Sportskeeda’s March Madness 2025 Women's First-Round Predictions: Winners & Upsets

The 2025 Women's NCAA Tournament has the makings of a classic with several teams capable of winning the national title. The bracket for the four regional tournaments was revealed on Sunday with tons of surprises in the trenches.

One can bet on a tricky but exciting three weeks that will begin in the First Four and end with the national final at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. Let's take a closer look into what would be the likely scenarios in the First Four and the first round of Women's March Madness 2025:

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Sportskeeda’s March Madness 2025 First-Round Predictions – Women's Brackets

First Four

The Women's March Madness starts on Wednesday with the First Four. Eleven-seeds Iowa State and Princeton square off for the chance to take on No. 6 seed Michigan in the first round of the Birmingham Regional 3 Tournament. Then, 16-seeds UC San Diego and Southern battle for an opportunity to face No. 1 seed UCLA in the Spokane Regional 1 Tournament.

The next day, 11-seeds Columbia and Washington collide for a chance to meet No. 6 seed West Virginia in the Birmingham Regional 2 Tournament. Meanwhile, 16-seeds High Point and William & Mary clash for the right to face No. 1 Texas in the Birmingham Regional 3.

Predictions

#11 Iowa State beats #11 Princeton 59-55

#16 Southern beats #16 UC San Diego 69-68

#11 Washington beats #11 Columbia 70-64

#16 High Point beats #16 William & Mary 68-53

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Women's March Madness 2025 First-Round Predictions winners and upsets

2025 Women's NCAA Tournament First Round

The first round of the 2025 Women's March Madness starts on March 21 and concludes on March 22. Thirty-two exciting women's basketball matches are lined up in the four regions, with the winners advancing to the next round.

With the predictions in the First Four in place, let's look at the likely outcomes in the first round of the NCAA Tournament:

Spokane Regional 1 Tournament

#1 UCLA beats #16 Southern 88-37

#9 Georgia Tech upsets #8 Richmond 55-49

#5 Ole Miss beats #12 Ball State 62-50

#4 Baylor beats #13 Grand Canyon 79-55

#6 Florida State beats #11 George Mason 85-57

#3 LSU beats #14 San Diego State 90-60

#7 Michigan State beats Harvard 72-61

#2 NC State beats #15 Vermont 94-40

Birmingham Regional 2 Tournament

#1 South Carolina beats #16 Tennessee Tech 90-39

#9 Indiana upsets #8 Utah 58-57

#5 Alabama beats #12 Green Bay 80-62

#4 Maryland beats #13 Norfolk State 69-48

#6 West Virginia upsets #11 Washington 61-50

#3 North Carolina beats #14 Oregon State 81-59

#7 Vanderbilt beats #10 Oregon 65-61

#2 Duke beats #15 Lehigh 90-55

Birmingham Regional 3 Tournament

#1 Texas beats #16 High Point 80-47

#8 Illinois beats #9 Creighton 68-65

#5 Tennessee beats #12 South Florida 74-46

#4 Ohio State beats #13 Montana State 81-58

#11 Iowa State upsets #6 Michigan 68-66

#3 Notre Dame beats #14 SF Austin 91-43

#10 Nebraska upsets #7 Louisville 65-64

#2 TCU beats #15 Fairleigh Dickinson 100-55

Spokane Regional 4 Tournament

#1 USC beats #16 UNC Greensboro 84-41

#9 Mississippi State upsets #8 California 75-67

#5 Kansas State beats #12 Fairfield 75-64

#4 Kentucky beats #13 Liberty 82-60

#6 Iowa beats #11 Murray State 80-68

#3 Oklahoma beats #14 FGCU 84-50

#7 Oklahoma State beats #10 South Dakota State 71-52

#2 UConn beats #15 Arkansas State 92-43

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Three 9-seeds to create first-round shockers

While the first four seeds in each bracket had stronger lineups and are expected to cruise in their opening-round assignments, the real madness comes within the mid-pack battles.

Three 9-seeds could create shock in the women's bracket, as Mississippi State, Indiana and Georgia Tech could pull off surprise wins over their higher-ranked foes and make the next round.

The Birmingham Regional 3 Tournament may likely be the region with the most upset wins with Iowa State and Nebraska spoiling some potential blockbuster clashes along the way.

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First-round betting insights and trends

The post-Caitlin Clark era of women's basketball has become more exciting with lots of potential superstars emerging. Rising stars like Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, Lauren Betts, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Hannah Hidalgo have taken center stage and carried their teams to a higher standing in the NCAA Tournament.

The betting lines have also become crazier than anyone could imagine. No. 2 seed UConn has edged No. 1 seeds South Carolina, UCLA, USC and Texas in its championship odds chart.

The Huskies are the top favorites going into the NCAA Tournament First Four and first round with a +275 odds of winning the national women's basketball title. UConn aims for its first title in nine years and 12th overall.

Defending champion South Carolina, who beat the Hawkeyes in the final last season to complete a 38-0 sweep, had the second-best odds at +325. Hannah Hidalgo and the 3-seed Notre Dame are in third at +550 while UCLA, USC and Texas are tied at +600.

LSU is a far seventh at +3000 while NC State (+5000), Kansas State (+6600) and Tenessee (+6600) round off the top 10. Ohio State, Duke and TCU are bubbling under the betting charts as they have the 11th-best odds at +8000 each.