When we talk about increased parity in women’s college basketball, what we really mean is depth at the top of the sport. There are legitimately 6-8 teams good enough to cut down the nets this year, which means that it’s hard to pencil the No. 1 seeds all into the Final Four like we used to do without thinking twice.

FILE – March Madness branding is displayed a Wilson EVO NXT basketball before a first-round college basketball game between Kent State and Notre Dame in the women’s NCAA Tournament Saturday March 23, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina, File)