next season's conference schedule are two consecutive road series to open up the slate of games, with the Hawkeyes traveling to State College, Penn., for a three-game series March 13-15 vs. Penn State and then visiting East Lansing, Mich., for another three-game set March 20-22, against Michigan State. Following the two road trips, Iowa returns to Duane Banks Field for two consecutive series, with the first being against 2025 College World Series-bound UCLA from March 27-29 and the second against Minnesota from April 3-5. For the Bruins, it will be the first time the storied program has traveled to Iowa City and the first three-game series between the two. Last season's Big Ten Tournament Semifinal between the Hawkeyes and Bruins was the first-ever meeting between both programs, with UCLA winning 9-3. After the Minnesota series, the Hawkeyes' Big Ten schedule alternates between home and away series for the remainder of the season. Iowa's remaining series on the road will be vs. USC (April 10-12), vs. Indiana (April 24-26), and Nebraska (May 8-10). Of note in those road series is the trip to Los Angeles, Calif., vs. USC, which will be the Hawkeyes' sixth-ever game against the Trojans (USC holds a 3-2 all-time series lead). Conversely, the remaining Hawkeyes' home series will be vs. Maryland (April 17-19), vs. Illinois (May 1-3), and vs. Purdue (May 14-16). While Iowa's conference strength of schedule is yet to be determined, seven of the ten opponents the Hawkeyes face next year made the 2025 Big Ten Tournament, and three qualified for the NCAA Tournament. With the full 2026 slate still in the works, including non-conference dates and opponents, the complete schedule will be released at a later date. Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
College World Series: Teams, format, schedule, and how the tournament works
College World Series: Teams, format, schedule, and how the tournament works The 2025 College World Series begins on Friday at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha, Nebraska. This year marks the 75th anniversary of Omaha hosting the event. After starting the NCAA Tournament with 64 teams, eight teams punched their ticket to Omaha to compete for college baseball's national title. The College World Series features eight teams split into two double-elimination brackets. The winners of each bracket will meet in the CWS final -- a best-of-three championship series to crown the national champion. The 2025 College World Series field includes a diverse set of teams from around the country. West Coast powers Arizona, UCLA, and Oregon State. From the Deep South, LSU seeking its eighth national title while Arkansas aims for its first title after several close calls. From the Atlantic Coast, we have Coastal Carolina. The Chanticleers have made one previous trip to Omaha, winning it all in 2016. Louisville and Murray State represent the state of Kentucky. Here's a refresher on the format. How many teams are in the College World Series? Eight teams compete in the College World Series. Before reaching Omaha, teams must win a four-team double-elimination regional and a best-of-three super regional. Is the College World Series single elimination? No. The College World Series has two double-elimination brackets, much like the setup used in the regional round. A single loss is not the end of the world. How is the College World Series champion crowned? The winners of each four-team bracket meet in the College World Series final, which is a best-of-three series. A team could lose twice and still win it all. A loss in the opening bracket doesn't carry over to the final. 2025 College World Series teams Here are the eight teams set to compete in Omaha: Arkansas LSU UCLA Murray State Coastal Carolina Arizona Oregon State Louisville 2025 College World Series bracket Bracket 1 Bracket 1 features Coastal Carolina, Arizona, Oregon State, and Louisville. CCU vs. Arizona and Oregon State vs. Louisville are the first-round games. Bracket 2 Bracket 2 features UCLA, Murray State, Arkansas, and LSU. The first round games are UCLA vs. Murray State and LSU vs. Arkansas. 2025 College World Series Schedule