Everything to know about the four NCAA women’s basketball teams coming to Wichita
The Sweet 16 matchups are set in the Wichita region, as the city prepares to host four teams looking to punch their ticket to the Final Four of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
Three of the guests were expected — No. 1 seed Louisville (27-4), No. 3 seed Michigan (24-6) and No. 4 Tennessee (25-8) — and held serve on their home court to advance, while No. 10 seed South Dakota is arguably the biggest Cinderella team left in March Madness.
Louisville will look to advance to the Elite Eight for the fourth straight year when it takes on Tennessee, which is back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2016. Michigan is looking for its furthest run in program history in the Big Dance with a win over South Dakota, which has collected its first two NCAA wins in program history to reach Wichita.
The Sweet 16 games will take place at Intrust Bank Arena this Saturday, as No. 1 Louisville will play No. 4 Tennessee at 3 p.m. with No. 3 Michigan playing No. 10 South Dakota around 5:30 p.m. Both games will be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN2.
The winner of those games will meet in an Elite Eight showdown at 8 p.m. Monday. Tickets to the NCAA Tournament in Wichita can still be purchased through Select-A-Seat.
Here is the quick rundown of what you need to know about the four teams headed to Wichita.
No. 1 Louisville Cardinals (27-4)
Follow on Twitter: @UofLWBB (40.3K followers)
How they got here: No. 4-ranked Louisville earned a No. 1 seed for the third time in the last four tournaments. The Cardinals easily handled No. 16 seed Albany, 83-51, before knocking off Gonzaga, 68-59, on its home court on Sunday.
March Madness history: The Cardinals are playing in their 11th straight NCAA Tournament, where they have reached at least the Sweet 16 nine times. They have advanced to at least the Elite Eight in the last three tournaments and are looking for their first Final Four berth since 2018.
Kansas ties: Payton Verhulst, a 6-foot-1 freshman guard, was an all-state player at Bishop Miege. She earned ACC All-Freshman honors this season averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds and knocking down 38.2% of her three-pointers in 11.3 minutes per game off the bench.
Wichita native LaMont Russell has been the team’s video coordinator and graphic designer since 2016. After a successful playing career at Hesston College and Southeast Missouri State, Russell received his Division I break when Wichita State coach Jody Adams hired him as a graduate assistant for the 2015-16 season.
Wichita Heights senior Zyanna Walker, the 2022 Kansas Gatorade Girls Basketball Player of the Year, is also signed to play for Louisville next season.
Coach: Jeff Walz, 15th season, 412-112
Player to watch: Hailey Van Lith is a 5-foot-7 sophomore shooting guard who earned first team all-ACC this season after averaging a team-high 14.0 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists. She makes 43.3% of her shots from the field, including 37.7% from beyond the arc, and 79.5% of her free throws. Van Lith has saved her best for the NCAA tournament, scoring a team-high 41 points through two games for Louisville.
No. 3 Michigan Wolverines (24-6)
Follow on Twitter: @umichwbball (29.8K followers)
How they got here: No. 3 seed and No. 12-ranked Michigan held serve at home, easily dispatching American, 74-39, in the first round, then winning 64-49 over Villanova in the second round.
March Madness history: Michigan is playing in its 10th tournament in program history and fourth in the last five seasons. After reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time last season, the Wolverines are back looking to make history with a win in Wichita.
Kansas ties: None.
Coach: Kim Barnes Arico, 10th season, 217-108
Player to watch: Naz Hillmon is a 6-foot-2 senior power forward who was the 2021 Big Ten Player of the Year and the first player in program history to earn All-American honors. She is nearly averaging a double-double this season with 21.3 points on 58% shooting and 9.6 rebounds. Hillmon has been dominant in the NCAA tournament, averaging 25.5 points on 77% shooting, 11 rebounds and 4 steals in the Wolverines’ two wins so far.
No. 4 Tennessee Volunteers (25-8)
Follow on Twitter: @LadyVol_Hoops (87.3K followers)
How they got here: No. 18-ranked and fourth-seeded Tennessee knocked off Buffalo, 80-67, then held off a furious comeback from 12th-seeded Belmont to win, 70-67, on Monday to punch its ticket to Wichita.
March Madness history: Tennessee is the only program to appear in every NCAA Tournament, as the Volunteers received their 40th consecutive March Madness bid this season. Although this is the program’s 35th trip to the Sweet 16, it is the first since 2016 after hosting the opening rounds for the first time since 2018. Tennessee is the only program in Wichita with a national championship pedigree, having won the title eight times.
Kansas ties: None.
Coach: Kellie Harper, third season, 63-26
Player to watch: Jordan Horston is a 6-foot-2 junior wing who received honorable mention All-American honors and first team all-SEC recognition after averaging 16.2 points on 37.9% shooting, 9.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals this season. It is questionable if Horston will play in Wichita after missing the team’s last seven games due to a knee injury.
No. 10 South Dakota Coyotes (29-5)
Follow on Twitter: @SDCoytotesWBB (7.9K followers)
How they got here: The 10th-seeded Coyotes have been the most impressive Cinderella team of the tournament, having never trailed yet in its two upsets to punch their ticket to Wichita. South Dakota won the first NCAA Tournament game in program history in a 75-61 win over Ole Miss, then led wire-to-wire again to stun No. 2 seed and No. 7-ranked Baylor, 61-47, for its first top-10 win since 1994. The Coyotes have limited two straight potential WNBA lottery picks in Ole Miss’ Shakira Austin (nine points on 3-for-16 shooting) and Baylor’s NaLyssa Smith (10 points on 4-for-11 shooting).
March Madness history: Since transitioning to Division I, South Dakota has reached the NCAA Tournament five times in 10 years. The program has played in the Big Dance the last four years under coach Dawn Plitzuweit and broke through for its first NCAA wins during this run. South Dakota had a 30-2 record with an undefeated Summit League championship in 2020 before the pandemic wiped out that postseason.
Kansas ties: Jason Jeschke, associate head coach, graduated from Southwestern College in 2009 and served as an assistant coach on the women’s basketball team for five years after graduating. The Moundbuilders compiled a 120-39 record with four straight trips to the NAIA tournament during his time from 2009-13.
In another tie, South Dakota actually played Wichita State and defeated the Shockers, 71-59, at home earlier this season on Dec. 4.
Coach: Dawn Plitzuweit, sixth season, 158-35
Player to watch: Chloe Lamb is a 5-foot-10 senior shooting guard who was named the Summit League Player of the Year this season with averages of 16.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals, while shooting 47% from the floor, 36.8% on three-pointers and 85% on free throws. She has been superb for the Coyotes during their NCAA tournament run, averaging 17.5 points, while it’s hard not to at least mention Hannah Sjerven, a 6-foot-2 senior center who earned the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year and is averaging 15.0 points on 52% shooting, 7.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks.
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Everything to know about the four NCAA women’s basketball teams coming to Wichita."
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