NCAAW: LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, FSU’s Ta’Niya Laston meet second round

On Monday, the first weekend of the 2025 NCAA Tournament closes out with some of the sport’s biggest stars in action.

Sophomore standouts JuJu Watkins and Madison Booker should have no issues leading their No. 1-seeded squads, USC and Texas, respectively, to wins over No. 9-seed Mississippi State for the Trojans (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) and No. 9-seed Illinois for the Longhorns (2 p.m. ET, ESPN). Likewise, No. 2-seed UConn, captained by Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, should take care of the lone surviving double-digit seed in No. 10-seed South Dakota State (8 p.m. ET, ESPN).

However, several other of Monday’s matchups that also feature a significant degree of star power profile as more competitive and compelling. Here are three games to be sure to tune in for:

Will the Tide or Terps play to their potential?

No. 4-seed Maryland and No. 5-seed Alabama are two teams that flashed high upsides, but also lower floors, during the 2025 season. It’s a characteristic that makes them appealing candidates to make a longer-than-expected tournament run, but also to flame out in uninspiring fashion.

For the Terrapins, a season that was tracking toward true title contention turned when Bri McDaniel was injured in mid-January. The then one-loss Terps lost three-straight games, albeit against an incredibly tough schedule (Texas, Ohio State, UCLA), before then dropping a few games to the Big Ten’s lesser lights during the remainder of the season.

The Terrapins’ first-round game against No. 13-seed Norfolk State encapsulated their ups and downs. A 12-point second quarter had Maryland trailing at the half, only for a scoring explosion from Sarah Te-Biasu and Kaylene Smikle to start the fourth quarter to propel the Terps to a relatively comfortable 82-69 win. Similar sharp shooting in the second round, as Maryland shot 50 percent from 3 and 92 percent from the free throw line as a team, certainly would give the Terrapins the edge over the Crimson Tide.

Although, Alabama also has their fair share of lights-out shooters. As a team, the Tide shoot 38.6 percent from downtown, the third-best mark in Division I; they’re also making almost nine made 3-pointers per game, which ranks 15th in the sport. And when Aaliyah Nye has the ball when behind the arc, it should be a five-alarm fire for the opponent, as she shot a SEC-leading 45.4 percent from 3 on 7.5 attempts per game. She scored a game-high 23 points, going 4-for-9 from 3, as Alabama separated in the second half to defeat No. 12-seed Green Bay, 81-67, in the first round. Sarah Ashlee Barker and Zaay Green also can rain in 3-balls, in addition to effectively taking advantage of the space created by Nye to score efficiently inside the arc.

However, the inherent volatility of 3-pointer shooting makes Alabama vulnerable. If the shots aren’t finding the bottom of the net, putting up points and, in turn, earning a win, can become a problem. That’s what happened in Bama’s loss to Florida in the SEC Tournament.

When this one tips off at 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2), look for lots of shooting and scoring, with the team that makes their shots late advancing to a Sweet 16 date with No. 1-seed South Carolina.

A high-scoring shootout is in store as FSU takes on LSU

And if you’re interested in more scoring? No. 3-seed LSU vs. No. 6-seed Florida State is a must-watch matchup at 6 p.m. ET (ESPN).

The Seminoles are the second-highest scoring team in the nation due to the supreme bucket-getting abilities of Ta’Niya Latson, who leads the nation with 25 points per game. But, the junior guard doesn’t just get buckets; she’s also first in the ACC and second in the nation in points produced per game, meaning she also helps her teammates generate points. Latson does the majority of her damage inside the arc, using her scoring craft to also earn almost eight free throw attempts per game. Latson’s full bag was on display as she dropped 28 points in FSU’s first-round win over No. 11-seed George Mason, 94-59.

On the other side is Flau’jae Johnson, who looks rejuvenated after missing the SEC Tournament to rest her injured shin. In the first round, Johnson scored 22 points in 22 minutes, making four 3-pointers, which tied her season high. The Tigers trampled No. 14-seed San Diego State, 103-48. For the season, Johnson led the Tigers, who own the nation’s 8th-highest scoring offense, with 19 points per game, shooting a career-best 38.3 percent from deep on a career-leading 3.9 attempts per game.

And if the shots are not falling for Latson, Johnson and their teammates, look for Makayla Timpson and Aneesah Morrow, two of the nation’s best rebounders, to engage in an epic battle of the boards, striving to earn second-chance points that could prove crucial down the stretch. For the ‘Noles, the bouncy Timpson grabbed 10.7 boards per game, finishing the season with the 11th-most boards in the nation with 341. Morrow dominates the glass for the Tigers with an unrelenting will, securing a nation-leading 13.6 rebounds per game despite standing just 6-foot-1.

In the end, expect the Tigers to have the advantage because, as Johnson raps in her Powerade commercial, she knows “how it feel to wear that ring and throw that trophy up.”

It will be about defense when UNC, WVU clash

Conversely, if you ascribe to the mantra, “Defense wins championships,” the 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) game between No. 3-seed North Carolina and No. 6-seed West Virginia should be your speed, pitting the ACC’s second-stingiest defense against the Big 12’s top-ranked defensive unit.

While the Mountaineers deploy an aggressive defense that forces opponents into 23.8 turnovers per game, with an average of 13.8 of those turnovers coming via steals, the Tar Heels defense is defined by overall solidity rather than high activity. That contrast of defensive styles will make this matchup even more intriguing. And each team’s leader embodies their side’s defensive identity. For West Virginia, that’s back-to-back Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year JJ Quinerly, who is an absolute steals maven, swiping the ball over three times per game. ACC All-Defensive selection Alyssa Ustby is the do-it-all anchor for Carolina.

In the first round, UNC overcame a somewhat sluggish first half to defeat No. 14-seed Oregon State, 70-79. Ustby finished with 10 points, nine boards, four assists and two steals. West Virginia cruised against No. 11-seed Columbia, 78-59, behind 27 points from Quinerly. That’s a high point total that has become characteristic for Quinerly during her senior season, when she has complemented her defensive prowess with explosive scoring. She closed out the regular season with performances of 31 and 38 points, before scoring at least 20 points in the Mountaineers’ two Big 12 Tournament games.

If Quinerly can shake loose and find her scoring groove against the gritty Tar Heel defense, look for the Mountaineers to boogie into a Sweet 16 contest against No. 2-seed Duke.