WASHINGTON — Three local women’s basketball teams are headed to the NCAA Tournament and found out their seeds Monday, as well as who and where they’ll be playing.
Maryland was the highest-seeded local school, coming in as a No. 5 seed in the Kansas City region, where they will play No. 12 seed Princeton University in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Terps will play the winner of Elon and North Carolina State if they can advance, as head coach Brenda Frese looks to get the Terps back to the Sweet 16 for the sixth time in the last seven years.
“I really like our bracket, our matchups, where we’re headed,” said Frese, who was also excited for the strong D.C. area representation. “This is a tremendous opportunity for all three teams to be recognized.”
American University is also in the Kansas City region and will be headed to the NCAA Tournament for just the second time in the school’s history, three years after their first-ever appearance. The Eagles will be the No. 14 seed, taking on No. 3 seed UCLA in Los Angeles.
“Our seniors have been sharing some of their experiences with us, just how special it is and how like no other feeling compares to it, and you won’t know until you’re there,” Eagles’ freshman forward Cecily Carl told WTOP. “So I think it’s really cool that we’re all going to get to experience it, and for our underclassmen, it will really help us for the next few years.”
George Washington University landed in the Spokane region as the No. 14 seed, taking on Big Ten champion Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio. The Colonials return to the dance for the third time in four years, but are looking for their first NCAA win in 10 years.
Despite the tough draw, head coach Jennifer Rizzotti looked for the positive in her team’s destination.
“The Final Four’s in Columbus, so there’s I guess no better way to start off the NCAA Tournament than in the site of the Final Four,” she told WTOP.
GW and American both were automatic qualifiers, having won the Atlantic 10 and Patriot League conference championships, respectively. Maryland was a lock for an at-large bid — the only question was how high up they’d land.
