Where to Pick Upsets in Your Women’s NCAA Tournament Bracket

Since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1994, the Nos. 1, 2 and 3 seeds hold a combined 359–1 record in the opening round. | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

In 1998 Stanford walked into the women’s NCAA tournament as the top overall seed and with a dark cloud overhead. All Pac-10 forward Vanessa Nygaard suffered her second torn ACL in the regular-season finale and four days later, forward Kristin Folkl, the Cardinal’s leading scorer, tore her ACL. By the time No. 16 Harvard arrived at Stanford’s doorstep, malaise seemed to have already set in.

Stanford would not be able to stop Allison Feaster—the nation’s leading scorer, and mother of current UConn freshman standout Sarah Strong. Feaster scored a game-high 35 points and led the Crimson to a 71–67 upset victory. Harvard’s win marked the first time a No. 1 seed lost in the tournament’s opening round.