LSU Women’s Basketball will be a No. 3 seed in March Madness, will face Hawaii in first round

On Sunday Night, the Women’s College Basketball NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed, and LSU was given a No. 3 seed.

The Tigers will face Hawaii Rainbow Warriors in the first round at the PMAC on Friday, March 17. The time of that game is to be determined.

The Tigers will also host their next game at the PMAC if they are to win their opening matchup. They will play the winner of the No.6 seed Michigan Wolverines and the No. 11 UNLV Rebels.

LSU is in the Greenville No. 2 regional division, meaning if the Tigers make it through the first two rounds, they will play their Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight matchups in Greenville, South Carolina. In the past, there were four regional sites, but this season, there are only two.

The No. 1 seed in LSU’s quadrant of the tournament are the Indiana Hoosiers, who will be the biggest threat to LSU in reaching the Final Four. The No. 2 seed is the Utah Utes. 

If the Tigers were to win their second-round matchup, they would likely face Utah or the No. 7 seed NC State Wolfpack. But in March, anything can happen, so No. 15 Gardner-Webb, who plays Utah in the opening round, or No. 10 Princeton, who plays NC State in the opening round, is also a possibility.

Villanova is the No. 4 seed in the Greenville No. 2 quadrant of the NCAA Tournament. They play No. 13 Cleveland State in their opening-round matchup and could be a possible threat to LSU if the Tigers make it past the Sweet 16. 

The Tigers expected higher than a No. 3 seed for most of the season, but a loss to Tennessee in the SEC Tournament bumped their stock down. LSU was a No. 3 seed last season, and was presented with a challenge in No. 14 Jackson State in their opening matchup. 

Therefore, underestimating Hawaii would be a mistake. The Rainbow Warriors, the winners of the Big West Conference, are coming off a conference championship. So the momentum they have can be dangerous. 

But LSU playing in the PMAC is an advantage, as the fan turnout has been a swing factor in some games this season. Coach Mulkey and her team expects the fans to be loud for the biggest stage they’ve been on all season, as they will start their NCAA Tournament run on Friday.