NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament upsets

This is a list of upsets by teams seeded 11 or higher that have occurred in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1994. In 2022 it expanded to 68 teams.

First round

16 vs. 1

The first 16 seed ever to win a game in an NCAA Division I basketball tournament was Harvard in 1998 against Stanford. According to an Associated Press retrospective on the 10th anniversary of the game in 2008, "The difference between the teams was much smaller than usual for a No. 1 and a 16 seed."[1]

Harvard had two years of tournament experience and the nation's leading scorer that season in Allison Feaster. Stanford suffered two devastating injuries during the run-up to the tournament. First, Vanessa Nygaard tore an ACL in the Cardinal's final regular-season game against Oregon State. Because the extent of her injury was not known at the time the tournament field was selected, the Cardinal still received a 1 seed. Then, in the team's first practice after the tournament selection, leading scorer and rebounder Kristin Folkl also tore an ACL.[1]

Year Winner Loser Score
1998 Harvard Stanford 71–67

15 vs. 2 and 14 vs. 3

Unlike the men's tournament, in which twenty-two (22) 14 seeds have won their opening games since that tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, no 14 seed has ever won a game in the women's tournament.

Ten (10) 15 seeds have won their opening games in the men's tournament since that tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, but no 15 seed has ever won a game in the women's tournament. The closest any 15 seed came to winning was in 2017, when Long Beach State lost 56–55 to Oregon State.

13 vs. 4

Seven 13 seeds have defeated 4 seeds in the first round.

By contrast, the men's tournament has seen 23 such upsets since 1994. Eight more occurred between 1985 and 1993, when the men's tournament featured 64 teams but the women's tournament had fewer entrants (32 in 1985, 40 from 1986 to 1988, and 48 from 1989 to 1993).

Year Winner Loser Score
2021 Wright State Arkansas 66–62
2012 Marist Georgia 76–70
2007 Marist Ohio State 67–63
2005 Liberty Penn State 78–70
2004 Middle Tennessee North Carolina 67–62
2000 Rice UC Santa Barbara 67–64
1994 Texas A&M Florida 78–76

12 vs. 5

There have been twenty-six (26) 12 seeds to defeat 5 seeds in the first round. The men's tournament has seen forty-four (44) such wins since 1994, with nine more taking place between 1985 and 1993.

Year Winner Loser Score
2023 Florida Gulf Coast Washington State 74–63
Toledo Iowa State 80–73
2022 Belmont Oregon 73–70 (2OT)
Florida Gulf Coast Virginia Tech 84–81
2021 Belmont Gonzaga 64–59
2018 Florida Gulf Coast Missouri 80–70
2017 Quinnipiac Marquette 68–65
2016 South Dakota State Miami (FL) 74–71
Albany Florida 61–59
2014 BYU NC State 72–57
2013 Kansas Colorado 67–52
2010 Green Bay Virginia 69–67
2009 Ball State Tennessee 71–55
Gonzaga Xavier 75–59
2006 Tulsa NC State 71–61
2005 Middle Tennessee NC State 60–58
2004 Maryland Miami (FL) 86–85
2002 Mississippi State Boston College 65–59
UC Santa Barbara Louisiana Tech 57–56
2000 SMU NC State 64–63
1998 Colorado State Drake 81–75
Youngstown State Memphis 91–80
1997 Marquette Clemson 70–66
1996 Notre Dame Purdue 73–60
San Francisco Florida 68–61
1995 Montana San Diego State 57–46
1994 Western Kentucky Rutgers 84–73

11 vs. 6

Thirty-six (36) 11 seeds have won their first-round games against 6 seeds. By contrast, 44 such upsets have occurred in the men's tournament since 1994, with 13 more occurring between 1985 and 1993.

Year Winner Loser Score
2023 Mississippi State Creighton 79–64
2022 Princeton Kentucky 69–62
Villanova BYU 61–57
2021 BYU Rutgers 69–66
2019 Missouri State DePaul 89–78
2018 Central Michigan LSU 78–69
Buffalo South Florida 102–79
Creighton Iowa 76–70
2015 Gonzaga George Washington 82–69
Miami (FL) Washington 86–80
Arkansas-Little Rock Texas A&M 69–60
2014 Florida Dayton 83–69
James Madison Gonzaga 72–63
2012 Gonzaga Rutgers 86–73
Kansas Nebraska 57–49
2011 Gonzaga Iowa 92–86
2010 Arkansas–Little Rock Georgia Tech 63–53
San Diego State Texas 74–63
2009 Mississippi State Texas 71–63
2008 Florida State Ohio State 60–49
2007 West Virginia Xavier 65–52
2006 Hartford Temple 64–58
New Mexico Florida 83–59
TCU Texas A&M 69–65
2004 UC Santa Barbara Colorado 76–49
2003 Notre Dame Arizona 59–47
2002 BYU Florida 90–52
2001 TCU Penn State 77–75
2000 Stephen F. Austin Xavier 73–72
UAB Oregon 80–79 (OT)
1999 Saint Joseph's Duke 83–72
SMU Toledo 91–76
1998 UC Santa Barbara Vanderbilt 76–71 (OT)
Virginia Tech Wisconsin 75–64
1996 Stephen F. Austin Oregon State 67–65
1995 Louisville Oregon 67–65

Second round

16 seeds

Harvard, the only 16 seed to advance to the second round, lost to Arkansas in the second round. A 16 seed has never advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in either the men's or women's tournaments.

15 and 14 seeds

Unlike the men's tournament, in which three 15 seeds and two 14 seeds have won their second-round games since that tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, no 14 or 15 seed has ever won a game in that round.

13 seeds

Three 13 seeds have won their second-round games, compared to six in the men's tournament (five of which occurred since 1998). All three of the winning 13 seeds in the women's tournament defeated 5 seeds.

Year Winner Loser Score
2007 Marist Middle Tennessee 73–59
2005 Liberty DePaul 88–79
1994 Texas A&M San Diego State 75–72 (OT)

12 seeds

Four 12 seeds have won their second-round games, as opposed to 15 in the men's tournament since 1994 and seven more from 1985 to 1993. All four 12 seeds to win at this stage of the women's tournament defeated 4 seeds.

Year Winner Loser Score
2017 Quinnipiac Miami (FL) 85–78
2014 BYU Nebraska 80–76
2013 Kansas South Carolina 75–69
1996 San Francisco Duke 64–60

11 seeds

A total of twelve 11 seeds have won their second-round games and advanced to the Sweet 16. This compares to 19 in the men's tournament since 1994, with seven more occurring between 1985 and 1993.

Since no 14 seed has ever advanced to this point in the women's tournament, all defeated teams were 3 seeds.

Year Winner Loser Score
2019 Missouri State Iowa State 69–60
2018 Central Michigan Ohio State 95–78
Buffalo Florida State 86–65
2015 Gonzaga Oregon State 76–65
2012 Gonzaga Miami (FL) 65–54
Kansas Delaware 70–64
2011 Gonzaga UCLA 89–75
2010 San Diego State West Virginia 64–55
2004 UC Santa Barbara Houston 56–52
2003 Notre Dame Kansas State 59–53
2002 BYU Iowa State 75–69
2000 UAB Mississippi State 78–72
1996 Stephen F. Austin Clemson 93–88 (OT)

Sweet Sixteen

15, 14, and 13 seeds

No 15 seed has ever won in the Sweet 16, compared to the men's tournament in which only one 15 seed, Saint Peter's, advanced to the Elite Eight. To date, no 14 or 13 seed, in either the men's or women's tournament, has advanced to the regional finals.

12 seeds

Unlike the men's tournament, in which two 12 seeds won its Sweet 16 game since 1985, no 12 seed has ever won a game in this round in the women's tournament.

Both 12 seeds defeated 8 seeds in the men's tournament. However, all four 12 seeds met 1 seeds on the women's side. No 12 seeds has ever defeated a 1 in either the men's or women's tournament in this round.

11 seeds

Only one team seeded 11 or lower has won in the Sweet 16 and advanced to the Elite Eight—11 seed Gonzaga in 2011, who defeated 7 seed Louisville. By contrast, seven such teams have won at this stage in the men's tournament since 1994, with two more doing so from 1985 to 1993.

Year Winner Loser Score
2011 Gonzaga Louisville 76–69

Elite Eight

No team seeded 10 or lower has ever advanced to the Final Four; Gonzaga lost its 2011 regional final 83–60 to Stanford. Creighton lost their Elite Eight matchup to #1 South Carolina in 2022, 80–50. Oregon lost its regional final to UConn, 90–52, in 2017, as a 10 seed, and Lamar, also a 10 seed, lost their regional final in 1991. In the men's tournament, five 11 seeds and one 10 seed have advanced to the Final Four—10th seed Syracuse in 2016, and 11th seeds UCLA in 2021, Loyola-Chicago in 2018, VCU in 2011, George Mason in 2006, and LSU in 1986. The lowest seed to advance to the Final Four in the Women's Tournament is Arkansas, in 1998. The Razorbacks were a 9 seed that season.

See also

References
  1. "No. 16 Harvard over No. 1 Stanford still resonates 10 years later". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 18, 2008. Retrieved March 26, 2013.
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