2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament

Infobox NCAA Basketball Tournament
Gender=Women's
Year=2007


ImageSize=125px
Caption=The birthplace of Rock and Roll was honored with a guitar on the 2007 Women's Final Four logo.
Teams=64
FinalFourArena=Quicken Loans Arena
FinalFourCity=Cleveland, Ohio
Champions=Tennessee
TitleCount=7th
RunnerUp=Rutgers
GameCount=1st
Semifinal1=North Carolina
FinalFourCount=2nd
Semifinal2=LSU
FinalFourCount2=4th
Coach=Pat Summitt
CoachCount=7th
MOP=Candace Parker
MOPTeam=Tennessee
Attendance=
OneTopScorer=
TwoTopScorers=
TopScorer=
TopScorerTeam=
TopScorer2=
TopScorer2Team=
Points=

The 2007 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament began on March 17, 2007 and concluded on April 3 at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Final Four consisted of Tennessee, LSU, Rutgers, and North Carolina, with Tennessee defeating Rutgers 59-46 for their seventh National Title. Tennessee's Candace Parker was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament.

Regionals

Once again, the system was the same as the Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, with the exception that only 64 teams go and there is no play-in game. Automatic bids are secured by 31 conference champions and 33 at-large bids.

The regionals were held from March 24 to 27 in the following regions. (Please note that the regionals are still named for the cities in which they occur. The women's committee has not renamed them for sections of the country as the men's committee did in 2007. Both tourneys originally shed their geographic names in 2005.)

*March 24 and 26::Fresno Regional, Save Mart Center, Fresno, California (Host: Fresno State University):Greensboro Regional, Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina (Host: Atlantic Coast Conference)

*March 25 and 27::Dallas Regional, Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas (Hosts: Conference USA and Southern Methodist University):Dayton Regional, University of Dayton Arena, Dayton, Ohio.

The subregionals, which once again used the "pod system", keeping most teams at or close to the home cities, were held from March 17 to 20 at these locations:
*March 17 and 19::Frank Erwin Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas:Williams Arena, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis:Maples Pavilion, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California:Galen Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California

*March 18 and 20::Breslin Student Events Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan:Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut (Host: University of Connecticut):Petersen Events Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania:RBC Center, Raleigh, North Carolina (Host: North Carolina State University)

"NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, the sites were on-campus sites."

The regional winners advanced to the Final Four, held on April 1 and 3, 2007 at Quicken Loans Arena, in Cleveland, Ohio, hosted by both Cleveland State University and the Mid-American Conference.

Qualifying teams

Brackets

(*) - Number of asterisks denotes number of overtimes.

Dallas Regional

16TeamBracket | RD1=First round March 17-18
RD2=Second round March 19-20
RD3=Regional semifinals March 25
RD4=Regional finals March 27
RD1-team01=North Carolina
RD1-team02=Prairie View A&M
RD1-score01=77
RD1-score02=38
RD1-team03=California
RD1-team04=Notre Dame
RD1-score03=59
RD1-score04=62
RD1-team05=George Washington
RD1-team06=Boise State
RD1-score05=76
RD1-score06=67
RD1-team07=Texas A&M
RD1-team08=Texas - Arlington
RD1-score07=58
RD1-score08=50
RD1-team09=Iowa State
RD1-team10=Washington
RD1-score09=79
RD1-score10=60
RD1-team11=Georgia
RD1-team12=Belmont
RD1-score11=53
RD1-score12=36
RD1-team13=Georgia Tech
RD1-team14=DePaul
RD1-score13=55
RD1-score14=54
RD1-team15=Purdue
RD1-team16=Oral Roberts
RD1-score15=63
RD1-score16=42
RD2-seed01=1
RD2-team01=North Carolina
RD2-seed02=9
RD2-team02=Notre Dame
RD2-score01=60
RD2-score02=51
RD2-seed03=5
RD2-team03=George Washington
RD2-seed04=4
RD2-team04=Texas A&M
RD2-score03=59
RD2-score04=47
RD2-seed05=6
RD2-team05=Iowa State
RD2-seed06=3
RD2-team06=Georgia
RD2-score05=56
RD2-score06=76
RD2-seed07=7
RD2-team07=Georgia Tech
RD2-seed08=2
RD2-team08=Purdue
RD2-score07=63
RD2-score08=76
RD3-seed01=1
RD3-team01=North Carolina
RD3-seed02=5
RD3-team02=George Washington
RD3-score01=70
RD3-score02=56
RD3-seed03=3
RD3-team03=Georgia
RD3-seed04=2
RD3-team04=Purdue
RD3-score03=65
RD3-score04=78
RD4-seed01=1
RD4-team01=North Carolina
RD4-seed02=2
RD4-team02=Purdue
RD4-score01=84
RD4-score02=72

Dayton Regional

16TeamBracket | RD1=First round March 17-18
RD2=Second round March 19-20
RD3=Regional semifinals March 25
RD4=Regional finals March 27
RD1-team01=Tennessee
RD1-team02=Drake
RD1-score01=76
RD1-score02=37
RD1-team03=Pittsburgh
RD1-team04=James Madison
RD1-score03=71
RD1-score04=61
RD1-team05=Middle Tennessee State
RD1-team06=Gonzaga
RD1-score05=85
RD1-score06=46
RD1-team07=Ohio State
RD1-team08=Marist
RD1-score07=63
RD1-score08=67
RD1-team09=Marquette
RD1-team10= LA-Lafeyette
RD1-score09=87
RD1-score10=58
RD1-team11=Oklahoma
RD1-team12= SE Missouri State
RD1-score11=74
RD1-score12=60
RD1-team13=Mississippi
RD1-team14=TCU
RD1-score13=88
RD1-score14=74
RD1-team15=Maryland
RD1-team16=Harvard
RD1-score15=89
RD1-score16=65
RD2-seed01=1
RD2-team01=Tennessee
RD2-seed02=8
RD2-team02=Pittsburgh
RD2-score01=68
RD2-score02=54
RD2-seed03=5
RD2-team03=Middle Tennessee State
RD2-seed04=13
RD2-team04=Marist
RD2-score03=59
RD2-score04=73
RD2-seed05=6
RD2-team05=Marquette
RD2-seed06=3
RD2-team06=Oklahoma
RD2-score05=47
RD2-score06=78
RD2-seed07=7
RD2-team07=Mississippi
RD2-seed08=2
RD2-team08=Maryland
RD2-score07=89
RD2-score08=78
RD3-seed01=1
RD3-team01=Tennessee
RD3-seed02=13
RD3-team02=Marist
RD3-score01=65
RD3-score02=46
RD3-seed03=3
RD3-team03=Oklahoma
RD3-seed04=7
RD3-team04=Mississippi
RD3-score03=82
RD3-score04=90
RD4-seed01=1
RD4-team01=Tennessee
RD4-seed02=7
RD4-team02=Mississippi
RD4-score01=98
RD4-score02=62

Fresno Regional

16TeamBracket | RD1=First round March 17-18
RD2=Second round March 19-20
RD3=Regional semifinals March 24
RD4=Regional finals March 26
RD1-team01=Connecticut
RD1-team02=UMBC
RD1-score01=82
RD1-score02=33
RD1-team03=New Mexico
RD1-team04=Wisconsin-Green Bay
RD1-score03=52
RD1-score04=59
RD1-team05=Baylor
RD1-team06=Chattanooga
RD1-score05=68
RD1-score06=55
RD1-team07=N.C. State
RD1-team08=Robert Morris
RD1-score07=84
RD1-score08=52
RD1-team09=Xavier
RD1-team10=West Virginia
RD1-score09=52
RD1-score10=65
RD1-team11=LSU
RD1-team12=UNC-Asheville
RD1-score11=77
RD1-score12=39
RD1-team13=Old Dominion
RD1-team14=Florida State
RD1-score13=75
RD1-score14=85
RD1-team15=Stanford
RD1-team16=Idaho State
RD1-score15=96
RD1-score16=58
RD2-seed01=1
RD2-team01=Connecticut
RD2-seed02=9
RD2-team02=Wisconsin-Green Bay
RD2-score01=94
RD2-score02=70
RD2-seed03=5
RD2-team03=Baylor
RD2-seed04=4
RD2-team04=N.C. State
RD2-score03=72
RD2-score04=78*
RD2-seed05=11
RD2-team05=West Virginia
RD2-seed06=3
RD2-team06=LSU
RD2-score05=43
RD2-score06=49
RD2-seed07=10
RD2-team07=Florida State
RD2-seed08=2
RD2-team08=Stanford
RD2-score07=68
RD2-score08=61
RD3-seed01=1
RD3-team01=Connecticut
RD3-seed02=4
RD3-team02=N.C. State
RD3-score01=78
RD3-score02=71
RD3-seed03=3
RD3-team03=LSU
RD3-seed04=10
RD3-team04=Florida State
RD3-score03=55
RD3-score04=43
RD4-seed01=1
RD4-team01=Connecticut
RD4-seed02=3
RD4-team02=LSU
RD4-score01=50
RD4-score02=73

Greensboro Regional

16TeamBracket | RD1=First round March 17-18
RD2=Second round March 19-20
RD3=Regional semifinals March 24
RD4=Regional finals March 26
RD1-team01=Duke
RD1-team02=Holy Cross
RD1-score01=81
RD1-score02=44
RD1-team03=Temple
RD1-team04=Nebraska
RD1-score03=64
RD1-score04=61
RD1-team05=Michigan State
RD1-team06=Delaware
RD1-score05=69
RD1-score06=58
RD1-team07=Rutgers
RD1-team08=East Carolina
RD1-score07=77
RD1-score08=34
RD1-team09=Louisville
RD1-team10=BYU
RD1-score09=80
RD1-score10=54
RD1-team11=Arizona State
RD1-team12=UC Riverside
RD1-score11=57
RD1-score12=50
RD1-team13=Bowling Green
RD1-team14=Oklahoma State
RD1-score13=70
RD1-score14=66
RD1-team15=Vanderbilt
RD1-team16=Delaware State
RD1-score15=62
RD1-score16=47
RD2-seed01=1
RD2-team01=Duke
RD2-seed02=8
RD2-team02=Temple
RD2-score01=62
RD2-score02=52
RD2-seed03=5
RD2-team03=Michigan State
RD2-seed04=4
RD2-team04=Rutgers
RD2-score03=57
RD2-score04=70
RD2-seed05=6
RD2-team05=Louisville
RD2-seed06=3
RD2-team06=Arizona State
RD2-score05=58
RD2-score06=67
RD2-seed07=7
RD2-team07=Bowling Green
RD2-seed08=2
RD2-team08=Vanderbilt
RD2-score07=60
RD2-score08=59
RD3-seed01=1
RD3-team01=Duke
RD3-seed02=4
RD3-team02=Rutgers
RD3-score01=52
RD3-score02=53
RD3-seed03=3
RD3-team03=Arizona State
RD3-seed04=7
RD3-team04=Bowling Green
RD3-score03=67
RD3-score04=49
RD4-seed01=4
RD4-team01=Rutgers
RD4-seed02=3
RD4-team02=Arizona State
RD4-score01=64
RD4-score02=45

Final Four

4TeamBracket | RD1=National Semifinals April 1
RD2=National Championship April 3
RD1-seed1=DAL 1
RD1-team1=North Carolina
RD1-score1=50
RD1-seed2=DAY 1
RD1-team2=Tennessee
RD1-score2=56
RD1-seed3=FRE 3
RD1-team3=LSU
RD1-score3=35
RD1-seed4=GRE 4
RD1-team4=Rutgers
RD1-score4=59
RD2-seed1=DAY 1
RD2-team1= Tennessee
RD2-score1=59
RD2-seed2=GRE 4
RD2-team2= Rutgers
RD2-score2=46

"Regional Initials: DAL-Dallas; DAY-Dayton; FRE-Fresno; GRE-Greensboro."

Television and radio

As it had every year since 2003, ESPN and ESPN2 televised all 63 games. The first two rounds were presented on a regional basis. In some cases, a complete game of interest to a particular region were shown. However, most of the telecasts were in a "whip-around" format, with the specific game being shown changed on occasion and the endings to all close games or potential major upsets included. [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/news/story?page=maps0317] [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/news/story?page=maps0318] [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/news/story?page=maps0319] [http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/ncaatourney07/news/story?page=maps0320] All games not shown on either ESPN or ESPN2 in a local market area were available to subscribers of ESPN Full Court, a pay-per-view package available on most major cable and satellite providers. Select games were also simulcast on ESPNU and ESPN360.

All games from the regional semifinals forward were televised nationally on either ESPN or ESPN2, in both standard-definition and high-definition formats. The Final Four was on ESPN. In addition, the championship game was presented in the ESPN Full Circle format.

ESPN had three announcers at each site: a play-by-play announcer, a color commentator, and a sideline reporter. (In contrast, CBS Sports, which covers nearly every game of the men's tournament, did not use sideline reporters until the Final Four.) Mike Patrick, Doris Burke, Holly Rowe and Mark Jones had those respective roles at the Final Four site in Cleveland. Patrick, Burke and Rowe also covered the Greensboro regional.

Burke, who had been a sideline reporter at previous Final Fours, replaced Ann Meyers, who had that role for at least the last four years. Meyers is now the general manager of the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA.

Other regional broadcast teams were:
*Dallas regional - Jones, Nancy Lieberman, and Rebecca Lobo
*Dayton regional - Dave Pasch, Brenda VanLengen, and Heather Cox
*Fresno regional - Pam Ward, Jimmy Dykes, and Beth Mowins

Some of the other ESPN commentators during earlier rounds included Linda Cohn, Dave Revsine, Dave Barnett, Fran Fraschilla, Jimmy Dykes and Van Chancellor.

Trey Wingo was the studio host, with analysts Kara Lawson and Stacey Dales.

Mowins and Debbie Antonelli called the Final Four action on Westwood One radio.

Notes

*Judy Southard, an athletics administrator at Louisiana State University, is the head of the Division I Women's Basketball Committee, which selected and seeded the teams for this event. Southard carried on her duties despite an ongoing scandal in which the head women's basketball coach, Pokey Chatman, resigned after it was alleged that she had an inappropriate sexual relationship with one of her former players. When asked about the scandal on the ESPN program announcing the tournament field and matchups, Southard declined to comment, saying that she wanted the focus to be on the players and teams in the tourney.
*This was the first tournament since the NCAA began sanctioning women's basketball in which Louisiana Tech is not a participant. This leaves Tennessee as the only program to appear in all 26 events.
*Texas was not in the tournament in consecutive seasons for the first time in its history. (At about the same moment that the selections were announced, Jody Conradt, who won 900 games and a championship during her tenure, resigned as the team's head coach.)
*Marist College was the first current MAAC conference participant to win in the NCAA tournament. The MAAC was previously 0-21 in the tournament under its current membership. Marist also matched the record for the lowest seed to advance to the Sweet Sixteen as a 13 seed. Texas A&M did so in 1994 and Liberty also accomplished this in 2005.
*The Final Four logo features a guitar that resembles the Fender Stratocaster, marking the fact that Cleveland serves as the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Also, the opening teases on the ESPN telecasts featured an actress playing a disc jockey and mock-up vinyl album covers with players and coaches pictured, to further advance the theme. At the Final Four, a picture of a guitar was applied onto the playing surface with a wood finish, and ESPN used classic rock and roll and R&B songs to lead out into some of the commercial breaks.
* Rutgers' cinderella performance in the NCAA tournament was the indirect catalyst of a chain of events that led to CBS Radio firing nationally syndicated radio host Don Imus and to a car accident that left New Jersey governor Jon Corzine in critical condition. After their underdog performance, Don Imus mentioned the Rutgers women's basketball team in his radio program, where he referred to the team as "nappy-headed hos." This led to CBS radio firing Don Imus. In an attempt to apologize to the Rutgers' basketball team, Don Imus apologized to the Rutgers team in person at the New Jersey governor's mansion in Princeton, New Jersey. The meeting was also to be attended by New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, but on his way to the meeting, he was involved in an auto accident that left him in critical condition.

ee also

* 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
* 2007 NAIA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

External links