March Madness: How to watch the women's NCAA Tournament and what to watch for

Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) cheers while checking out of the game during the second half of an NCAA college basketball quarterfinal game against Penn State at the Big Ten women's tournament Friday, March 8, 2024, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

By The Associated Press

Women’s basketball is having itself a moment as March Madness arrives.

A year ago, 9.9 million people tuned in to see Angel Reese and LSU beat Caitlin Clark and Iowa in a national championship game made unforgettable by the two stars who backed up their talk with stellar play. The game was on a national network — ABC — for the first time since 1996.

Well, Clark and Reese are back for more and they aren’t alone. Clark has been the talk of the sport all season, making a bid for a second straight Associated Press Player of the Year honor after becoming the all-time leading scorer in Division I history and selling out venues wherever Iowa went.

Everyone, however, is looking up at South Carolina, the top-ranked team for weeks that has put up a second consecutive undefeated season — just in time for the tournament.

HOW TO WATCH

Every game of the women’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule that will be updated with matchups — on ESPN’s networks and streaming services with select games on ABC. While ESPN will air the Final Four, the title game will be back on ABC just like last season.

BETTING GUIDE

South Carolina is the overwhelming favorite to win its second title in three years and third overall, all since 2017. The top three betting favorites behind the Gamecocks (in order) are Iowa, LSU and Stanford, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.

WHO IS PLAYING?

There are 32 automatic bids that go to conference champions and they are combined with 36 at-large picks by the NCAA selection committee. We all find out on Selection Sunday, March 17, when bracket matchups are unveiled.

WHEN ARE THE GAMES?

The First Four matchups (March 20-21) and first- and second-round games (March 22-25) are on campus, with sites announced late March 17.

Sweet 16 weekend ( March 29-April 1) will see games in two sites once again: Albany, New York, and Portland, Oregon.

The Final Four is in Cleveland on Friday, April 5, with the championship game on Sunday, April 7.

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness