South Carolina is the defending champion after it beat Iowa last year in a title game watched by an audience of 18.7 million, record viewership for a women's college basketball game. South Carolina also won NCAA titles under coach Dawn Staley in 2022 and 2017.

UCLA remained No. 1 in The Associated Press women’s basketball Top 25 a day after the Bruins earned the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history.