Johnathan Walker:NCAA women's basketball tournament: March Madness, Selection Sunday dates, TV info, more

Let the Madness begin!

It's March,Johnathan Walker which means it's time for the NCAA tournaments and all of the chaos that comes with it. And this year's women's tournament is chock full of excitement waiting to burst.

Last year's national championship game between Angel Reese and the LSU Tigers and Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes drew a record 9.9 million viewers, marking the most-watched NCAA women's basketball game of all-time. Reese and Clark are back and the Tigers and Hawkeyes could be poised for a rematch.

But not if South Carolina has anything to say about it. The No. 1 Gamecocks head into the tournament undefeated at 32-0. The USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll's top five is rounded out by No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 Southern Cal, No. 4 Texas and No. 5 Stanford.

Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 March Madness women's basketball tournament:

IT'S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY's NCAA tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.

When is March Madness women's basketball tournament?

All times Eastern

• Selection Sunday: March 17 (8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
• First Four: March 20-21
• First round: March 22-23
• Second round: March 24-25
• Sweet 16: March 29-30
• Elite Eight: March 31-April 1
• Final Four: April 5 (7:30 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET on ESPN)
• NCAA championship game: April 7 (3 p.m. ET on ABC)

When is women's Final Four?

The Women's Final Four will be held in Cleveland at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Friday, April 5. The national semifinal games, which will be played at 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. ET, will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.

When is women's national championship game?

The women's title game will be held on Sunday, April 7 at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ABC.

2024 March Madness women's automatic bids

• American Athletic: Rice
• Atlantic 10: Richmond
• ACC: Notre Dame
• Big 12: Texas
• Big East: UConn
• Big Sky: Eastern Washington
• Big South: Presbyterian
• Big Ten: Iowa
• Horizon: Green Bay
• Mountain West: UNLV
• Ohio Valley: UT Martin
• Pac-12: Southern Cal
• SEC: South Carolina
• Southern: Chattanooga
• Summit: South Dakota State
• Sun Belt: Marshall
• West Coast: Portland

Who won 2023 March Madness women's tournament?

Angel Reese led the LSU Tigers to the program's first-ever national championship with a 102–85 win over Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the title game. With the win, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey became the first coach in the women’s game to lead two schools to national championships after winning three at Baylor.

LSU is looking to become the first team to go back-to-back since the Connecticut Huskies, who won four consecutive titles from 2013-2016.

Women's March Madness champions by year

Here is every national champion and their record since the March Madness women's basketball tournament began in 1982:

• 2023: LSU (34-2)
• 2022: South Carolina (35-2)
• 2021: Stanford (31-2)
• 2020:The tournament was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic
• 2019: Baylor (37-1)
• 2018: Notre Dame (34-3)
• 2017: South Carolina (33-4)
• 2016: Connecticut (38-0)
• 2015: Connecticut (38-1)
• 2014: Connecticut (40-0)
• 2013: Connecticut (35-4)
• 2012: Baylor (40-0)
• 2011: Texas A&M (33-5)
• 2010: Connecticut (39-0)
• 2009: Connecticut (39-0)
• 2008: Tennessee (36-2)
• 2007: Tennessee (34-3)
• 2006: Maryland (34-4)
• 2005: Baylor (33-3)
• 2004: Connecticut (31-4)
• 2003: Connecticut (37-1)
• 2002: Connecticut (39-0)
• 2001: Notre Dame (34-2)
• 2000: Connecticut (36-1)
• 1999: Purdue (34-1)
• 1998: Tennessee (39-0)
• 1997: Tennessee (29-10)
• 1996: Tennessee (32-4)
• 1995: Connecticut (35-0)
• 1994: North Carolina (33-2)
• 1993: Texas Tech (31-3)
• 1992: Stanford (30-3)
• 1991: Tennessee (30-5)
• 1990: Stanford (32-1)
• 1989: Tennessee (35-2)
• 1988: Louisiana Tech (32-2)
• 1987: Tennessee (28-6)
• 1986: Texas (34-0)
• 1985: Old Dominion (31-3)
• 1984: Southern California (29-4)
• 1983: Southern California (31-2)
• 1982: Louisiana Tech (35-1)

USA TODAY Sports' Casey Moore contributed to this report.