Women’s March Madness is the time of year when the brightest stars are placed under the national spotlight, Cinderella stories are written in real time, and emotions run higher than ever.
For a few weeks every spring, the NCAA women’s tournament turns into one of the most compelling events in sports, filled with buzzer-beaters, bracket-busting upsets, and unforgettable moments that quickly spread across social media. Fans who may not have followed women’s college basketball all season suddenly find themselves invested, cheering for unexpected teams and discovering players they had never heard of before.
During the NCAA women’s tournament, basketball fans get to hear new stories about rising programs and become diehards for teams that busted their carefully planned brackets. Throughout the tournament, there are close games and viral moments that send fans into a frenzy, reminding everyone why March Madness is so special.
Don’t get me wrong, I love watching the intense, down-to-the-wire matchups that define this time of year. However, what I love even more are the athletes behind those moments and the stories that make their journeys meaningful. From breakout performances to inspiring team runs, these are my five favorite stories to come out of the first two rounds of the women’s NCAA tournament.
5. “Blanket Lady” from Minnesota.
During Number 4 Minnesota’s round of 32 game against Number 5 Ole Miss, the energy was electric inside Williams Arena, the home court for the Golden Gophers. The fan who led the charge was 81-year-old Elvera Neuman, better known as “blanket lady” to Gopher fans. She had singlehandedly started a Minnesota crowd tradition as she raised a red and gold blanket adorned with the Minnesota emblem and ran up and down the sideline as the crowd cheered louder and louder, until she returned to her seat.
Neuman, a longtime superfan of the Golden Gophers, has been cheering them on since 2004. However, her love for basketball started before the sport loved women back.
In the 1950s, Neuman first fell in love with basketball shooting on a basket attached to her family’s farm in Minnesota. As she got into high school, her love for the game never wavered, but sadly, she could not pursue it any further because there was no women’s team at her high school. However, Neuman was not ready to accept that reality; she advocated for a women’s team for three years before she was finally able to get a team started as a senior.
Out of high school, Neuman joined the Texas Cowgirls, a traveling professional women’s basketball team that was considered the Harlem Globetrotters of the 1970s. She played professional basketball until she was 44-years old and even started her own team, the Atlanta Gems. She played over 140 games in her career and was known as one of the best players of her time.
Neuman helped pave the way for the Lady Golden Gophers during the 1970s and 80s, and she continues to support the team today by being the infamous “blanket lady”.
4. Rori Harmon’s final game at Moody Center.
After beating 16-seeded Missouri State in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the number one seed Texas returned to the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, to face the Number 8-seeded Oregon.
The Longhorns secured a dominant win, 100-58, over the Ducks in the final game at the Moody Center for the Texas seniors, including Rori Harmon. The fifth-year senior who holds the Texas all-time steal record (351) played in her 79th career home game on Monday.
It was already an emotional moment for Harmon as she stepped off the court at Moody Center for the last time. What caused the smiling senior to shed a tear was a surprise moment between her and Dr. Doug Elenz, the doctor who performed ACL surgery on her three years ago and made it possible for her to return to basketball her junior year.
“I told him he’s my hero,” Harmon says.
Thanks to the work of Dr. Elenz and the resiliency of Harmon, Texas is headed to the Sweet 16 for the fifth time in a row.
3. Amaya Battle full circle buzzer beater.
In a round of 32 games, Number Four Minnesota squeaked out a win against Number Five Ole Miss 65-63 at Williams Arena. The game came down to the last second. It was tied 63-63 with 3.5 seconds remaining, and Minnesota had possession. In a moment that senior guard Amaya Battle will not soon forget, she secured the inbound pass, took two dribbles, and rose up on the baseline to sink a jumper. In that moment, she secured Minnesota’s ticket to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009.
This moment was a long time coming for Battle, who was Minnesota basketball royalty long before this game. The senior went to Hopkins High School, just 12 miles away from Williams Arena, where she won two state championships in 2019 and 2022. As she looked ahead to college recruitment, as a four-star recruit, she had her pick of schools but opted to stay in the Land of 10,000 Lakes.
However, the head coach who recruited her to the Gophers, Lindsay Whalen, was let go after Battle’s freshman season. With the uncertainty of her college career at Minnesota, no one would have thought twice if she chose to enter the transfer portal. Battle, however, chose to stay loyal to her roots and stick with the Gopher program through her college career. Now, all the work she has given to the program has come full circle.
“This whole season is a perfect way to wrap up the four years here,” Battle says. “We had a lot of ups and downs. … It’s bittersweet I’ll never play at the Barn again, but I’m leaving it with a win and going to the Sweet 16.”
2. Brenda Frese’s viral coaching moment.
One of the most viral moments of the women’s tournament thus far came from a round of 32 matchup between Maryland and North Carolina. In the third quarter of what became a 74-66 win for the Tar Heels, Maryland head coach Brenda Frese displayed the intense emotions that come with the all-or-nothing stakes of March.
In a span of three minutes, the star guard for the Terrapins, Oluchi Okananwa, had a travel, hit a quarter of her free throws, and missed a layup before getting subbed out. As she jogged to the bench, Frese stopped her, got inches from her face, and delivered an intense speech.
“I believe in you,” the longtime Terrapins coach could be seen saying. “But you gotta want this moment.”
In a moment that could have been turned into a harsh judgment of Frese’s style of coaching, both Frese and Okananwa were quick to clear up the intent of the moment in the post-game presser.
“Coach understands I’m a competitor at heart,” Okananwa says, “I’ve told her this before, and I’ll keep on telling her this forever. I love to be coached hard. That’s what she does with me every single day.”
Frese is not new to the coaching game in her 24th year at the helm of Maryland women’s basketball. She’s led them to three Final Fours, 14 conference titles, and a national championship in 2006. Her 688 career wins are the most in program history and rank in the top 20 in the history of the sport.
“It’s always been a pulse that I’ve been able to have with individuals and players,” Frese says. “We do, at times, have to have those tough conversations. You can’t have them without a relationship. You’ve got to be able to have that. The best of the best, the elite of the elite, want to be coached hard.”
Okananwa ended the game with 21 points, six rebounds, and two steals on 50 percent shooting from the field. Even though it was not enough to keep Maryland’s March dreams alive, this moment displayed one of the best parts of elite sports: the relationships between coaches and players, and the dedication that both sides display to the game.
1. Kymora Johnson is a homegrown hero.
In the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, Number 10 Virginia secured two upset wins against Number 7 Georgia and Number two Iowa. In a thrilling double overtime win to send the team to the Sweet 16, Virginia became the first First Four team to reach the Sweet 16. The Cavilers have been led by junior guard Kymora Johnson, who has averaged 28 points, five assists, and 38.5% from the field.
Johnson has a unique, homegrown story in the world of NIL and the transfer portal. She grew up just four miles from the University of Virginia. She was a ball girl for the Lady Cavaliers as a kid, and her AAU team played a mini-game at halftime of a UVA game when she was in middle school.
Coming out of high school, Johnson was a five-star recruit who had a plethora of picks to play at the next level. However, she chose to stay loyal to her hometown and attend the University of Virginia. Now she has restored the former glory to the Cavillers that she remembered growing up.
“Virginia, in its glory days, was amazing. I grew up watching Virginia. My mom grew up watching Virginia. So, just knowing that that’s possible, and finally being able to do it, has been amazing. I’m really excited for tomorrow and the rest of March,” Johnson says.
These five memorable moments demonstrate the passion and energy that March Madness brings to women’s basketball. From dedicated super fans to inspiring coaches and one-of-a-kind players, these are the moments that keep people watching.