The opening round of the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament already has flipped brackets upside down, and the second round of March Madness could do the same.
If calm is what fans came for this postseason, several teams didn’t get that memo. In the first round alone, there were two 10-seed teams, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the Oregon Ducks, who upset their opponents, and several programs, like the Kentucky Wildcats, who skated ― on very thin ice ― into the next matchup. Moreover, several stars, including USC phenom JuJu Watkins, walked away with more injuries.
The competition gets more challenging as the NCAA Tournament rolls into the second round, which means some teams will inevitably go home with stunning losses. Here’s some of the top teams who could pull off an upset as the second round of the bracket begins:
Women’s March Madness upset predictions: NCAA Tournament second-round surprise teams
Based on outcomes from the first round, here are the best teams to pull off an upset during second-round games at the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament.
No. 5 Kansas State over No. 4 Kentucky
The Kansas State Wildcats taking down the Kentucky Wildcats likely won’t be that shocking after Kentucky’s shaky first-round debut. The No. 4 seed Wildcats barely escaped against the 13th-seeded Liberty Lady Flames after giving up a 23-6 run, which should worry head coach Kenny Brooks. Kansas State brings a much more complex setup, and stopping center Ayoka Lee and guard Serena Sundell won’t be easy. Lee averages 15.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per matchup. Sundell is also productive, with 13.7 points and 7.1 assists a game. Her most dangerous asset is versatility, often switching from the guard position to forward throughout the game.
No. 5 Mississippi over No. 4 Baylor
After a very slow start against the No. 12 seed Ball State Cardinals during the first round, the No. 5 seed Ole Miss Rebels pulled away in the second half, securing an 83-65 win. Ole Miss had significant contributions from guard Kennedy Todd-Williams and forward Starr Jacobs, who had double-doubles. The Rebels move on to face No. 4 seed Baylor, which also struggled in the first half in its matchup against 13th-seeded Grand Canyon, but eventually won on its home floor, 73-60. Ole Miss’s defense makes this matchup particularly intriguing and ripe for an upset. On average, the Rebels force 20.8 turnovers a game, good for 19th in the country, and are ranked 52nd nationwide as a stingy scoring defense.
No. 6 Iowa over No. 3 Oklahoma
The Iowa Hawkeyes are reasonably young but have a lot of fire under head coach Jan Jensen. Jensen has found a way to pull off some impressive wins throughout Iowa’s regular season that shouldn’t go unnoticed, including upsetting JuJu Watkins and the USC Trojans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in February. Behind gutsy performances from senior guard Lucy Olsen and several other players such as guard Sydney Affolter and center Ava Heiden, the Hawkeyes also pulled off impressive wins during the Big Ten tournament. They notched a decisive 92-57 victory during first-round play over the No. 11 seed Murray State Racers. If Iowa can slow the Sooners’ star center, Raegan Beers, Oklahoma is in trouble.
No. 5 Tennessee over No. 4 Ohio State
The Buckeyes have plenty of scoring options, in forwards Cotie McMahon and Ajae Petty, plus freshman star guard Jaloni Cambridge, who has one of the quickest first steps in the game and averages 15.3 points on 43 percent shooting. However, the Volunteers also have plenty of depth. On Friday, in a 40-point blowout win over 12th-seeded South Florida, team-leading scorer Talaysia Cooper had 20 points, guard Samara Spencer added 15, forward Zee Spearman added 13 and guard Jewel Spear had 11. If Tennessee can overcome its late-season inconsistency, it can send Ohio State home for the second consecutive year in the Round of 32 and become an unexpected Cinderella story.
