This Sunday marked the end of the 2023 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament. Post-tournament breakdowns agreed on one thing: this March was one for the ages. Here’s a quick overview of the entire tournament—the highs, the lows, and the heroes.

First Round:

In the first round, the University of Iowa, with Caitlin Clark at its helm, beat Southeastern Louisiana University 95–43. The undefeated University of South Carolina—favorites in the tournament—had a similarly strong performance, alongside contenders University of Maryland, Stanford University, and Virginia Tech. And University of Connecticut forward Aaliyah Edwards dropped 28 points in her team’s victory.

Meanwhile, No. 11 Mississippi State University pulled off a decisive win over Creighton University. Princeton University also posted an upset against North Carolina State University, winning on Grace Stone’s thrilling steal and three-pointer. Maybe this one shouldn’t be a surprise: Princeton came into the NCAA tournament undefeated in its last 15 games.

Also in the first round: No. 12 University of Toledo knocked off No. 5 Iowa State University. And No. 9 University of Miami squeaked out a win over No. 8 Oklahoma State University. With four seconds left on the clock, OSU’s potential game-winning shot bounced off the rim and into Miami hands.

Second Round:

Cinderella teams Toledo and Mississippi State both lost to higher-ranked opponents. UConn marched onward, defeating Baylor University to join Virginia Tech in the Sweet Sixteen. And South Carolina, Louisiana State University, and Iowa all continued their dominant play.

The big surprise here: University of Mississippi over Stanford. Before this year, Stanford hadn’t lost in the second round since 2007. The Cardinals looked shaky, completing only 32% of layups. The question is whether they’ll be able to rally next year—especially after point guard Haley Jones declared for the WNBA draft.

Another surprising victory: Miami over University of Indiana, on Destiny Harden’s game-winner.

Sweet Sixteen:

Virginia Tech sealed its first ever Elite Eight appearance, with star Hokies guard Georgia Amoore dropping 29 points against University of Tennessee. Meanwhile, South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston—the projected number one draft pick this year—pulled in 14 rebounds as the Gamecocks beat University of California, Los Angeles.

Angel Reese grabbed 12 of her own boards to help LSU sneak past a strong University of Utah team. This victory sent LSU to its first Elite Eight since 2008 and guaranteed fans at least one more of Kim Mulkey’s outrageous outfits. 

Meanwhile, Miami toppled Villanova University. However, Wildcats star Maddy Siegrist has a bright future ahead of her as she enters the WNBA draft: she scored 30 or more points in all three of Villanova’s tournament games and is the first Division I player of the century with 37 consecutive 20-point games. 

Miami’s win—and UConn’s loss to No. 3 Ohio State University—sealed the death of many a bracket. But there was this comfort: Iowa center Monika Czinano finished her first three tournament games with only one dribble. Her savvy post play drew praise from Reese.

Elite Eight:

The Elite Eight showcased a number of outstanding performances. Reese continued to dominate for South Carolina, recording 18 rebounds as the Gamecocks ended the Miami Hurricanes’ historic run. Elizabeth Kitley contributed 25 points toward a Virginia Tech victory.

But the real story of the Elite Eight? Clark’s 41-point triple-double in Iowa’s game against University of Louisville. Clark is the first player in the history of the men’s and women’s tournaments to record a 40-point triple-double. As if that isn’t enough, she scored or assisted on all 25 of the Hawkeyes’ first-quarter points.

Final Four:

There were high expectations for the Iowa/South Carolina game, and the two teams delivered with a nailbiter. An average of 5.5 million people—the largest audience ever for a women’s college semifinal game—tuned in to the matchup. In the end, Clark’s 41-point performance and Iowa’s 100% free-throw shooting were enough for the Hawkeyes to edge out the Gamecocks and head to their first national championship game.

For South Carolina, Boston got into early foul trouble and scored just 8 points total. It was the conclusion to a challenging season for Boston. After her award-winning performance last year, opposing players began to double- and triple-team her. As Boston enters the WNBA draft, Coach Dawn Staley hopes players and refs will “allow [Boston] to play her game.” 

Meanwhile, Reese shone in LSU’s comeback win over Virginia Tech. The Tigers were down in the second half, but rallied to advance to a championship matchup against Iowa. 

There’s hope for the Hokies next year. Both Kitley and Amoore will return next season, and it’s easy to imagine them carrying Virginia Tech to another Final Four or beyond.

National Championship: LSU vs. Iowa

Both LSU and Iowa came to play. Before a sold-out crowd and a record-breaking average 9.9 million viewers at home, the two teams went neck-and-neck—until LSU bench player Jasmine Carson started sinking shots. By the half, Carson was five for five on threes, and LSU had the upper hand.

Despite Iowa’s attempts to restart its offense, LSU cruised to an unprecedented 102–85 victory. Carson led her team with 22 points, and Reese hauled in 10 rebounds for her 34th double-double of the season—a Division I record. 

Debates over refereeing and sportsmanship began to eclipse media coverage of the game. First, officials called a series of dubious fouls against Iowa, sending Clark and Czinano into foul trouble. Then, in the last few seconds of the game, Reese waved her hand in front of Clark’s face, pointing to her ring finger. The moment sparked a flurry of disparaging comments, but both Clark and Reese defended Reese’s right to celebrate, calling out gendered and racial double standards governing who is allowed to talk trash.

While post-game media coverage was disappointing at times, it didn’t take away from the fact that this year’s national championship broke attendance and viewership records, drawing historic attention. Finally, the rest of the U.S. is recognizing what some people have known all along: women’s college basketball, full of talented players and exciting games, is worth a watch.

“It’s about time women’s basketball gets this kind of viewership,” Iowa center Monika Czinano said before Sunday’s game. “And it can only go up.”

Audrey Nelson can be reached at aanelson@wesleyan.edu.