The LSU women’s basketball team survived and advanced. Now a pair of even more difficult tests stand between the No. 3-seeded Tigers and a return trip to the Women's Final Four.
In Albany, New York, they’ll first face No. 2 UCLA at noon Saturday on ABC.
A win sets LSU up for an intriguing Elite Eight matchup on Monday against either No. 1 Iowa — the team it defeated in the 2023 national title game — or No. 5 Colorado, the squad it fell to in its 2023-24 season opener.
Here are five things to watch in the Albany 2 region’s Sweet 16 matchups.
1. Reese’s efficiency
Angel Reese has been uncharacteristically inefficient to start the tournament. Across LSU's first two games, she shot only 29% from the field. The Tigers need her to provide more efficient offense against UCLA, a team that's allowing its opponents to convert only 39% of their 2s, one of the 10 lowest rates in the country.
2. Van Lith’s production
LSU could use an extra scoring punch from Hailey Van Lith, who scored only 11 points on 25% shooting in the Tigers’ first two tourney games. In each of her three seasons at Louisville, Van Lith increased her scoring numbers in the tournament, so maybe she's due for a more productive outing.
3. UCLA’s rebounding
LSU and UCLA grab rebounds at the two highest rates in the country, according to Her Hoop Stats. So when the two teams clash in the Sweet 16, something will have to give. The squad that ends the day with more rebounds may very well be the one that advances to the Elite Eight.
4. Colorado’s size
Colorado has Aaronette Vonleh and Quay Miller, a pair of bruising 6-foot-3 centers who could cause problems for an undersized Iowa team. Watch how the Hawkeyes fare around the rim and on the glass, because they may need more than Caitlin Clark's heroics to beat a Buffaloes squad that can catch fire from 3-point range.
5. An LSU-Iowa rematch
LSU and Iowa are each only one win away from meeting in the Elite Eight for a rematch of the 2023 national title game. The possibility is exciting — for Reese, for Clark and for two teams helping drive the burgeoning popularity of women's college basketball.