UConn was awarded the No. 1 overall seed in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Sunday and enters March Madness needing six more victories to complete the seventh undefeated season in school history.
The Huskies (34-0) are looking for their 13th national title and trying to become the first team to repeat as champion since the program won four in a row from 2013-16. UConn is joined by UCLA, Texas and South Carolina as the other No. 1 seeds.
UConn, which is led by stars Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, opens the tournament at home against 16th-seeded UTSA and will play in the Fort Worth Regional. If seeds hold, the Huskies could face No. 2 Vanderbilt, which is coached by former UConn great Shea Ralph. This is the 23rd time UConn has earned a No. 1 seed and first since 2021.
UCLA (31-1) was just behind the Huskies as the second overall seed in the tournament. The Bruins have won 25 straight games in dominant fashion after its lone loss against Texas on a neutral court.
“The debate was pretty close the whole time between the two teams,” said NCAA selection committee chair Amanda Braun. “Went to a committee vote, watched a lot of UCLA and UConn — the vote went to UConn. The observable component, the way we watched UConn win throughout the year. UCLA did a lot of winning as well. The committee felt the observable component gave UConn the edge.”
UCLA reached the Final Four last year before losing to UConn. Cori Close’s team ran through the Big Ten and has an experienced group led by center Lauren Betts looking to win the school’s first NCAA championship.
The Bruins will try to win the first women’s national championship for the Big Ten Conference since 1999. The Bruins are one of 12 Big Ten teams in the field. That matches the record they set last season for most teams in the tournament. The SEC has 10, the ACC nine and Big 12 eight.
Other tops teams in UCLA’s region are No. 2 LSU, No. 3 Duke and No. 4 Minnesota.
The Longhorns (31-3) earned the third No. 1 seed after winning the SEC Tournament title. They beat South Carolina in two of the three meetings this season. Texas will play in Fort Worth Regional 3. Other top teams in Texas’ region are No. 2 Michigan, No. 3 Louisville and No. 4 West Virginia.
The Gamecocks (31-3) are the No. 1 seed in the Sacramento Regional 4 and have been a No. 1 seed for six consecutive seasons. They will be joined by No. 2 Iowa, No. 3 TCU and No, 4 Oklahoma.
The College of Charleston won the Colonial Athletic Association to make the tournament field for the first time in school history. The Cougars are a 14-seed and are the lone first time entry in the field. Last season, there were six newcomers.
BYU, North Dakota State, Utah and Texas A&M were the first four teams left out of the field.
For the second consecutive year, teams in the women’s tournament will be financially compensated, in a similar fashion to the men’s field, for each round they play. “Units” are what the NCAA calls its tally of wins, automatic qualifiers and at-large bids that determine how much conferences are paid. A unit is money paid to conferences when one of its teams appears in the NCAA Tournament.
This year, the NCAA is giving teams that reach the championship game and the one that wins the title extra units. That extra compensation was added to the overall pool and doesn’t decrease the overall value of the units.
The top 16 seeds in the 68-team field will host first- and second-round games, with the regional rounds being played at two neutral sites for the fourth straight year. Fort Worth, Texas, will host half of the Sweet 16 and Sacramento, California, will host the other eight teams.
The Final Four will be played in Phoenix on April 3 and the championship game is two days later.
For the first time the NCAA revealed the 16 host schools a day early. It gave schools an extra day to sell tickets, broadcast partner ESPN a head start to move its equipment to the locations and the NCAA more time to get its marketing materials to sites.
Painted Tree Boutiques has abruptly closed all of its stores nationwide, blaming rising costs, shifting market conditions and changes in consumer shopping behavior.
The company, which grew to more than 60 locations nationally, leased booth space to vendors and took a commission on their sales, most often from craft and handmade items.
Texas’ stores included six in North Texas – Frisco, Grapevine, Highland Village, Lewisville, Mansfield and North Richland Hills – along with others in the Austin, San Antonio, Tyler and Houston areas.
Painted Tree announced the closures in a message expressing gratitude to shoppers, vendors, and employees, noting its last day of business was Monday.
The Arkansas-originated company emphasized that Painted Tree was “never just a store,” but a community hub and launchpad for local makers.
“We are heartbroken by this outcome,” the company said.
“This decision has not come lightly, and it represents the end of a chapter that has meant everything to us,” the company said in a statement. “To our shoppers – you have made every single day worthwhile. You came to us not just to shop, but to discover, to support local makers, and to find something truly one-of-a-kind.
“To our dedicated team members – past and present – your commitment, creativity, and care have shaped everything we’ve accomplished. You showed up every day with kindness and purpose, and we are deeply thankful for every hour you gave to this community.”
Vendors were instructed to retrieve all inventory by April 24.
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Gov. Greg Abbott is scheduled to tour the Automotive Technology and Welding Facility at South Plains College on Tuesday, April 14, and deliver remarks on the creation of the Texas Jobs Council and the state’s investments in career and technical education.
Abbott will be joined by Teamsters Local 988 President Robert Mele, South Plains College President Robin Satterwhite and Texas Association of Community Colleges President and CEO Ray Martinez III.
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AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Attorney General’s Office is launching an investigation into the City of Austin over recent changes to Austin Police Department policy involving immigration enforcement.
A news flash obtained by CBS Austin and sent to Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and city council confirms the review focuses on updated guidance for how officers handle administrative ICE warrants.
The investigation comes as the state claims those changes may violate Texas Senate Bill 4, a law banning sanctuary cities in the state.
The policy change follows the addition of more than 700,000 ICE administrative warrants to a national law enforcement database earlier this year. According to the city, the revised policy creates a process for officers who encounter a person with an ICE administrative warrant and allows officers to provide “reasonable or necessary assistance,” while taking into consideration legal constraints and limited police resources.
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City leaders maintain the policy is lawful.
“We believe our general orders are consistent with SB4 and will cooperate with the Attorney General’s investigation,” said the newsflash.
Officials say the changes were designed to provide clearer guidance for officers while balancing public safety priorities and constitutional requirements.
CBS Austin has reached out the Attorney General’s Office for comment.
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