Upsets are one of the best parts of March Madness. Cinderella Davids take down giant Goliaths and permanently etch their names in the college basketball history books. Some upsets bust brackets a little more than others. Here's a look at the biggest upsets in the history of the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, dating back to when the field was expanded to 64 teams in 1994.
*The list is in descending order by seeds, with stats provided by ESPN Research.
1998: No. 16 Harvard defeats No. 1 Stanford 71-67
Led by the nation's top scorer in Allison Feaster and her 28.5 points per game, Harvard flew 3,000 miles to pull off arguably the greatest upset in the history of college basketball. The Crimson defeated top-seeded Stanford on the Cardinal's home court. It was the first time a No. 16 seed ousted a No. 1 seed in either the women's or men's tournament. It remains the only 16-1 upset in women's tournament history. It's also the only upset by a team seeded 14th or lower against a team seeded No. 3 or higher in the women's tournament.
2021: No. 13 Wright State defeats No. 4 Arkansas 66-62
Angel Baker knocked down a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left to give Wright State a 64-62 lead over Arkansas. Baker finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds and the Raiders held on for their first NCAA tournament win in program history. The Razorbacks had been the only team to beat No. 1-seeded UConn that season before the Huskies lost to No. 3 Arizona in the Final Four.
2012: No. 13 Marist defeats No. 4 Georgia 76-70
Marist opened its stint in the 2012 NCAA tournament with an upset of the Georgia Lady Bulldogs. Corielle Yarde led the way with 21 points, including a three-point play with 1:37 remaining that helped seal Marist's fifth-ever NCAA tournament win. The Red Foxes remain the only program to upset a No. 4 seed as a 13-seed multiple times. They also defeated Ohio State in 2007.
2007: No. 13 Marist defeats No. 4 Ohio State 67-64
Speaking of Marist's upset over the Buckeyes, the victory marked the first second-round berth for the Red Foxes in program history. Entering the matchup, teams from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference were just 1-26 in NCAA tournament games, with the only win coming from La Salle over UConn in the first round in 1989. Marist went on to beat Middle Tennessee in the second round and became the first MAAC team to advance to the Sweet 16.
2005: No. 13 Liberty defeats No. 4 Penn State 78-70
Liberty grabbed its first NCAA tournament win with an upset over Penn State in 2005. The Flames never trailed after using a 16-1 run early in the second half to take a 43-35 lead. Liberty's Katie Feenstra led all players in points (22) and rebounds (12). The Flames entered the matchup 0-8 all time in the big dance. They went on to make it to the Sweet 16. Liberty remains the only Big South team to advance to the Sweet 16.
2004: No. 13 Middle Tennessee defeats No. 4 North Carolina 67-62
Patrice Holmes scored a team-high 18 points, including two free throws with 8.3 seconds left, to lead Middle Tennessee past North Carolina. The Blue Raiders held the No. 4 Tar Heels to 0-for-13 shooting from 3-point range. MTSU led 60-48 with 6:30 left, then Jessica Bell scored a pair of put-back baskets to spark a 10-0 run by North Carolina to cut it to 60-58 with 3:44 to play. But it wasn't enough.
2000: No. 13 Rice defeats No. 4 UC Santa Barbara 67-64
In its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament, Rice upset UC Santa Barbara and collected its first win over an AP Top 10 opponent. The victory also brought an end to the nation's longest active winning streak, as UCSB had won its previous 26 games. Kim Smallwood scored 16 of her 22 points in the second half to secure the victory for the Owls.
1994: No. 13 Texas A&M defeats No. 4 Florida 78-76
Lisa Branch hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to lift host Texas A&M over Florida. The victory marked the first time a No. 13 seed took down a No. 4 seed. Martha McClelland led the Aggies with 22 points and nine rebounds. Branch had 15 points and 11 assists. Texas A&M hosted the matchup because pop singer Rod Stewart had a concert scheduled in the Gators' O'Connell Center.
2009: No. 12 Ball State defeats No. 5 Tennessee 71-55
Porchia Green led all scorers with 23 points and paced Ball State to a stunner in the program's first NCAA tournament appearance. The upset marked the first time the Tennessee Lady Volunteers had ever lost in the first two rounds of the tournament under coach Pat Summitt. The 2008-09 Tennessee squad also became the first defending national champion to lose in the first round. It remains the Lady Vols' largest NCAA tournament loss against a team seeded lower than them.
2022: No. 10 South Dakota def. No. 2 Baylor 61-47
South Dakota entered the round-of-32 matchup against Baylor as a 14-point underdog. The Coyotes led the entire game and advanced to their first Sweet 16 in program history en route to snapping Baylor's streak of 12 consecutive regional semifinal appearances. The Bears became the 17th opponent South Dakota held under 50 points that season. It marked the first time since 2015 that Baylor had been held under 50 points in a game.
2021: No. 3 Arizona defeats No. 1 UConn 69-59
Arizona was a 14-point underdog when the Wildcats toppled UConn in the Final Four in 2021. Aari McDonald scored 26 points and Arizona led the entire game, becoming the eighth No. 3 seed or lower to advance to the national championship game. Arizona held UConn to a season low in points. The Wildcats lost to Stanford two nights later.
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