On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Missy Heidrick talks with award-winning sports journalist Michelle Smith about the transition the NCAA tournament will take from the Elite Eight to the Final Four. The two discuss which teams are, or are likely to, head to the semifinals, and touch on other relevant topics in women’s college basketball.
Heidrick opens the show by discussing the concept of super-regionals, and asking Smith for her opinion. “I think everything has been worth a try when it comes to women’s basketball,” Smith says, “but after a few years of doing it, I don’t love it anymore.” Smith’s big reason for souring on the super-regionals? They limit fans’ abilities to travel, and fan participation is a crucial part of the NCAA Tournament experience.
Later on, Heidrick asks Smith for her opinions on the South Carolina Gamecocks, who have officially punched their ticket to the Final Four. “I don’t think this is the powerhouse that we’ve seen over the last couple of years,” Smith says. “But … they figure out how to do it.”
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Heidrick and Smith close out the show by talking about Monday night’s games. “I am excited to see Madison Booker and Hailey Van Lith at the precipice of this,” Smith says, referring to the Texas v. TCU matchup. “The Elite Eight games [are] my favorite game in the whole tournament, by the way.”
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