The No. 1-rankedUConn Huskiesare undefeated and the overwhelming betting favorite to win theWomen's NCAA Tournamentthis year.
But in recent history, more often than not, the No. 1 overall seeds, like the Huskies, doesn't end up winning it all in March Madness. Since 2017, the top seed has won the national championship three times: Baylor in 2019 and South Carolina in 2022 and 2024.
So if UConn gets upset and disrupts the sportsbooks, what other team in the field of 68 is most likely to win it all?
We present a few strong contenders.
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South Carolina
All 15 national champions since 2010 have ranked in the top 10 in Her Hoop Stats Rating, all but four have ranked in the top 30 in rebounding, and all but two ranked in the top 20 in effective field goal defense. Put more simply, the winner of the national title is typically efficient on both ends of the floor, strong on the glass and solid defensively.
South Carolina ranks fourth in HHS Rating, 15th in rebounding and sixth in EFG defense this season. The Gamecocks check all the boxes in terms of looking like a contender for the national championship.
The NCAA Tournament is often decided by the best coaches too, and few teams if any have one better than three-time national champ Dawn Staley. She'll have her team motivated for a deep run in March, especially after the Gamecocks were upset for the SEC Tournament title and lost to UConn in the national championship last season.
UCLA
The Bruins proved their worth in the deepest conference in the sport this season. The Big Ten got 12 bids into March Madness — more than any other league — and the Bruins went a perfect 18-0 in regular season conference play and bulldozed their way to the Big Ten Tournament title by beating Iowa by 51 points in the championship in Indianapolis.
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Cori Close is aiming to take UCLA to the Final Four for the second straight season. The Bruins led the nation in Quad 1 wins this year with 19 and had the best WAB (wins above bubble) rating in the country. UCLA also had the strongest non-conference strength of schedule and survived with one loss, to Texas in Las Vegas.
The Bruins are anchored by likely top-five WNBA draft pick Lauren Betts, who's surrounded by a trio of superb guards. Gianna Kneepkens is having a 50-40-90 season, and Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez are both flirting with those splits too. UCLA has all the looks of a team capable of contending for a national title.
Vanderbilt
The Commodores are equipped with the winners of the SEC's annual awards for Coach, Player and Freshman of the Year in Shea Ralph, Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan. Blakes leads the nation in scoring with 27 points per game, Galvan ranks 16th nationally in assists per game with 5.9, and Ralph has guided Vanderbilt to its most wins in a single season since 2007.
Vanderbilt has some impressive wins on its resume too, notching regular season victories over LSU, Michigan, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Texas. The Commodores couldn't seem to figure out how to beat Ole Miss — the Rebels beat Vanderbilt twice on neutral courts this season — but Vanderbilt has proven it's a real contender.
The Commodores' defense is a bit of a concern, but they're one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country and Blakes has looked unguardable at times. Vanderbilt could ride her playmaking to new heights in March Madness.
Duke
The Blue Devils entered this season as favorites in the ACC after making the Elite Eight last season, and then began their tough non-conference slate with a 3-6 record. While critics got loud, head coach Kara Lawson made a few tweaks to her rotation and Duke broke off a 17-game winning streak. The Blue Devils went on to win the ACC's regular season title and conference tournament and come into the NCAA Tournament looking like the most dangerous No. 3 seed.
Lawson — who is also the head coach of Team USA, which just went undefeated in a FIBA World Cup qualifying tournament in Puerto Rico — doesn't have a deep bench, but the seven players in her rotation are pretty good. Led by All-American Toby Fournier, who averages 17.3 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, Duke is one of the best defensive teams in the country, ranking fifth in defensive rating.
Elsewhere on the roster are five players who shoot north of 30% from 3-point land and two senior guards in Taina Mair and Ashlon Jackson who each average more than 11 points and four assists per game. When Duke forces their opponents into mistakes and to play the game on their terms, they're tough to beat.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Women's NCAA Tournament favorites not named UConn; UCLA leads list