The first game of the 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament was full of excitement. The No. 8 seed North Carolina had a 12-point lead over No. 9 seed Michigan State with less than four minutes to play. However, UNC then committed turnovers, missed free throws, and allowed the Spartans to cut the lead to 1 with only eight seconds remaining. UNC still advanced, but the close ending may be a sign of what’s to come in the tournament. Upsets could be plentiful with wild finishes and timely shooting.
Just like during the conference tournaments, we will keep you updated on the most important developments during the first and second rounds. Here’s a recap of Friday’s first-round games:
LSU’s Hailey Van Lith made a prediction about a potential matchup between her old school and Louisville in the second round. However, Middle Tennessee upset Louisville in a close game. This unexpected victory tied for the fourth-largest comeback in women’s NCAA Tournament history.
“Middle Tennessee is gonna whoop they ass”- Hailey Van Lith pic.twitter.com/xnxDAilpQE
— No Context Louisville Cardinals (@CardsOOC) March 18, 2024
Questions are now being raised about what went wrong for Louisville and what’s next for the team after their streak of tournament successes was broken.
GO DEEPER
No. 11 Middle Tennessee knocks off Louisville women
Following their disappointing exit, changes are expected in Louisville’s roster for the next season. Coach Jeff Walz is focused on improvements and is determined to lead the team to better results.