The madness has arrived, and Los Angeles is at the center of it all. With both UCLA and USC securing No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Women’s March Madness Tournament, the city is set to become the epicenter of college basketball.
Pauley Pavilion and Galen Center will host early-round matchups, so L.A. fans won’t have to travel far to see high-stakes March Madness action.
UCLA’s Tournament Schedule
UCLA (30-2) enters the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed in the Spokane 1 Region for the first time in program history. The Bruins dominated their first Big Ten season and capped it off with a conference championship.
- 🏀 First Round, March 21 (7 p.m.): No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 UC San Diego / No. 16 Southern (Los Angeles – Pauley Pavilion)
- 🏀 Second Round, March 23 (TBD): Winner of No. 8 Richmond vs. No. 9 Georgia Tech (Los Angeles – Pauley Pavilion)
- 🏀 Sweet 16 Matchup, March 28 (TBD): No. 4 Baylor (Waco, TX)
- 🏀 Elite Eight Matchup, March 30 (TBD): No. 2 NC State (Raleigh, NC)
In addition, they have a strong home-court advantage in the first two rounds. This could lead the Bruins to have a deep run. Their balanced roster and defensive intensity make them one of the toughest teams to beat in the tournament.
USC’s Tournament Schedule & JuJu Watkins taking over
On the other side of town, USC (28-3) also earned a No. 1 seed, this time in the Spokane 4 Region. This makes Los Angeles one of the few cities with two top-seeded teams.
The Trojans are fueled by JuJu Watkins, the reigning National Player of the Year, and have been one of the most electrifying teams in the country.
- 🏀 First Round, March 22 (3 p.m.): No. 1 USC vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro (Los Angeles – Galen Center)
- 🏀 Second Round, March 24 (TBD): Winner of No. 8 California vs. No. 9 Mississippi State (Los Angeles – Galen Center)
- 🏀 Sweet 16 Matchup, March 29 (TBD): No. 4 Kentucky (Lexington, KY)
- 🏀 Elite Eight Matchup, March 31 (TBD): No. 2 UConn (Storrs, CT)
JuJu Watkins is already breaking records. She averaged 24.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 4.1 combined steals and blocks per game. She has surpassed Caitlin Clark’s scoring total for her first two NCAA seasons. Now, she’s on pace to challenge the all-time scoring record.
If Watkins can lead USC past the Buckeyes and into the Final Four, she will not only strengthen her case for the National Player of the Year. She’ll also put USC closer to its first national championship since 1984.
Can we see a March Madness USC vs. UCLA game?
With home-court advantage in the early rounds, Los Angeles fans will have plenty of opportunities to catch the action live. This is a further example of Los Angeles becoming the sports capital of the country, hosting some of the most important sporting events in the world.
If both teams hold their seeding, a UCLA vs. USC national championship game is possible, setting up the biggest moment in L.A. college basketball history.