Another Cinderella story is back in this year’s March Madness. Since the NCAA women’s basketball tournament expanded to 68 teams three years ago, no first four teams have made it past the second round.
The only team that was close to advancing was Mississippi State who fell to Notre Dame in 2023. From there on, the tournament did not have major upsets until this season’s tournament a sneaky Virginia Cavaliers team is now the only first four team to advance to the round of 16.
Virginia (22-11) is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2018 establishing a new era and postseason success. The Cavaliers are playing with their hearts and leaving everything on the floor. The team has continued to fight through adversity and prove that they have what it takes to be the best.
Some things I like about Virginia squad is this team never quits and is playing with confidence that they are capable of winning. All of the Cavaliers tournament games have been close, but it is them that finish strong at the end.
Virginia survived a close game against Arizona State in the first four, then the Cavaliers fought back and forth with seven seed Georgia into overtime and finally upset the host Iowa in double overtime.
This is the second time that the Hawkeyes as host have become victims to the double-digit seed upset in the tournament. The last time was in 2022 when Creighton embarrassed Caitlin Clark in front of a sold-out crowd.
Iowa is cursed when they are hosting the tournament and facing a double-digit seed that ends up becoming successful during March Madness. The Hawkeyes were playing better than last season and were expected to do well in the tournament. I did not think Iowa would lose the game, but it already happened.
The Cavaliers’ advantages of keeping the game close and versatility is what makes the team different from the field. Virginia is also one of the best defensive teams that consists of big lineups in their region. The team is second in the country in blocks per game and are efficient on the offensive end.
The defense from this team is what I think is helping them play well in postseason play and the players are feeling more motivated. When Virginia is not getting blocks or getting into foul trouble, the team is not playing to their best ability and can affect the group to struggle.
Virginia’s minimal experience in postseason play has kept them moving in the tournament. Coach Mox led Missouri State to back-to-back tournaments and Sa ’Myah Smith won a national title with LSU during her freshman year. Other players on the roster have either appeared in the first round or are playing their first game in their career.
The lack of postseason experience in this team could be a benefactor to how they compete in the rest of the tournament against teams that have played in the last five seasons. No matter how the Cavaliers perform they have the opportunity to finish the season on a positive note.
As March Madness continues into Friday, Virginia has the chance of a lifetime to embark on a new journey towards winning a national champion. I predict the Cavaliers will be challenged against TCU who can match the team’s big lineup.
If the team could survive the Frogs into the Elite Eight, it would be surprising to see them play since the Bluejays did it three years ago. Virginia has great things coming for them in a couple of days so let’s see how the Cavaliers handle their business on the biggest stage.
