NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament upsets

Last updated

This is a list of upsets by teams seeded 11 or higher that have occurred in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994. In 2022 it expanded to 68 teams.

Contents

First round

16 vs. 1

The first 16 seed ever to win a game in an NCAA Division I basketball tournament was Harvard in 1998 against Stanford. According to an Associated Press retrospective on the 10th anniversary of the game in 2008, "The difference between the teams was much smaller than usual for a No. 1 and a 16 seed." [1]

Harvard had two years of tournament experience and the nation's leading scorer that season in Allison Feaster. Stanford suffered two devastating injuries during the run-up to the tournament. First, Vanessa Nygaard tore an ACL in the Cardinal's final regular-season game against Oregon State. Because the extent of her injury was not known at the time the tournament field was selected, the Cardinal still received a 1 seed. Then, in the team's first practice after the tournament selection, leading scorer and rebounder Kristin Folkl also tore an ACL. [1]

YearWinnerLoserScore
1998HarvardStanford 71–67

15 vs. 2 and 14 vs. 3

Unlike the men's tournament, in which twenty-two (22) 14 seeds have won their opening games since that tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, no 14 seed has ever won a game in the women's tournament.

Ten (10) 15 seeds have won their opening games in the men's tournament since that tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, but no 15 seed has ever won a game in the women's tournament. The closest any 15 seed came to winning was in 2017, when Long Beach State lost 56–55 to Oregon State.

13 vs. 4

Seven 13 seeds have defeated 4 seeds in the first round.

By contrast, the men's tournament has seen 23 such upsets since 1994. Eight more occurred between 1985 and 1993, when the men's tournament featured 64 teams but the women's tournament had fewer entrants (32 in 1985, 40 from 1986 to 1988, and 48 from 1989 to 1993).

YearWinnerLoserScore
2021Wright StateArkansas66–62
2012MaristGeorgia76–70
2007MaristOhio State67–63
2005LibertyPenn State78–70
2004Middle TennesseeNorth Carolina67–62
2000RiceUC Santa Barbara67–64
1994Texas A&MFlorida78–76

12 vs. 5

There have been twenty-four (24) 12 seeds to defeat 5 seeds in the first round. The men's tournament has seen forty-four (44) such wins since 1994, with nine more taking place between 1985 and 1993.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2022BelmontOregon73–70 (2OT)
Florida Gulf CoastVirginia Tech84–81
2021BelmontGonzaga64–59
2018Florida Gulf CoastMissouri80–70
2017QuinnipiacMarquette68–65
2016South Dakota StateMiami (FL)74–71
AlbanyFlorida61–59
2014BYUNC State72–57
2013KansasColorado67–52
2010Green BayVirginia69–67
2009Ball StateTennessee71–55
GonzagaXavier75–59
2006TulsaNC State71–61
2005Middle TennesseeNC State60–58
2004MarylandMiami (FL)86–85
2002Mississippi StateBoston College65–59
UC Santa BarbaraLouisiana Tech57–56
2000SMUNC State64–63
1998Colorado StateDrake81–75
Youngstown StateMemphis91–80
1997MarquetteClemson70–66
1996Notre DamePurdue73–60
San FranciscoFlorida68–61
1995MontanaSan Diego State57–46
1994Western KentuckyRutgers84–73

11 vs. 6

Thirty-five 11 seeds have won their first-round games against 6 seeds. By contrast, 44 such upsets have occurred in the men's tournament since 1994, with 13 more occurring between 1985 and 1993.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2022PrincetonKentucky69–62
VillanovaBYU61–57
2021BYURutgers69–66
2019Missouri StateDePaul89–78
2018Central MichiganLSU78–69
BuffaloSouth Florida102–79
CreightonIowa76–70
2015GonzagaGeorge Washington82–69
Miami (FL)Washington86–80
Arkansas-Little RockTexas A&M69–60
2014FloridaDayton83–69
James MadisonGonzaga72–63
2012GonzagaRutgers86–73
KansasNebraska57–49
2011GonzagaIowa92–86
2010Arkansas–Little RockGeorgia Tech63–53
San Diego StateTexas74–63
2009Mississippi StateTexas71–63
2008Florida StateOhio State60–49
2007West VirginiaXavier65–52
2006HartfordTemple64–58
New MexicoFlorida83–59
TCUTexas A&M69–65
2004UC Santa BarbaraColorado76–49
2003Notre DameArizona59–47
2002BYUFlorida90–52
2001TCUPenn State77–75
2000Stephen F. AustinXavier73–72
UABOregon80–79 (OT)
1999Saint Joseph'sDuke83–72
SMUToledo91–76
1998UC Santa BarbaraVanderbilt76–71 (OT)
Virginia TechWisconsin75–64
1996Stephen F. AustinOregon State67–65
1995LouisvilleOregon67–65

Second round

16 seeds

Harvard, the only 16 seed to advance to the second round, lost to Arkansas in the second round. A 16 seed has never advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in either the men's or women's tournaments.

15 and 14 seeds

Unlike the men's tournament, in which three 15 seeds and two 14 seeds have won their second-round games since that tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, no 14 or 15 seed has ever won a game in that round.

13 seeds

Three 13 seeds have won their second-round games, compared to six in the men's tournament (five of which occurred since 1998). All three of the winning 13 seeds in the women's tournament defeated 5 seeds.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2007MaristMiddle Tennessee73–59
2005LibertyDePaul88–79
1994Texas A&MSan Diego State75–72 (OT)

12 seeds

Four 12 seeds have won their second-round games, as opposed to 15 in the men's tournament since 1994 and seven more from 1985 to 1993. All four 12 seeds to win at this stage of the women's tournament defeated 4 seeds.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2017QuinnipiacMiami (FL)85–78
2014BYUNebraska80–76
2013KansasSouth Carolina75–69
1996San FranciscoDuke64–60

11 seeds

A total of twelve 11 seeds have won their second-round games and advanced to the Sweet 16. This compares to 19 in the men's tournament since 1994, with seven more occurring between 1985 and 1993.

Since no 14 seed has ever advanced to this point in the women's tournament, all defeated teams were 3 seeds.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2019Missouri StateIowa State69–60
2018Central MichiganOhio State95–78
BuffaloFlorida State86–65
2015GonzagaOregon State76–65
2012GonzagaMiami (FL)65–54
KansasDelaware70–64
2011GonzagaUCLA89–75
2010San Diego StateWest Virginia64–55
2004UC Santa BarbaraHouston56–52
2003Notre DameKansas State59–53
2002BYUIowa State75–69
2000UABMississippi State78–72
1996Stephen F. AustinClemson93–88 (OT)

Sweet Sixteen

15, 14, and 13 seeds

No 15 seed has ever won in the Sweet 16, compared to the men's tournament in which only one 15 seed, Saint Peter's, advanced to the Elite Eight. To date, no 14 or 13 seed, in either the men's or women's tournament, has advanced to the regional finals.

12 seeds

Unlike the men's tournament, in which two 12 seeds won its Sweet 16 game since 1985, no 12 seed has ever won a game in this round in the women's tournament.

Both 12 seeds defeated 8 seeds in the men's tournament. However, all four 12 seeds met 1 seeds on the women's side. No 12 seeds has ever defeated a 1 in either the men's or women's tournament in this roudn.

11 seeds

Only one team seeded 11 or lower has won in the Sweet 16 and advanced to the Elite Eight—11 seed Gonzaga in 2011, who defeated 7 seed Louisville. By contrast, seven such teams have won at this stage in the men's tournament since 1994, with two more doing so from 1985 to 1993.

YearWinnerLoserScore
2011GonzagaLouisville76–69

Elite Eight

No team seeded 10 or lower has ever advanced to the Final Four; Gonzaga lost its 2011 regional final 83–60 to Stanford. Creighton lost their Elite Eight matchup to #1 South Carolina in 2022, 80-50. Oregon lost its regional final to UConn, 90–52, in 2017, as a 10 seed, and Lamar, also a 10 seed, lost their regional final in 1991. In the men's tournament, five 11 seeds and one 10 seed have advanced to the Final Four—10th seed Syracuse in 2016, and 11th seeds UCLA in 2021, Loyola-Chicago in 2018, VCU in 2011, George Mason in 2006, and LSU in 1986. The lowest seed to advance to the Final Four in the Women's Tournament is Arkansas, in 1998. The Razorbacks were a 9 seed that season.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 "No. 16 Harvard over No. 1 Stanford still resonates 10 years later". ESPN.com . Associated Press. March 18, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2013.