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(Photo: Milan-San Remo)
Why are there fewer upsets in the women's March Madness tournament?
March Madness is known for, well, madness. Part of what defines the college basketball tournament are the upsets and Cinderella stories. Yet, in the women's tournament the only major upset in the first round (and the only double-digit seeded team to make it through) was when #10 Virginia beat #7 Georgia in a dramatic overtime game.
🏀 Virginia then went on to upset #2 Iowa in an even wilder game (!) and will make a Sweet Sixteen appearance!
In fact, the only time a #14, #15, or #16 seed has pulled off an upset in the women's 43-year tournament history was when Harvard beat Stanford in 1998.
Why are there fewer upsets?
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Don't discount the fact that the men's games are played at neutral sites, while the women's first round games are played at the home sites of the higher seeded team. Making it harder for the visiting team.
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It was also only (!) in 2022 when women finally got to use the March Madness name and when all the games started being nationally televised — the men have had decades more investment in their tournament.
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We're also seeing a growth in the talent pool now, as the investment increases (shoutout to the new WNBA contract!) & as more girls play basketball and pursue it in college. That has helped to level the playing field and close some of the gaps — a phenomenon that's common in women's sports.
Don't miss out on the rest of the games, as the tournament heads into the Sweet Sixteen on Friday. (It's one day off from the men's tournament.)
📺 Check out the full bracket, with all four #1 regional seeds through, and make plans to watch at one of these bars that took the pledge to show the women's games at least 50% of the time.
🏀 What does the new WNBA contract mean for all female athletes? It's a game-changer and expected to raise the level for *all* women's sports leagues
Welcome to the Feisty family 💜
If you missed the news, Feisty welcomed iconic women's brand, Another Mother Runner, to the family. The acquisition includes the relaunch of the AMR podcasts, as well as the revamping and relaunch to come of their popular training programs.
It also marks the latest step for Feisty as we aim to be the home for unique women-led sports and health brands. With podcasting and content businesses entering a new era of both growth and consolidation, niche women’s brands are going through an evolution. Within this, Feisty can provide a space for these homegrown one-of-kind active brands to build their next chapter. |
