2014 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament

2014 NCAA Women's Division I
Basketball Tournament

The official 2014 Women's Final Four logo.
Season 2013–14
Teams 64
Finals site Bridgestone Arena
Nashville, Tennessee
Champions Connecticut (9th title, 9th title game,
15th Final Four)
Runner-up Notre Dame (4th title game,
6th Final Four)
Semifinalists
  • Stanford (11th Final Four)
  • Maryland (4th Final Four)
Winning coach Geno Auriemma (9th title)
MOP Breanna Stewart Connecticut
NCAA Women's Division I Tournaments
«2013 2015»

The 2014 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament was played in March and April 2014, with the Final Four played April 6–8.[1] The Ohio Valley Conference served as the host institution.[2] It was the first time that Nashville had hosted a Women's Final Four Basketball tournament.[3] The Final Four was played at the Bridgestone Arena[4][5] in Nashville, Tennessee.[6]

Tennessee continued its streak of making every NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at 33 consecutive appearances. Connecticut (who made their seventh straight Final 4 overall) and Notre Dame faced each other in the NCAA Final. Both were undefeated heading into the championship game, making it the first ever match up of two undefeated teams in the championship game. Connecticut prevailed, 79–58, to win their ninth National Championship.

The previous day, Connecticut also won the men's tournament. It was just the second time in NCAA history the same school had won both the men's and women's tournament; UConn accomplished that feat first in 2004.[7]

Subregionals

There were 64 teams in the tournament, placed in a seeded bracket with four regions. Thirty-two teams received automatic bids – thirty-one of which were their conference tournament champions; the other was for the Ivy League regular-season champion. An additional 32 teams were given at-large bids by the selection committee on the basis of their body of work during the regular season. Unlike the Men's Tournament, there was no "First Four" round.

The subregionals were played from March 22 to March 25, 2014.[8] Sites chosen to host first- and second-round games in 2014 were:

Ames
Baton Rouge
Chapel Hill
College Park
College Station
Durham
Iowa City
Knoxville
Lexington
Los Angeles
Seattle
Storrs
Toledo
University Park
Waco
West Lafayette
2014 NCAA subregionals (Hover over city to see link to Host)

Regionals and Final Four

Lincoln
Louisville
Notre Dame
Stanford
Nashville
2014 NCAA Regionals (blue) and Final Four (red) (Hover over city to see link to arena)

The Regionals, named for the city rather than the region of geographic importance since 2005, were held from March 29 to April 1 at the following sites:[9][10]

The Final Four was held on April 6 & 8 at the Bridgestone Arena[4][5] in Nashville, Tennessee.[6]

Tournament records

Automatic qualifiers

The following teams earned automatic qualifiers for the 2014 NCAA field by virtue of winning their conference's tournament (except for the Ivy League, whose regular-season champion receives the automatic bid):

Conference Team Appearances Last Bid
ACC Notre Dame 21 2013
America East Albany 3 2013
American Connecticut 26 2013
Atlantic 10 Fordham 2 1994
Atlantic Sun Florida Gulf Coast 2 2012
Big 12 Baylor 13 2013
Big East DePaul 19 2013
Big Sky North Dakota 1 Never
Big South Winthrop 1 Never
Big Ten Nebraska 12 2013
Big West Cal State Northridge 2 1999
Colonial James Madison 10 2011
C-USA Middle Tennessee 17 2013
Horizon Wright State 1 Never
Ivy League Penn 3 2004
MAAC Marist 10 2013
MAC Akron 1 Never
MEAC Hampton 8 2013
Missouri Valley Wichita State 2 2013
Mountain West Fresno State 7 2013
Northeast Robert Morris 3 2008
Ohio Valley Tennessee-Martin 4 2013
Pac-12 Southern California 16 2006
Patriot Army 2 2006
SEC Tennessee 33 2013
Southern Chattanooga 12 2013
Southland Northwestern State 3 2004
SWAC Prairie View A&M 6 2013
Summit South Dakota 1 Never
Sun Belt Western Kentucky 17 2008
West Coast Gonzaga 7 2013
WAC Idaho 3 2013

Bracket

* – Denotes overtime period

Lincoln Regional

In their first round match DePaul and Oklahoma scored a combined 204 points, setting a tournament record for most points in a non-overtime game. Oklahoma's 66 second-half points was also a record a team in a single half.[12]

Connecticut vs. Prairie View A&M aired nationwide on ESPN. Connecticut vs. Saint Joseph's aired nationwide on ESPNU. All other games aired with whip-a-round or regional coverage on ESPN or ESPN2.

First Round Second Round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals
            
1 Connecticut 87
16 Prairie View A&M 44
1 Connecticut 91
Storrs, CT - Sun/Tue
9 St. Joseph's 52
8 Georgia 57
9 St. Joseph's 67
1 Connecticut 70
12 BYU 51
5 NC State 57
12 BYU 72
12 BYU 80
Los Angeles, CA - Sat/Mon
4 Nebraska 76
4 Nebraska 74
13 Fresno State 55
1 Connecticut 69
3 Texas A&M 54
6 Gonzaga 63
11 James Madison 72
11 James Madison 69
College Station, TX - Sun/Tue
3 Texas A&M 85
3 Texas A&M 70
14 North Dakota 55
3 Texas A&M 84
7 DePaul 65
7 DePaul 104
10 Oklahoma 100
7 DePaul 74
Durham, NC - Sat/Mon
2 Duke 65
2 Duke 87
15 Winthrop 45

Notre Dame Regional

Notre Dame vs. Robert Morris aired nationwide on ESPN. Notre Dame vs. Arizona State aired nationwide on ESPNews. All other games aired with whip-a-round or regional coverage on ESPN or ESPN2.

First Round Second Round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals
            
1 Notre Dame 93
16 Robert Morris 42
1 Notre Dame 84
Toledo, OH - Sat/Mon
9 Arizona State 67
8 Vanderbilt 61
9 Arizona State 69
1 Notre Dame 89
5 Oklahoma State 72
5 Oklahoma State 61*
12 Florida Gulf Coast 60
5 Oklahoma State 73
West Lafayette, IN - Sat/Mon
4 Purdue 66
4 Purdue 84
13 Akron 55
1 Notre Dame 88
2 Baylor 69
6 Syracuse 59
11 Chattanooga 53
6 Syracuse 59
Lexington, KY - Sat/Mon
3 Kentucky 64
3 Kentucky 106
14 Wright State 60
3 Kentucky 72
2 Baylor 90
7 California 64
10 Fordham 63
7 California 56
Waco, TX - Sat/Mon
2 Baylor 75
2 Baylor 87
15 Western Kentucky 74

Louisville Regional

First Round Second Round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals
            
1 Tennessee 70
16 Northwestern State 46
1 Tennessee 67
Knoxville, TN - Sat/Mon
8 St. John's 51
8 St. John's 71
9 USC 68
1 Tennessee 62
4 Maryland 73
5 Texas 79
12 Pennsylvania 61
5 Texas 64
College Park, MD - Sun/Tue
4 Maryland 69
4 Maryland 90
13 Army 52
4 Maryland 76
3 Louisville 73
6 Iowa 87
11 Marist 65
6 Iowa 53
Iowa City, IA - Sun/Tue
3 Louisville 83
3 Louisville 88
14 Idaho 42
3 Louisville 73
7 LSU 47
7 LSU 98
10 Georgia Tech 78
7 LSU 76
Baton Rouge, LA - Sun/Tue
2 West Virginia 67
2 West Virginia 76
15 Albany 61

Stanford Regional

First Round Second Round Regional Semifinals Regional Finals
            
1 South Carolina 73
16 Cal. State Northridge 58
1 South Carolina 78
Seattle, WA - Sun/Tue
9 Oregon State 69
8 Middle Tennessee 36
9 Oregon State 55
1 South Carolina 58
4 North Carolina 65
5 Michigan State 91
12 Hampton 61
5 Michigan State 53
Chapel Hill, NC - Sun/Tue
4 North Carolina 62
4 North Carolina 60
13 Tennessee-Martin 58
4 North Carolina 65
2 Stanford 74
6 Dayton 69
11 Florida 83
11 Florida 61
University Park, PA - Sun/Tue
3 Penn State 83
3 Penn State 62
14 Wichita State 56
3 Penn State 57
2 Stanford 82
7 Iowa State 44
10 Florida State 55
10 Florida State 44
Ames, IA - Sat/Mon
2 Stanford 63
2 Stanford 81
15 South Dakota 62

Final Four – Nashville, Tennessee

National Semifinals
April 6 		National Championship Game
April 8
      
1LI Connecticut 75
2S Stanford 56
1LI Connecticut 79
1ND Notre Dame 58
1ND Notre Dame 87
4LO Maryland 61

Final Four Summaries

ESPN
April 6, 2014
5:30 pm CDT
#4 Maryland Terrapins 61, #1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 87
Scoring by half: 31-48, 30-39
Pts: Brionna Jones 16
Rebs: Alyssa Thomas 6
Asts: Lexie Brown 8		 Pts: Kayla McBride 28
Rebs: Jewell Loyd, Markisha Wright 9
Asts: Lindsay Allen 5
Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN
Attendance: 17,548
Referees: Scott Yarbrough, Cameron Inouye, Mike Price
ESPN
April 6, 2014
8:00 pm CDT
#2 Stanford Cardinal 56, #1 Connecticut Huskies 75
Scoring by half: 24-28, 32-47
Pts: Amber Orrange 16
Rebs: Chiney Ogwumike 10
Asts: Amber Orrange 5		 Pts: Breanna Stewart 18
Rebs: Breanna Stewart, Stefanie Dolson 7
Asts: Moriah Jefferson, Bria Hartley 4
Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN
Attendance: 17,548
Referees: Tina Napier, Joe Vaszily, Chuck Gonzales

National Championship

ESPN
April 8, 2014
7:30 pm CDT
#1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish 58, #1 Connecticut Huskies 79
Scoring by half: 38-45, 20-34
Pts: Kayla McBride 21
Rebs: Jewell Loyd 6
Asts: Lindsay Allen 5		 Pts: Breanna Stewart 21
Rebs: Stefanie Dolson 16
Asts: Stefanie Dolson, Moriah Jefferson 7
Bridgestone Arena - Nashville, TN
Attendance: 17,570
Referees: Dee Kantner, Lisa Mattingly, Denise Brooks

Undefeated Connecticut faced undefeated Notre Dame in the final game, the first ever to feature two undefeated teams. After a hard fought first half, the Connecticut Huskies pulled away in the second for a 79–58 victory. National Player of the Year Breanna Stewart scored 21 points for Connecticut. Stefanie Dolson added 17 points and 16 rebounds for the victors. Kayla McBride had 21 points for the Notre Dame Irish. Connecticut won the rebound battle 54–31 and held Notre Dame to a season low in points. After the game, Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said "I thought we were playing the Miami Heat for a while [Connecticut is] just that good."[7]

By winning, Connecticut moved to 40–0 on the season and claimed their ninth title, surpassing Tennessee's eight titles for the most all-time. Coach Geno Auriemma said he was "flattered and grateful and all the things that come with this kind of accomplishment ... I'm more proud of the legacy that exists and what Connecticut basketball is as opposed to the number of championships."[7] All nine of the school's titles, five with unbeaten records, have come during Auriemma's twenty seasons as head coach. Connecticut became the second school to finish the year 40–0, the other being Baylor. They have now won 46 consecutive games, the third most in NCAA history, but well short of their NCAA record of 90.[7]

For Notre Dame, it was their third loss in the title game in the last four years. They were inhibited by the loss of senior starter Natalie Achonwa to injury in the Regional Final. The Irish had won seven of the previous nine meeting between the two powerhouses. However, Connecticut beat them during the tournament for the second consecutive year, having eliminated them in the Final Four in 2013.[7]

All-Tournament Team

Game Officials

Media coverage

Television

ESPN had US television rights to all games during the tournament.[13] For the first and second round, ESPN aired select games nationally on ESPN, ESPNU, or ESPNews. All other games aired regionally on ESPN or ESPN2 and streamed online via ESPN3. Most of the nation got whip-a-round coverage during this time, which allowed ESPN to rotate between the games and focus the nation on the one that has the closest score. The regional semifinals were split between ESPN and ESPN2, and ESPN aired the regional finals, national semifinals, and championship match.[14]

Studio host & analysts

Broadcast Assignments

First & Second Rounds Saturday/Monday

Sweet Sixteen & Elite Eight Saturday/Monday

  • Beth Mowins, Stephanie White, & Maria Taylor – South Bend, IN
  • Pam Ward, Carolyn Peck, & LaChina Robinson – Lincoln, NE

Final Four

  • Dave O'Brien, Doris Burke, & Holly Rowe – Nashville, TN

First & Second Rounds Sunday/Tuesday

Sweet Sixteen & Elite Eight Sunday/Tuesday

  • Dave O'Brien, Doris Burke, & Holly Rowe – Louisville, KY
  • Dave Pasch, Debbie Antonelli, & Brooke Weisbrod – Stanford, CA

Championship

  • Dave O'Brien, Doris Burke, & Holly Rowe – Nashville, TN

Radio

Westwood One had nationwide broadcast and streaming radio rights from the regional finals on through the championship.[15] The teams participating in the Regional Finals, Final Four, and Championship were allowed to have their own local broadcasts, but were not allowed to stream their broadcast online.

Regional Finals Monday[16]

Final Four[17]

Regional Finals Tuesday[16]

Championship[17]

  • Dave Ryan, Debbie Antonelli, & Krista Blunk – Nashville, TN

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ "2014 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Final Four". Ohio Valley Conference. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  2. ↑ "Nashville, Ohio Valley Conference to host 2014 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four". Tennessee Tech Athletics. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Nashville to host 2014 Women's Final Four". WKRN.com. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  4. 1 2 "Nashville Will Host 2014 Women's Final Four". NewsChannel 5.com. Retrieved November 21, 2009.
  5. 1 2 "NASHVILLE LOCAL ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (NLOC) ANNOUNCES IT HAS REACHED HALF-WAY MARK OF FUNDRAISING GOAL". Nashville Sports Council. Retrieved 11 April 2012.
  6. 1 2 "2011 Basketball Championship". Retrieved March 12, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 Doug Feinberg (April 8, 2014). "UConn Women's Basketball Team Routs Notre Dame To Finish 40-0 Season, Win Historic 9th Title". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 11, 2014.
  8. ↑ "Tickets & Hospitality". NCAA. Retrieved 13 Mar 2014.
  9. ↑ "Four to Host N.C.A.A. Women’s Regionals". New York Times (Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr.). October 9, 2013. Retrieved 15 Oct 2013.
  10. ↑ "Host sites selected for preliminary rounds of the 2014 championship". NCAA. October 9, 2013. Retrieved 15 Oct 2013.
  11. 1 2 3 Nixon, Rick. "2016 Women's Final Four Record Book" (PDF). NCAA. Retrieved 1 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "DePaul beats Oklahoma in highest-scoring regulation tourney game". ESPN. March 22, 2014. Retrieved 23 Mar 2014.
  13. ↑ Margolis, Rachel (December 15, 2011). "ESPN and NCAA® Extend Rights Agreement through 2023-24". ESPN. Retrieved 15 Dec 2011.
  14. ↑ Margolis, Rachel (March 18, 2014). "ESPN Networks to Present Entire NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship". ESPN. Retrieved 18 Mar 2014.
  15. ↑ "NCAA, Westwood One extend deal". NCAA. January 13, 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2013.
  16. 1 2 "2014 NCAA Women's Division 1 Tournament Week 2 TV & National Radio schedule". Eye on Sky and Air Sports. March 26, 2014. Retrieved 26 March 2014.
  17. 1 2 "2014 NCAA Women's Division 1 Tournament Final Four/Championship TV & National Radio schedule". Eye on Sky and Air Sports. April 1, 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2014.
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