womens march madness flipped the script Saturday with the tournament’s first true upset as Virginia rallied past Georgia in overtime in Iowa City. The NCAA women’s tournament also saw dominant wins from South Carolina, UConn, and UCLA as the first round wrapped up. Monday’s second-round slate now comes into sharper focus, with Virginia set to face Iowa and multiple top programs advancing without drama.
Virginia delivers the day’s defining upset in Iowa City heat
Virginia, the No. 10 seed, erased a late deficit and stunned No. 7 Georgia in overtime, 82-73, on Saturday in Iowa City. The game unfolded inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena on what was described as a ridiculously hot day, with the building not equipped with air conditioning; temperatures on the floor reached the mid-80s.
The Cavaliers forced overtime after Romi Levy drilled a banked 3-pointer to tie the game. Virginia then finished the job in the extra period, turning the outcome into the first true upset of this March on the women’s side and sending the Cavaliers into the second round.
The result also shredded bracket perfection. After about 30% of users tracked in one large bracket pool made it through the second day without a miss, Virginia’s win dropped that figure to 0. 7%.
Womens March Madness top seeds cruise while Iowa survives a scare
Saturday’s broader picture stayed chalk-heavy even with Virginia’s breakthrough upset. South Carolina opened with a program statement: a 103-34 win over No. 16 Southern, marking the Gamecocks’ largest margin of victory in NCAA tournament history. The 69-point differential ranked among the largest in tournament history, with only six other women’s tournament games featuring a bigger gap.
South Carolina led by 25 at halftime, then blew the game open by outscoring Southern 32-2 in the third quarter. The win pushes the Gamecocks into a second-round meeting with USC on Monday.
Other top seeds followed a similar script. UConn beat UT-San Antonio 90-52 and advances to face Syracuse in the second round. UCLA closed the nightcap by routing Cal Baptist 96-43. Vanderbilt, a No. 2 seed, also rolled with a 102-61 win over High Point.
Iowa, however, faced real pressure. The Hawkeyes escaped No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson 58-48 after scoring only seven points in the second quarter and eight in the third. Iowa still advanced thanks in part to 29 points and seven rebounds from Ava Heiden. The win mattered historically as well: No. 15 seeds in the women’s tournament have never won a single game.
A buzzer-beater that didn’t count keeps USC alive
In one of the day’s most dramatic moments, Clemson nearly produced what would have been the first true buzzer-beater of the women’s tournament. Mia Moore hit a 3-pointer at the end of regulation that appeared to be the winner for No. 8 Clemson over No. 9 USC, but the shot did not count because she did not release the ball in time.
That narrow timing call kept USC alive, and the Trojans used the reprieve to secure a 71-67 win and move on to the second round.
What’s next Monday as womens march madness shifts to Round 2
Monday brings immediate high-stakes matchups for teams that survived the first weekend’s pressure. Virginia now faces No. 2 Iowa with a spot in the Sweet 16 on the line. South Carolina meets USC, while UConn draws Syracuse as the bracket tightens and the margins shrink.
After a first round defined by blowouts, one overtime upset, and a buzzer-beater ruled a fraction late, womens march madness now turns to the second round with momentum building and bracket certainty already in short supply.
