- The Washington Times - Wednesday, March 20, 2024

After a down season, Maryland enters the NCAA Women’s Tournament hoping to find another deep run in its 14th consecutive trip to the Big Dance. In a tournament with stars like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and LSU’s Angel Reese, the Terrapins have a tough potential road to the Final Four.

The No. 10 seed Terrapins open against No. 7 seed Iowa State Cyclones on Friday in Portland, Oregon, in their first-round matchup.

Maryland enters this weekend with momentum after a strong showing in the Big Ten Tournament. The team, which failed to record a ranked win throughout the season, earned its most prestigious victory of the season in a 21-point blowout of Ohio State.

Maryland fell to Nebraska in the semifinals, but not before gaining some much-needed momentum after finishing the regular season with a 19-13 record.

The Terrapins squeezed into the tournament as a No. 10 seed as one of the last at-large bids available.

“I’m very confident in this team and I’m very excited to see what we can do,” Maryland forward Faith Masonius said after the loss to Nebraska.

The perenially-contending Terrapins are not used to playing tournament spoilers. This is the first time since 2005 that the Terrapins are lower than a No. 5 seed.

Under coach Brenda Frese, the Terrapins have won at least one NCAA Tournament game in each of their 18 appearances. With a win against Iowa State, Maryland would play Sunday against the winner of Friday’s game between No. 2 Stanford and No. 15 Norfolk State.

Though no other teams from Maryland earned a ticket to the Big Dance, three Virginia squads will have a chance to cut down the nets.

Virginia Tech, which made a Final Four run last season, enters the tournament as a No. 4 seed. The Hokies, who could take the floor without injured ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, open their tournament run against No. 13 Marshall on Friday.

Richmond punched its ticket to the tournament after winning the Atlantic 10 Tournament for the first time. They earned a No. 10 seed and will face Duke in their first-round game.

Norfolk State is an extreme underdog in their game against Stanford as the Cardinal are favored by 35.5 points.

This year’s tournament is overflowing with star power and high-level competition. Players like Iowa’s Clark, LSU’s Reese and UConn’s Paige Bueckers have become household names this season.

Beyond individual stars, one team towers above the rest entering this year’s March Madness. South Carolina seems inevitable, at least according to sportsbooks. BetMGM sees the 32-0 Gamecocks as clear favorites, boasting -145 odds.

The sport’s top-tier stars have led to an increased spotlight on the women’s game, as sportsbooks say they’ve seen a 190 percent increase in bets on women’s games. Experts thank Clark for bringing a national spotlight to the sport.

“We saw the momentum slowly build toward the end of the regular season last year and then into the tournament,” said Grant Tucker, head of college basketball trading for Caesars Sportsbook. “Obviously, Iowa had that great run all the way to the final. So as the tournament went along, the betting increased. [Clark’s] superstardom grew.”

Iowa hosts the second-shortest odds to win this year’s title, ahead of fellow No. 1 seed Texas and defending champion LSU.

“When you have Caitlin Clark playing, the longer the Iowa Hawkeyes survive, the more interest there will be,” Sheldon Jacobson, operator of the sports betting site BracketOdds, said. “She’s become a rock star among the women’s basketball players, and that’s great for the game. It’s great for the sport, and I hope it continues.”

The women’s tournament begins in earnest with 32 first-round games on Friday and Saturday.

The article is based in part on wire service reports.

• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.

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