Across the 2025 women’s March Madness bracket, there are potential Cinderella teams lurking, waiting, hoping they can pull off an NCAA Tournament run. But which teams have the best chance at doing so? Which underdogs should we watch closely?
To help you answer that, here are seven potential Cinderella teams our USA TODAY Sports Network experts are keeping their eyes on.
Stream women’s NCAA Tournament games on Fubo
Women’s March Madness Cinderella picks
No. 13 Grand Canyon
It’ll be tough sledding for the Lopes (32-2) but they are an experienced group, and Molly Miller is one of the top up-and-coming coaches. — Maxwell Donaldson, Gadsden Times
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What coach Molly Miller has done with the program is remarkable. Trinity San Antonio and Alyssa Durazo-Frescas are some dangerous shooters. — Jenna Ortiz, Arizona Republic
No. 12 Green Bay
The Phoenix (29-6) are undersized, but they’re a veteran team and they play great defense. Those are two qualities that cannot be overstated in March. — Nancy Armour, USA TODAY
No. 10 Harvard
The Crimson won the deepest Ivy League yet – the conference got three teams into the NCAA Tournament – and Harmoni Turner would be in the National Player of the Year conversation if she played for any Power Four team. — Cory Diaz, The Daily Advertiser
No. 7 Vanderbilt
Mikayla Blakes is a certified bucket-getter and mixed with Khamil Pierre, Vanderbilt will put up a bunch of points en route to the Sweet 16. — Jordan Mendoza, USA TODAY
No. 6 Florida State
The Seminoles (23-8) will make a run to the Sweet 16. Ta’Niya Latson is the top scorer in the nation (24.9 points per game) and is a key piece to FSU having the second highest-scoring offense in the country (87.2 ppg). If the bracket stands, FSU will meet a hobbled LSU in the second round. — Cydney Henderson, USA TODAY
Ta’Niya Latson is one of the best – and most clutch – players in the country, and she’s capable of leading Florida State to an upset of LSU to reach the Sweet 16. — Cora Hall, Knoxville News Sentinel
No. 6 Michigan
This team’s spectacular freshman class led by Syla Swords, Olivia Olson and Mila Holloway lack experience, but make up for it in talent. Michigan (22-10) was extremely competitive a deep Big Ten conference. Watch out for the Wolverines. — Mike Sykes, For The Win
The Wolverines started the season giving South Carolina a difficult time, and even though it’s a young team, it is high-powered enough to make a deep run especially with coach Kim Barnes Arico. Syla Swords is a dynamic scorer who can shake up a lot of defenses and might give Notre Dame issues. — Lulu Kesin, Greenville News
No. 5 Tennessee
Kim Caldwell’s Lady Vols (22-9) showed they could beat top-ranked talent when they took down UConn. If they have any magic left after several disappointing losses, now is the time to pull it out. I think they make it to the Sweet 16. — Meghan Hall, For The Win
Women’s March Madness schedule
- First Four: March 19-20
- First round: March 21-22
- Second round: March 23-24
- Sweet 16: March 28-29
- Elite Eight: March 30-31
- Final Four: Friday, April 4 (both semifinals; first game begins at 7 p.m. ET)
- NCAA championship: Sunday, April 6 (Game scheduled for 3 p.m. ET)
Where to watch Women’s March Madness
All games will be televised on the ESPN family of networks, which includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews. Games can be streamed on Fubo, which is offering a free trial to new subscribers.
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