• NCAA Interactive Bracket | PDF Bracket
Western Illinois will face North Carolina in the First Round of the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Championship. The Leathernecks earned the league's automatic bid and will be making their third NCAA appearance. The Tar Heels enter as a No. 4 seed and are currently ranked #15 in the country.
The First Round matchup will take place on Friday, March 20 in Chapel Hill, N.C. The game will tip at 4:30 p.m. CT and will air on ESPNEWS.
The Leathernecks (26-5, 16-4 OVC) enter the NCAA Tournament as the OVC’s automatic qualifier. WIU defeated Lindenwood for the conference championship, claiming its first tournament title.
The Tar Heels are 26-7 and finished 14-4 in the ACC.
OVC teams have won a game in three of the past five NCAA Tournaments (2021, 2022, 2023).