Ncaa Women's Basketball Picks

Ncaa Women's Basketball Picks Rating: 5,5/10 2511 votes

Thirty-one NCAA Division I women's college basketball conferences will crown tournament champions from March 6 to 14. Who will earn the automatic NCAA tournament bid in each conference? ESPN.com's consensus picks are below, with leagues listed in the order that tickets will be punched. The 2020 women's NCAA tournament field will be unveiled on Selection Monday, March 15 (ESPN/ESPN App, 7 p.m. ET). Until then, stay up to date on the projected 64-team field with Bracketology. (Note: The Ivy League announced in November that it was canceling winter sports for 2020-21 due to coronavirus concerns.)

The best college basketball picks and predictions for Mar 08, 2021. Get our best NCAA basketball bets for today as well as news, scores, odds, & more! CBSSports.com's College Basketball expert picks provides daily picks for each game during the season.

Ohio Valley: March 6, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (Evansville, Indiana)

UT Martin: Senior Chelsea Perry ranks in the country's top 10 Division I scoring leaders (23.8 PPG) and hopes to lead the Skyhawks to their first OVC tournament title since 2014.

ACC: March 7, noon ET, ESPN2 (Greensboro, North Carolina)

NC State: A No. 1 NCAA tournament seed could come down to whether the Wolfpack or Louisville Cardinals win the ACC tournament title.

Southern: March 7, noon ET, ESPN+ (Asheville, North Carolina)

Mercer: After a down season in 2019-20, the Bears are back as a favorite in the SoCon, along with Samford.

SEC: March 7, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (Greenville, South Carolina)

South Carolina: With championships in five of the past six years, the SEC tournament has become the Gamecocks' domain.

Pac-12: March 7, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (Las Vegas)

Stanford: The Cardinal just won their first Pac-12 regular-season title since 2014, but Tara VanDerveer's teams have won three conference tournament crowns since then.

Sun Belt: March 8, 2 p.m. ET, ESPNU (Pensacola, Florida)

Troy: The Trojans, who have six players averaging double-figure scoring, are the slight favorite in a tournament that four teams could win.

Big East: March 8, 8 p.m. ET, FS1 (Uncasville, Connecticut)

UConn: In their first year back in the conference, the Huskies have a plus-35.3 average margin of victory against Big East foes.

Horizon: March 9, noon ET, ESPNU (campus sites/Indianapolis)

IUPUI: The Horizon's seeding formula has the Jaguars, who had the league's best winning percentage, as the fifth seed.

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Summit: March 9, 2 p.m. ET, ESPNU (Sioux Falls, South Dakota)

South Dakota: The Coyotes are the tournament favorite after injuries to two starters for league-leading South Dakota State, including the Summit's leading scorer, Myah Selland.

West Coast: March 9, 4 p.m. ET, ESPNU (Las Vegas)

Gonzaga: The Zags are the favorite to win their first WCC tournament title since 2018, but BYU looms as the only team in the conference to beat the Bulldogs this season.

Mountain West: March 10, TBD, CBSSN (Las Vegas)

Fresno State: The Cavinder twins -- sophomore guards Haley and Hanna who combine to average around 35.0 PPG -- are the top two scorers in the Mountain West.

American: March 11, 10 p.m. ET, ESPNU (Fort Worth, Texas)

South Florida: The balanced Bulls have a clearer path to a tournament title now that UConn has moved to the Big East.

America East: March 12, 5 p.m. ET, ESPNU (campus sites)

Maine: Since Amy Vachon took over as coach in 2017-18, the Black Bears have won three America East regular-season titles and two conference tournaments.

Big Sky: March 12, 2 p.m. ET (Boise, Idaho)

Idaho State: The Bengals have been the Big Sky front-runner for most of the season, but Idaho, Montana and Montana State are also contenders.

MAAC: March 13, 11 a.m. ET, ESPNews (Atlantic City, New Jersey)

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Marist: From 2006 to 2014, the Red Foxes won nine MAAC tournament championships. They haven't won one since.

Mid-American: March 13, 11 a.m. ET, CBSSN (Cleveland)

Ohio: The MAC is wide open, but the Bobcats' Cece Hooks, the conference's leading scorer, has been playing her best basketball down the stretch.

MEAC: March 13, TBD, ESPN3 (campus sites/Norfolk, Virginia)

North Carolina A&T: The Aggies have the highest-scoring offense and stingiest defense in the MEAC.

SWAC: March 13, 1:30 p.m. ET, ESPN3 (Birmingham, Alabama)

Jackson State: The Tigers have two of the top three scorers in the SWAC in seniors Dayzsha Rogan and Ameshya Williams.

Big Ten: March 13, 2 p.m. ET, ESPNU (Indianapolis)

Maryland: The Terps have simply been outscoring the rest of the Big Ten, a trend that should continue in Indianapolis.

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Western Athletic: March 13, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (Las Vegas)

Utah Valley: California Baptist has dominated the WAC during the regular season, but is still in its Division I transitional period and not eligible for the NCAA tournament. The Lancers are being allowed to compete in the league tournament, and are the heavy favorite, but Utah Valley is the most likely team to represent the WAC in the NCAA field. The league is awarding the automatic bid to the regular-season runner-up, which will be based on a formula that includes winning percentage and percentage of games played. Utah Valley and Grand Canyon are currently tied for second place in the standings, but the Wolverines are scheduled to play two more conference games than the Antelopes (against sixth-place Tarleton on Tuesday and Wednesday), giving Utah Valley the possible advantage in both winning percentage and games played. Grand Canyon has no more regular-season games.

Colonial: March 13, 5 p.m. ET (Elon, North Carolina)

Delaware: The Blue Hens haven't had a season this successful in the CAA since Elena Delle Donne's senior year.

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Conference USA: March 13, 6 p.m. ET, CBSSN (Frisco, Texas)

Middle Tennessee: The NCAA tournament would be a great showcase for Anastasia Hayes, the nation's leading scorer (27.8 PPG).

Big West: March 13, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN3 (Las Vegas)

UC Davis: The Aggies weren't able to play a game between Thanksgiving and mid-January -- due to either COVID-19 concerns with other programs or a December Yolo County health order that paused activities. But a near upset of Oregon and mostly dominant play against the rest of the Big West indicates they are the league's best team.

Atlantic 10: March 14, noon ET, ESPNU (Richmond, Virginia)

Dayton: The Flyers are hoping to duplicate their 2020 sweep of the regular-season and tournament titles in the A-10.

Big 12: March 14, 1 p.m. ET, ESPN2 (Kansas City, Missouri)

Baylor: That Iowa State loss seems like it was longer than five weeks ago. Baylor has dominated the Big 12 ever since -- just like it has in winning eight of the past nine Big 12 tournaments.

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Northeast: March 14, 2 p.m. ET, ESPNU (campus sites)

Mount St. Mary's: It's fairly wide open in the NEC, but a title for the Mountaineers would mean their first NCAA tournament appearance since 1995.

Southland: March 14, 2 p.m. ET (Katy, Texas)

Stephen F. Austin: The Ladyjacks have a top-20 NET rating and are second in the country behind only UConn in average margin of victory.

Atlantic Sun: March 14, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (Kennesaw, Georgia)

Florida Gulf Coast: The Eagles continue to dominate the Atlantic Sun by making the most 3-pointers per game (11.7) of any team in the country.

Big South: March 14, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (campus sites)

High Point: First-year head coach Chelsea Banbury was an assistant on six Florida Gulf Coast NCAA tournament teams.

Missouri Valley: March 14, 3 p.m. ET, ESPN+ (Moline, Illinois)

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Missouri State: If the Lady Bears' regular-season dominance in the MVC carries over into March Madness, they could challenge for a top-16 NCAA tournament seed.

Patriot: March 14, TBD, CBSSN (campus sites)

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Bucknell: The Bison are in pursuit of their third straight Patriot League regular-season title and second tournament championship in a row.

The 2020-21 women's college basketball season is scheduled to tip off Nov. 25. As the countdown continues, ESPN breaks down the national picture, the highest-profile leagues and the top stars around the country to get you ready for the season. The South Carolina Gamecocks, who topped the polls when last season came to an end, open 2020-21 at No. 1. The Baylor Lady Bears, who won the 2019 NCAA title, are the reigning national champions.

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National rankings, predictions and other coverage

  • Final Four picks, player of the year predictions, biggest storylines

  • Ranking the top 25 players in women's college basketball

  • Baylor sits at No. 1 in combined men's and women's college basketball rankings

  • Which players and teams will make the biggest jumps in 2020-21?

  • South Carolina, Stanford 1-2 in Way-Too-Early Top 25

  • 2021 recruiting class rankings:Even with Fudd, UConn trails South Carolina

Conference previews and predictions

  • SEC predictions: Can anyone challenge No. 1 South Carolina?

  • ACC predictions: Are Louisville and NC State NCAA title contenders?

  • Pac-12 predictions/roundtable: Stanford is top team in 'superpower' league

  • Mid-major predictions/roundtable: Gonzaga, MAC race will dominate

  • Big East predictions/roundtable: UConn returns, resumes role as top dog

  • Big 12 predictions/roundtable: Baylor reloads, Texas closes gap

  • Big Ten predictions/roundtable: Indiana, Maryland, Northwestern on top

New faces in new places

  • Hays: Newcomer impact rankings -- Which freshmen, transfers will most influence the season?

  • Women's college basketball coaching changes

  • Hays: Duke's Kara Lawson represents new generation of coaches

Coronavirus pandemic-related news and features

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  • What the Ivy League's cancellations mean for college basketball in 2020-21

  • South Carolina, others announce modified attendance plans for 2020-21

  • Bracketology: What Creme, Lunardi expect from odd 2020-21 season

  • FAQ: Crowded rosters, recruiting uncertainty and extended eligibility

  • Nonconference schedules on hold as programs plan around pandemic