Only 16 teams are still dancing in the 2023 NCAA Tournament after a second round that had plenty of surprises, including two No. 1 seeds -- Stanford and Indiana -- failing to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998.
As the tournament continues, it's only fair to take a look at the squads remaining and reevaluate their chances of winning the national championship. Can anyone stop South Carolina? That question still doesn't have an answer because the Gamecocks have dominated, just like everyone expected. Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes have also lived up to the hype.
However, others teams such as Ole Miss and Miami are making a lot of noise and are reminding everyone that March is a fun month for underdogs.
Now, here's a complete reranking of the 16 remaining teams in the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament:
1. South Carolina Gamecocks
The defending champions are riding a 40-game winning streak dating back to last season. They were strong defensively last year and relied a lot on Aliyah Boston. However, they've gotten even better this year as their offense became more consistent and -- even though Boston as good as ever -- the team is now sharing more of the responsibilities. The Gamecocks can get it done on both sides of the ball and hold the top scoring margin in the nation at +30.4 points. They've cruised through Norfolk State and South Florida, but Dawn Staley's Gamecocks don't look like they are stopping anytime soon.
2. Iowa Hawkeyes
Georgia put up a good fight in the second round and didn't allow Caitlin Clark -- who has registered 10 career triple-doubles -- to score much early in their second-round game. However, the strength of Iowa is the fact that when Clark isn't scoring, she is facilitating the offense through dropping dimes. She and the rest of the team lead the country in assists, which has helped the Hawkeyes have the top offense in the nation at 87.4 points per game. There are multiple contributors on this roster as three players average double figures in scoring. Clark leads the team with 26.8 points per game, but Monika Czinano is also one to watch as she averages 17.5 points on 68% shooting from the field.
3. UConn Huskies
The Huskies are heading to their 29th consecutive Sweet 16, and they are looking more dangerous than a few weeks ago now that Azzi Fudd, who has been dealing with a knee injury, is back and has shaken off the rust. During the second round -- which was only Fudd's 13th game this season -- the sophomore guard scored 22 points to help lift UConn past Baylor. The Huskies have struggled with injuries since last year, but they're a resilient group with a lot of depth. The team has five double-digit scorers and is led by Aaliyah Edwards, who averages 17 points per game.
4. Virginia Tech Hokies
After being the most surprising No. 1 seed in this year's tournament, the Hokies have lived up to the hype. They punched their first Sweet 16 ticket since 1999 with a win over the South Dakota Jackrabbits -- the winners of last year's WNIT. Virginia Tech is deep with four players averaging double figures in scoring, but Elizabeth Kitley leads the way with 18.2 points per game. The senior center also helps defensively, as she's blocked the most shots in program history. The Hokies hold opponents to just 56.4 points per contest and have the 16th-best scoring margin (+15.6) in the country.
5. Tennessee Lady Volunteers
The Lady Vols are coming in hot, winning each of their first two games by more than 35 points. They punched their ticket to the Sweet 16 thanks to a dominant 94-47 victory against Toledo. Tennessee showed its strength and depth with seven players scoring at least eight points, and the Lady Vols out-rebounded the Rockets 58-31. Rickea Jackson and Jordan Horston have been leading the Tennessee offense with averages of 19.3 and 15.5 points, respectively, this season.
6. LSU Tigers
Kim Mulkey is leading the Tigers to one of the best seasons in program history. This is a very deep roster with five players averaging at least nine points a game, but the spotlight is usually on Angel Reese. The sophomore forward has shown her dynamic ability through monster stats, as she's averaging 23.8 points on 54% shooting from the field to go along with 15.7 rebounds. Reese posted 25 points and 24 rebounds to get the Tigers past Michigan and onto their first Sweet 16 since 2014.
7. Maryland Terrapins
Diamond Miller's decision to stay with Maryland has paid off as the Terrapins have now reached their third consecutive Sweet 16. She leads their offense with 19.7 points per game and is also first in rebounds, steals and blocks on the team. Maryland does have three other players averaging nine points or more this season, including Shyanne Sellers, who contributes 13.8 points and 4.4 assists per contest. Brenda Frese has kept this team consistent, as this is Maryland's 11th Sweet 16 appearance in her 20 years at the helm of the program.
8. Villanova Wildcats
The nation's leading scorer Maddy Siegrist posted her 16th 30-point game of the season with a 31-point performance in Villanova's 76-57 win over Florida Gulf Coast. Siegrist is riding a 36-game streak of scoring 20 or more points, which is the longest streak by a Division I player -- men's or women's -- this century. Guard Lucy Olsen nearly posted triple-double with 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists against FGCU. Villanova is in first Sweet 16 since 2003.
9. UCLA Bruins
UCLA missed the NCAA Tournament last year after an injury-plagued season, but the Bruins are back and proving that they belong. Charisma Osborne has been a true leader for the team all season and her big March moment was scoring a career-high 36 points against a persistent Oklahoma team in the second round -- even after she left the court briefly due to injury. This team was overlooked at the beginning of the season, but they gave South Carolina a battle in November and will look to do it again later this tournament.
10. Louisville Cardinals
The Cardinals got off to a hot start against a tough Texas team and didn't slow down on their way to their sixth consecutive Sweet 16 appearance. Hailey Van Lith has been a star for the team since her freshman season in 2020-21. This year is no different as she leads the Cardinals with 19.5 points per game. Van Lith, who earned an AP All-America Honorable Mention honors, was a big key to the win over Texas with 21 points, three rebounds, three assists and two steals.
11. Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State has seen some slow starts in the last few games and had a long scoring drought against North Carolina in the last round, but the Buckeyes know how to win. They edged out Deja Kelly and the Tar Heels in a game filled with turnovers to reach their second consecutive Sweet 16. Taylor Mikesell leads their offense with 17.2 points per game, but multiple players average double figures. Anyone can step up at any time, as Jacy Sheldon -- who missed most of the season with a leg injury -- demonstrated by scoring the game-winning basket with 1.8 seconds left against UNC.
12. Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels are responsible for the biggest upset of this year's NCAA Women's Tournament as they took down the No.1 seed Stanford Cardinal -- a team that hadn't missed a Sweet 16 since 2007 -- in the Seattle 4 Regional. Ole Miss has a top 25 scoring defense, holding opponents to 56.3 points per game. The Rebels' toughness was on display, out rebounding the Cardinal 44-33, despite Stanford's size advantage. Ole Miss' scoring is balanced with Angel Baker's 14.9 points per game being the highest among the four players averaging at least nine points per contest.
13. Utah Utes
The Utes showed their toughness with a not-so-pretty 63-56 victory against Princeton in the second round. This has been a historic season for Utah, as the Utes reached their highest ranking in program history at No. 3 in late February. The team is looking to continue that momentum and reach its first Elite Eight since 2006. They have a top three offense nationally, averaging 83.5 points per game. Their three double-figure scorers, led by Alissa Pili (21 points per game), all shoot above 50% from the field.
14. Miami Hurricanes
The Hurricanes punched their ticket to their first Sweet 16 since 1992 after coming out in full force and upsetting No. 1 seed Indiana in Bloomington. Indiana has one of the top six scoring offenses in the nation, but Miami held the Hoosiers to just under 41% from the field and 68 points, which is significantly less than the 81.3 points per contest Indiana averaged this season. Destiny Harden -- one of Miami's most consistent scorers with 12.1 points per game -- made it happen by draining a jumper with just three seconds remaining.
15.Colorado Buffaloes
The Buffaloes reached the Elite Eight for the third time in program history in 2001 but then missed the NCAA Women's Tournament the following nine years. Colorado has been making a comeback by reaching its second consecutive appearance in The Big Dance. The Buffaloes survived an overtime battle against Duke to make their first Sweet 16 in 20 years. Four players split Colorado's offense pretty evenly, as each average more than 11 points per game. Quay Miller leads them all with 13.1 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.
16. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The Fighting Irish are heading to their second consecutive Sweet 16 after a physical game against Mississippi State. The Bulldogs knew they had to target Notre Dame leading scorer Sonia Citron, but despite shooting 2-of-12, she led her team to victory with 14 points. As a whole, Notre Dame struggled offensively by shooting under 35% from the field, which is about 10% less than their average. The Fighting Irish are a persistent team, but as the competition gets tougher their chances at continuing their run diminish without Olivia Miles and Dara Mabrey, who are out for the remainder of the season due to knee injuries.
