Day 1 of the 2025 women’s NCAA tournament is in the books. Chalk dominated Friday, as only one double-digit seed advanced to the second round. We tracked all the action, breaking down how all 16 games were won and looking ahead at what’s next as teams advance in the bracket.
From blowouts to every host holding court, here’s your guide — complete with analysis from on-site reporters — to Friday’s games as half of the second round was set.
Jump to: Relive the action
Friday’s full results and analysis
Final: Oregon 77, Vanderbilt 73 (OT)
How did Oregon pull off the biggest upset in the NCAA tournament so far?: As the first double-digit seed to win a game in the tournament, the Ducks survived a blown second-half lead and poor free throw shooting to upset Vanderbilt in Durham, North Carolina. For 3½ quarters, Oregon expertly executed its game plan of slowing the pace, controlling the boards and making shots in its half-court offense — the Ducks were in complete control. But Vanderbilt, which trailed by as many as 19 points and was down nine with 3:22 left in the game, brought more defensive pressure, forced turnovers and got big plays from Mikayla Blakes and Leilani Kapinus to force overtime. Twelve missed free throws by the Ducks (15-of-27 for the game) also helped Vanderbilt get back into the game.
But Oregon’s defense, which had held the seventh-best scoring team in the country to 43 points through the first three quarters, came alive again in the extra five minutes, holding Vanderbilt to six points. Peyton Scott (13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists) came up big in overtime, drawing a key charge that marked Blakes’ fifth foul, and she scored four points, including the clinching free throws. Blakes led Vanderbilt with 26 points before fouling out with 54 seconds left in the extra period. Khamil Pierre, the Commodores’ second-leading scorer with 17 points, and Kapinus, also fouled out.
What it means for Oregon: This marks the Ducks’ first NCAA tournament win since 2021. A No. 10 seed in Cameron Indoor Stadium seems to be a friendly spot for Oregon. In 2017, also as a 10-seed playing in Durham, the Ducks upset No. 7 seed Temple in the first round and then stunned No. 2 seed Duke. Oregon, with Sabrina Ionescu as a freshman, advanced to the regional final in Bridgeport, Connecticut, before losing to UConn. These Ducks will likely get another chance to face the Blue Devils in the second round on Duke’s home floor. Deja Kelly, who played four seasons at North Carolina and appeared at Cameron Indoor three times in her career, helped pave the way Friday and will be a key in the next round. Kelly, who scored 20 points for the Tar Heels at Duke in February 2024, led Oregon with another 20 points against the Commodores. — Charlie Creme
Final: UCLA 84, Southern 46
How did UCLA dominate Southern?: Any 1-16 matchup is bound to be lopsided, but the Bruins showed off their depth against the Jaguars on Friday: Six players scored in double-digits and the bench contributed 28 points in a dominant win. UCLA star Lauren Betts didn’t have to score in bunches (she finished with a team-high 14 points, adding 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks), but her presence against an undersized Southern team helped set the tone for the victory.
What’s next for UCLA?: Bruins coach Cori Close isn’t prone to overlooking any team or matchup, so she will use any kind of shortcoming or mistake she saw on the floor Friday to her team’s advantage. Richmond awaits in the second round and the Spiders present a tougher test. (Watch out for the Spiders’ 3-point shooting!) After clearing the first hurdle with ease, Betts and Co. will have to be better to continue to fulfill the expectations that the committee put on them when awarding UCLA the top overall seed in the bracket. — Paolo Uggetti
Final: South Carolina 108, Tennessee Tech 48
How did South Carolina roll to its first-round win? The Gamecocks’ win in the first round in Columbia was their most impressive NCAA tournament performance in program history: 108 points, 43 field goals, 12 3-pointers, 63.2% shooting on 3-pointers, a 60-point margin — all of which were program records. Their 66 bench points were the most in NCAA tournament history for any team. South Carolina scored more points in the paint (58) than the Eagles totaled. The Gamecocks also outrebounded Tennessee Tech 47-15 and outscored the Eagles in transition 32-4. As a No. 1 seed, they have now outscored their first-round opponents by an average margin of more than 40 points per game. South Carolina led the country in bench points this season (41.5 per game) and that depth keyed an early run Friday to put the game away. Joyce Edwards, Tessa Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley scored all the points in a 21-4 first quarter that put the score out of reach nine minutes into the game. All 12 Gamecocks who played scored. Edwards led the way with 22, Fulwiley scored 15 and had five assists while Johnson had 11 points and six assists.
What it means for South Carolina: The 12 days off since the SEC tournament title win didn’t slow down a South Carolina team that appears to be playing its best basketball of the season. Since their 29-point home loss to UConn on Feb. 16, the Gamecocks have outscored opponents by an average of 26.8 points. That time frame includes wins over Texas, LSU, Oklahoma and Kentucky, which are all top-four seeds in this NCAA tournament. Up next: Indiana, the same team South Carolina met in the Sweet 16 a year ago. The Hoosiers were a second-half team in their win over Utah and did the same against the Gamecocks last March, outscoring South Carolina 43-30 after halftime and nearly coming back before falling 79-75. — Charlie Creme
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MiLaysia Fulwiley gets it done on both sides of the ball
MiLaysia Fulwiley gets up for an impressive block, then drains a three to pad the Gamecocks’ lead.
Final: Notre Dame 106, Stephen F. Austin 54
How significant is Olivia Miles‘ injury? Notre Dame’s second-leading scorer (16.2 PPG) went down hard with an injury to her left ankle with 8:44 remaining in the fourth quarter. Miles, who had made at least one field goal over 98 Division I games entering the first round, scored only two points in Notre Dame’s blowout win on 0-for-6 shooting but helped Notre Dame make 64% of its shots off her passes. The senior guard took several minutes before she was able to rise to her feet and walk off the floor under her own power with a noticeable limp and apparent ankle injury. Miles quickly went back to the locker room after a brief stop on the Irish’s sideline.
What the win means for Notre Dame: The Fighting Irish became the first non-1-seed to score 100 points and win by 50-plus in an NCAA tournament game. Hannah Hidalgo and Sonia Citron each scored 24 points and made quick work of an overmatched 14-seed. Notre Dame’s 45 made field goals were tied for the seventh most in an NCAA tournament game all time and are the third most by a team this century. Up next is No. 6 Michigan on Sunday. — Courtney Cronin
MORE: Notre Dame’s Miles injures ankle in first-round win
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Hannah Hidalgo Top Points vs. Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks
Hannah Hidalgo Top Points vs. Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks
Final: Tennessee 101, South Florida 66
How Tennessee routed USF: Tennessee did what it does best under Kim Caldwell: It shot the heck out of the 3-ball, netting 16 of 37 attempts, with eight players converting from beyond the arc. The Lady Vols got going defensively in the second quarter and forced 24 USF turnovers (Tennessee had six). Tennessee’s press forced 14 of the Bulls’ turnovers and held them under 36% shooting from the field. The Lady Vols’ depth — Caldwell made 240 substitutions and played 10 players double-digit minutes — was overwhelming for a Bulls squad that relied almost entirely on its starters, and USF looked gassed as the game went on. Tennessee registered 54 bench points, while the Bulls managed three.
What this means for Tennessee: Caldwell recently joked that she was relieved she hadn’t become the coach who broke Tennessee’s NCAA tournament appearance streak, which dates to the start of the event. Getting beyond the first round also ensures her squad avoids a shockingly early exit like the school experienced in 2019 under Holly Warlick. And the dominant nature of this win, particularly coming off her team’s skid entering the tournament, has to be confidence-instilling for Caldwell, too. A third Sweet 16 appearance in four years is in reach for the Lady Vols, but they’ll have to get past host Ohio State, another team that also loves to play with a quick pace, press and use defense to fuel its offense. Notably, the Buckeyes aren’t as deep, nor do they rely on 3-point shooting as much as the Lady Vols — two elements that might work in Tennessee’s favor. — Alexa Philippou
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Highlight: No. 5 Tennessee dominates No. 12 South Florida in first round
Talaysia Cooper leads with 20 points as the Volunteers put up 16 3-pointers all together to secure a 101-66 victory against the Bulls.
(15) FDU vs.
(2) TCU
(15) Final: TCU 73, FDU 51
How did TCU pull away? TCU didn’t shoot well in the first half — particularly in the first quarter when the Horned Frogs shot only 35.7% from the floor — and everything looked difficult on the offensive end. But TCU was able to convert an eight-point halftime lead into a dominant first-round victory by increasing defensive energy and tying up loose ends. FDU shot 40% in the first half but finished the game shooting 35.4% and 9.1% (1-for-11) from 3-point range. TCU limited the Knights to two second-chance points, none in the second half. As the lead opened, the offense flowed. Senior Madison Conner ended the game with 23 points, shooting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc. Sedona Prince got her 16th double-double of the season with 16 points and 10 rebounds, and also had three blocks. Big 12 player of the year Hailey Van Lith finished with 13 points and seven assists.
What’s next for TCU? TCU will get the winner of 10-seed Nebraska vs. 7-seed Louisville. Less important than the matchup (though who would say no to Van Lith playing against her former school in Louisville?) is that TCU ground out a victory in the first round to begin with. TCU players and coaches reiterated ahead of the game of how special it was to play at home, how important this team has been, how amazing of a turnaround this program has seen, etc. That sentiment, when pressurized by a much lower seed playing a game closer than anticipated, can turn into an upset recipe. No matter which team TCU sees Sunday, the Horned Frogs expelled the first-round tournament jitters. — Katie Barnes
MORE: HVL Bowl: TCU’s Van Lith faces ex-Louisville team in second round
Final: Richmond 74, Georgia Tech 49
How Richmond won: On paper, this might have been an 8-9 matchup, but on the court, it turned into a dominant, lopsided win for the Spiders. After a 5-4 lead in the first quarter, Georgia Tech never led the rest of the way and went down by as many as 26 points in the fourth period. The Maggie Doogan show was in full force in Los Angeles as she put together a 30-point performance (her 11th game of 20 points or more this season) and added 15 rebounds and 6 assists. The junior scored or assisted on 44 of Richmond’s 74 points. Doogan was excellent, but the Spiders’ defense was even better. Richmond held the Yellow Jackets to 49 points — their lowest-scoring total of the season.
What it means for Richmond: What do the Spiders get for their dominant win? A likely date with the No. 1 overall seed Bruins (who still have to beat 16-seed Southern) on Sunday. UCLA is not only the top team in the nation heading into March, but the Bruins will present a daunting challenge for the Spiders, especially in the paint. On Friday, Richmond totaled 38 paint points as the Yellow Jackets’ interior defense couldn’t keep up. The Bruins, and 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts specifically, will not make it so easy. However, Richmond could push the Bruins to the brink. The Spiders’ ball movement runs like a well-oiled machine, and the combination of Doogan’s size and outside shooting might force UCLA to tailor its defensive approach around her. It should be a fascinating matchup. — Paolo Uggetti
Final: Kentucky 79, Liberty 78
How did Kentucky hang on? The Wildcats were able to nurse a big first-half lead to the finish despite really struggling in the fourth quarter. Senior guard Georgia Amoore finished with a game-high 34 points, which matched the most by a Kentucky player in an NCAA tournament game. However, 23 of those came in the first quarter as she and the rest of Kentucky’s offense misfired down the stretch. Liberty cut the deficit to one point in the final minute but weren’t able to get a key defensive rebound to set up a potential game-winning possession.
What it means for Kentucky: Initially, it looked like a pretty easy game. But once Liberty did a good job of forcing others besides Amoore to shoulder the offense, things slowed down. Amoore showed the ability to create off the dribble and knock down deep 3s. Sophomore center Clara Strack and senior guard Dazia Lawrence, who had 16 and 15 points, respectively, had buckets in key moments. But coach Kenny Brooks will want a more consistent effort on Sunday. After the game, he acknowledged his post defense was an issue, especially when starters Teonni Key and Strack fouled out. “We elected to go with a one-on-one approach,” he said, “and we didn’t win very many of those battles.” The Wildcats also shot 5-for-17 in the fourth quarter. Per ESPN Research, every one of those shot attempts was contested. — Ben Baby
MORE: Amoore ties UK mark as Wildcats avoid collapse
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UK’s Amoore: ‘We’re hosting for a reason, we’ve just got to believe it’
After scoring 34 in the one-point win over 13-seed Liberty, Georgia Amoore says 4-seed Kentucky must enter the second round with more confidence and energy to close the deal.
Final: Duke 86, Lehigh 25
How did Duke shut down Lehigh?: For only the second time in NCAA tournament history, a team scored 25 or fewer points in a game. Duke’s defense smothered Lehigh, contesting or forcing turnovers on 95% of the Mountain Hawks’ first-half possessions. Through three quarters, Duke had contested 88% of Lehigh’s shots. Then, the Blue Devils held the Mountain Hawks scoreless through the first five minutes of the second half, when Lehigh missed its first eight shots from the floor and committed 15 turnovers. The Blue Devils had more points in the fourth quarter than Lehigh had all game.
What’s next for Duke: Duke faces Oregon, which squeaked out a win over Vanderbilt in overtime. The Blue Devils are leaning on their defense — which they’ve done all season. They held ACC opponents to 54.1 points per game while forcing 22.2 turnovers per contest. Entering Friday, Duke averaged 21.8 points off turnovers, which ranks 12th in Division I. The Blue Devils have an experienced squad, returning three starters this season and adding talented freshman forwards Toby Fournier and Jenessa Cotton and center Arianna Roberson. They hit their stride at the right time, winning the ACC tournament as the 3-seed, and that momentum and success seems to be carrying into the tournament. — Kendra Andrews
Final: Michigan 80, Iowa State 74
What was the catalyst behind Michigan’s second-half surge? Jordan Hobbs picked the perfect time for the best game of her Division I career. After scoring 10 total points in her first five NCAA tournament games, the Michigan senior totaled 28 points (9 of 16 field goals, 5 of 10 3-pointers), which is tied for the most in program history in the tournament, and led the Wolverines out of early-game shooting struggles. When Iowa State’s Audi Crooks threatened to take over the game at several points, Hobbs provided an answer. According to ESPN Research, this is the first time any five Michigan players (starters or bench) have scored 10-plus points in an NCAA tournament game in program history.
Will Michigan’s inexperience be a factor in the second round? The Wolverines face Notre Dame on Sunday. Michigan’s starting five — which includes freshmen Olivia Olson, Mila Holloway and Syla Swords — scored 100% of its points. Michigan’s freshmen account for 49.2% of their minutes played, the highest mark by any team in the tournament. Swords (11 points Friday) was held below her season average of 16.1 points, and scored one point in the fourth quarter, while Olson carried the load in the final frame (9 of her 16 points). — Courtney Cronin
Final: Ole Miss 83, Ball State 65
How did Ole Miss put the clamps on Ball State?: Ball State punched first, opening with a 7-0 run — but it was all Ole Miss from there. Madison Scott said the Rebels would take their defense and “put it in our suitcase” for the NCAA tournament, and that’s how they got their first-round win. After finishing third in the SEC in opponent scoring (behind league regular-season co-champions Texas and South Carolina), Ole Miss put consistent pressure on Ball State’s offense, rushing the Cardinals through nearly all of their offensive sets and shots and forcing Ball State into 24-of-61 shooting. After building a 14-point lead at halftime, the Rebels didn’t let up after the break, building their second-largest margin of victory in the program’s tournament history.
What it means for Ole Miss: The Rebels entered Selection Sunday confident they’d get a No. 4 seed and the opportunity to host first- and second-round matchups. When they got a 5-seed instead, coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin made their displeasure known. But heading into the first round, she said the Rebels “have to choose joy” — it seemed to give them an extra push Friday in what they hope is a deep run. They must maintain that same tenacity against Baylor. Kennedy Todd-Williams tallied her first double-double of the season (18 points, 11 rebounds) on Friday, and Starr Jacobs (14 points, 11 rebounds) added another for Ole Miss. — Kendra Andrews
Final: Louisville 63, Nebraska 58
How Louisville won: Sometimes seniors just aren’t ready to go home. That seemed to be the case with Louisville’s Jayda Curry. In the final two minutes of the game, Curry took two charges, hit a go-ahead midrange jumper and sank two free throws to put Louisville in position to pull out a win. She put her body on the line, fighting through a calf cramp and getting the wind knocked out of her by taking charges. It wasn’t pretty for Louisville, but that doesn’t matter. Survive and advance.
What’s next for Louisville? After losing in the first round last season, Louisville punched its ticket to Round 2. TCU and Hailey Van Lith await the Cardinals on Sunday. It’s the first time Louisville and Van Lith will play each other following her transfer from Louisville after the 2022-23 season (she played for LSU last season). The Big 12 champion will be a tough opponent with 6-foot-7 Sedona Prince inside and a formidable pair of guards in Madison Conner and Conference Player of the Year Van Lith. The Frogs haven’t lost at home all season, so this will be a big test for both squads with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line. — Katie Barnes
Final: Ohio State 71, Montana State 51
How did the Buckeyes pull away? Ohio State led Montana State by only five at the half, but a trio of 3-pointers from Chance Gray to start the third quarter gave the Buckeyes the spark they needed to get some breathing room. And more importantly, they got back to their defensive identity, forcing seven turnovers and holding the Bobcats to 10 points on 3-for-8 shooting in that frame. On the night, Montana State shot 3-for-13 against Ohio State’s trademark press, which forced 14 turnovers. The Bobcats love to turn over their opponents, too, but they ended up committing a season-high 26 turnovers. Still, it wasn’t complete domination for the Buckeyes, who outscored Montana State by only seven points across the first, second and fourth quarters, plus had some stretches where they struggled with turnovers. They will have to shoot better than 5-for-17 from 3 to go on a deep March run, but their plus-30 edge in the paint Friday helped plenty.
What it means for Ohio State: The version of the Buckeyes we got in the third quarter is the one that earned the right to host. It was a good sign that Jaloni Cambridge and Cotie McMahon looked fine after getting banged up in the Big Ten semifinals. Cambridge, a freshman, didn’t look like she had too many March Madness jitters, becoming the third Ohio State player since 1999-2000 with at least 10 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in an NCAA tournament game. The Buckeyes would benefit moving forward if Taylor Thierry and Gray can continue their strong play: Thierry overcame early foul trouble to finish with 16 points on 8-for-13 shooting, while Gray hit all five of Ohio State’s 3-pointers.
Overall, each of Ohio State’s starters finishing in double figures is a good sign of what can happen when it plays balanced basketball. The Buckeyes will face the winner of No. 5 seed Tennessee and No. 12 seed USF and look to make sure they don’t end their season at home in the second round like they did in 2024, when they were upset by Duke. The good news: Kevin McGuff’s squad is 16-0 at the Schottenstein Center this season. — Alexa Philippou
Final: Baylor 73, Grand Canyon 60
How did Baylor hold off Grand Canyon? The Western Athletic Conference champion Lopes came into their first NCAA tournament game on a 30-game winning streak and gave the Bears all they could handle before Baylor was able to pull away in the fourth quarter. Credit the Bears’ defense — the Lopes scored just 3 points in the final five minutes — and center Aaronette Vonleh. A transfer who helped Colorado reach the Sweet 16 the past two seasons, Vonleh led Baylor with 25 points and 11 rebounds, while guard Jada Walker had 17 points and 4 assists. Baylor guard/forward Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who was averaging 14.3 PPG and 10.5 RPG when she went out on Feb. 15 with a knee injury, returned to action Friday and had 2 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks.
What it means for Baylor: The Bears made the Sweet 16 last season, falling in that round to No. 1 seed USC. Baylor is now 28-7, and having Littlepage-Buggs back is sure to make the Bears more confident for the second round.
What’s next for Grand Canyon? It’s no secret that Lopes coach Molly Miller is considered a strong prospect for an open major-conference job because of the success she has had, first at Division II Drury and for the past five years at Grand Canyon, where she has produced four 20-win seasons. Her 32-3 record this season improved her résumé even more, so we’ll see if she’s staying put or ready to move on. — Michael Voepel
Final: Kansas State 85, Fairfield 41
Does Kansas State have the chops to make a deep run? Things definitely seem rosy following a blowout win over the Stags that became progressively lopsided as the game went on. But a few things should be taken into consideration — namely, the massive size advantage that the 5-seed Wildcats enjoyed. But that type of roster could give plenty of teams problems. Kansas State’s Ayoka Lee, listed at 6-foot-6, is a sturdy presence in the middle who will challenge teams that have shaky post play. Lee finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds. But senior guard Serena Sundell shouldn’t be overlooked, either. The team’s second-leading scorer during the season had 18 points and nine assists against the overmatched Stags. At 6-2, she showed the ability to score from the outside and also back down smaller guards. Kansas State didn’t have a sterling regular season and was 6-5 in its previous 11 games, struggling when Lee was sidelined with injury. But the team can give anyone problems when it plays well.
What it means for Kansas State: Speaking of teams with questionable post play, that was something Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks complained about in the first game on Friday in Lexington. Kansas State should be in a prime position to exploit that matchup given how the Wildcats looked against Fairfield. If Kansas State’s backcourt can find a way to clamp Kentucky star guard Georgia Amoore (easier said than done), it will have a great shot at making a trip to the Sweet 16. — Ben Baby
Final: Indiana 76, Utah 68
How did Indiana win despite struggling from 3-point range? The Hoosiers came into the game averaging 7.9 3-pointers per game but made just five of 17 (29.4%) from long range. But they did everything else well offensively. Indiana shot 72.7% from 2-point range (24-of-33) and 86.7% from the line (13-of-15). And defensively, although Utah made nine 3-pointers, the Utes shot just 28.1% from behind the arc. Led by fifth-year guard Chloe Moore-McNeil, the Hoosiers’ defense made the Utes work hard for everything they got. While the first half was even, the Hoosiers outscored the Utes 27-16 in the third quarter and then held on to the lead. Five Hoosiers scored in double figures, led by Yarden Garzon‘s 17 points.
What it means for Indiana: The Hoosiers lost their best player from last year’s Sweet 16 team as forward Mackenzie Holmes graduated and was drafted into the WNBA. But they’ve still hit the 20-win mark for the 10th season in a row. Unless there is a major upset, they will face No. 1 seed and host South Carolina in the second round. These teams met in the regional semifinals in Albany, New York, last year, when the Hoosiers gave the eventual national champions one of their toughest battles of the tournament. South Carolina won 79-75 in a game that wasn’t decided until the final seconds. — Michael Voepel
