NCAAW: LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, FSU’s Ta’Niya Laston meet second spherical

On Monday, the primary weekend of the 2025 NCAA Match closes out with a few of the sport’s largest stars in motion.

Sophomore standouts JuJu Watkins and Madison Booker should not have any points main their No. 1-seeded squads, USC and Texas, respectively, to wins over No. 9-seed Mississippi State for the Trojans (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) and No. 9-seed Illinois for the Longhorns (2 p.m. ET, ESPN). Likewise, No. 2-seed UConn, captained by Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Robust, ought to handle the lone surviving double-digit seed in No. 10-seed South Dakota State (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Nonetheless, a number of different of Monday’s matchups that additionally function a major diploma of star energy profile as extra aggressive and compelling. Listed below are three video games to be sure you tune in for:

Will the Tide or Terps play to their potential?

No. 4-seed Maryland and No. 5-seed Alabama are two groups that flashed excessive upsides, but additionally decrease flooring, through the 2025 season. It’s a attribute that makes them interesting candidates to make a longer-than-expected match run, but additionally to flame out in uninspiring vogue.

For the Terrapins, a season that was monitoring towards true title rivalry turned when Bri McDaniel was injured in mid-January. The then one-loss Terps misplaced three-straight video games, albeit in opposition to an extremely robust schedule (Texas, Ohio State, UCLA), earlier than then dropping just a few video games to the Huge Ten’s lesser lights through the the rest of the season.

The Terrapins’ first-round sport in opposition to No. 13-seed Norfolk State encapsulated their ups and downs. A 12-point second quarter had Maryland trailing on the half, just for a scoring explosion from Sarah Te-Biasu and Kaylene Smikle to start out the fourth quarter to propel the Terps to a comparatively comfy 82-69 win. Related sharp capturing within the second spherical, as Maryland shot 50 p.c from 3 and 92 p.c from the free throw line as a staff, actually would give the Terrapins the sting over the Crimson Tide.

Though, Alabama additionally has their fair proportion of lights-out shooters. As a staff, the Tide shoot 38.6 p.c from downtown, the third-best mark in Division I; they’re additionally making nearly 9 made 3-pointers per sport, which ranks fifteenth within the sport. And when Aaliyah Nye has the ball when behind the arc, it must be a five-alarm fireplace for the opponent, as she shot a SEC-leading 45.4 p.c from 3 on 7.5 makes an attempt per sport. She scored a game-high 23 factors, going 4-for-9 from 3, as Alabama separated within the second half to defeat No. 12-seed Inexperienced Bay, 81-67, within the first spherical. Sarah Ashlee Barker and Zaay Inexperienced can also rain in 3-balls, along with successfully profiting from the house created by Nye to attain effectively contained in the arc.

Nonetheless, the inherent volatility of 3-pointer capturing makes Alabama susceptible. If the pictures aren’t discovering the underside of the web, placing up factors and, in flip, incomes a win, can change into an issue. That’s what occurred in Bama’s loss to Florida within the SEC Match.

When this one suggestions off at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2), look for many capturing and scoring, with the staff that makes their pictures late advancing to a Candy 16 date with No. 1-seed South Carolina.

A high-scoring shootout is in retailer as FSU takes on LSU

And should you’re eager about extra scoring? No. 3-seed LSU vs. No. 6-seed Florida State is a must-watch matchup at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN).

The Seminoles are the second-highest scoring staff within the nation because of the supreme bucket-getting skills of Ta’Niya Latson, who leads the nation with 25 factors per sport. However, the junior guard doesn’t simply get buckets; she’s additionally first within the ACC and second within the nation in factors produced per sport, which means she additionally helps her teammates generate factors. Latson does the vast majority of her injury contained in the arc, utilizing her scoring craft to additionally earn nearly eight free throw makes an attempt per sport. Latson’s full bag was on show as she dropped 28 factors in FSU’s first-round win over No. 11-seed George Mason, 94-59.

On the opposite facet is Flau’jae Johnson, who seems to be rejuvenated after lacking the SEC Match to relaxation her injured shin. Within the first spherical, Johnson scored 22 factors in 22 minutes, making 4 3-pointers, which tied her season excessive. The Tigers trampled No. 14-seed San Diego State, 103-48. For the season, Johnson led the Tigers, who personal the nation’s Eighth-highest scoring offense, with 19 factors per sport, capturing a career-best 38.3 p.c from deep on a career-leading 3.9 makes an attempt per sport.

And if the pictures will not be falling for Latson, Johnson and their teammates, search for Makayla Timpson and Aneesah Morrow, two of the nation’s finest rebounders, to interact in an epic battle of the boards, striving to earn second-chance factors that would show essential down the stretch. For the ‘Noles, the bouncy Timpson grabbed 10.7 boards per sport, ending the season with the Eleventh-most boards within the nation with 341. Morrow dominates the glass for the Tigers with an unrelenting will, securing a nation-leading 13.6 rebounds per sport regardless of standing simply 6-foot-1.

Ultimately, count on the Tigers to have the benefit as a result of, as Johnson raps in her Powerade industrial, she is aware of “the way it really feel to put on that ring and throw that trophy up.”

It will likely be about protection when UNC, WVU conflict

Conversely, should you ascribe to the mantra, “Protection wins championships,” the 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) sport between No. 3-seed North Carolina and No. 6-seed West Virginia must be your pace, pitting the ACC’s second-stingiest protection in opposition to the Huge 12’s top-ranked defensive unit.

Whereas the Mountaineers deploy an aggressive protection that forces opponents into 23.8 turnovers per sport, with a mean of 13.8 of these turnovers coming by way of steals, the Tar Heels protection is outlined by general solidity relatively than excessive exercise. That distinction of defensive types will make this matchup much more intriguing. And every staff’s chief embodies their facet’s defensive identification. For West Virginia, that’s back-to-back Huge 12 Defensive Participant of the 12 months JJ Quinerly, who’s an absolute steals maven, swiping the ball over thrice per sport. ACC All-Defensive choice Alyssa Ustby is the do-it-all anchor for Carolina.

Within the first spherical, UNC overcame a considerably sluggish first half to defeat No. 14-seed Oregon State, 70-79. Ustby completed with 10 factors, 9 boards, 4 assists and two steals. West Virginia cruised in opposition to No. 11-seed Columbia, 78-59, behind 27 factors from Quinerly. That’s a excessive level whole that has change into attribute for Quinerly throughout her senior season, when she has complemented her defensive prowess with explosive scoring. She closed out the common season with performances of 31 and 38 factors, earlier than scoring no less than 20 factors within the Mountaineers’ two Huge 12 Match video games.

If Quinerly can shake free and discover her scoring groove in opposition to the gritty Tar Heel protection, search for the Mountaineers to boogie right into a Candy 16 contest in opposition to No. 2-seed Duke.