Start date 2003 MOP Diana Taurasi | Teams 64 Finals site Georgia Dome | |
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Champions Connecticut (4th title) Runner-up Tennessee (10th title game) Semifinalists Texas (3rd Final Four)
Duke (3rd Final Four) Similar 2004 NCAA Division I, 2002 NCAA Division I, 2000 NCAA Division I, 2001 NCAA Division I, 1997 NCAA Division I | ||
The 2003 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament began on March 22, 2003 and concluded on April 8, 2003 when the Connecticut Huskies (UConn) won their second straight national title. The Final Four was held at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia on April 6–8, 2003. UConn, coached by Geno Auriemma, defeated archrival Tennessee, coached by Pat Summitt, 73-68 in the championship game. UConn's Diana Taurasi was named Most Outstanding Player.
Contents
- Tournament records
- Qualifying teams automatic
- Qualifying teams at large
- Bids by conference
- First and second rounds
- Regionals and Final Four
- Bids by state
- Brackets
- Final Four Atlanta Georgia
- Record by conference
- All Tournament Team
- Game Officials
- References
This was the first year of a new format, in which the final game is held on the Tuesday following the men's championship, in contrast to prior years, when it was held on Sunday evening, between the men's semi-final and final. The game now is the final game of the Division 1 collegiate basketball season.
Tournament records
Qualifying teams - automatic
Sixty-four teams were selected to participate in the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Thirty-one conferences were eligible for an automatic bid to the 2003 NCAA tournament.
Qualifying teams - at-large
Thirty-three additional teams were selected to complete the sixty-four invitations.
Bids by conference
Thirty-one conferences earned an automatic bid. In twenty-two cases, the automatic bid was the only representative from the conference. Thirty-three additional at-large teams were selected from nine of the conferences.
First and second rounds
In 2003, the field remained at 64 teams. The teams were seeded, and assigned to four geographic regions, with seeds 1-16 in each region. In Round 1, seeds 1 and 16 faced each other, as well as seeds 2 and 15, seeds 3 and 14, seeds 4 and 13, seeds 5 and 12, seeds 6 and 11, seeds 7 and 10, and seeds 8 and 9. In 2003, a change was implemented in the way first and second round sites were determined. From 1982 (the year of the first NCAA women's basketball tournament) through 2002, the first rounds sites were offered to the top seeds. Starting in 2003, sixteen sites for the first two rounds were determined approximately a year before the team selections and seedings were completed.
The following table lists the region, host school, venue and the sixteen first and second round locations:
Regionals and Final Four
The Regionals, named for the general location, were held from March 22 to March 25 at these sites:
Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four held April 6 and April 8 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Georgia Dome, (Host: Georgia Institute of Technology)
Bids by state
The sixty-four teams came from thirty-two states, plus Washington, D.C. Virginia had the most teams with five bids. Eighteen states did not have any teams receiving bids.
Brackets
Data Source
Final Four - Atlanta, Georgia
E-East; ME-Mideast; MW-Midwest; W-West.
Record by conference
Nineteen conferences went 0-1: America East, Atlantic Sun Conference, Big Sky Conference, Big South Conference, Colonial, Ivy League, MAAC, MAC, Mid-Continent, MEAC, Missouri Valley Conference, Northeast Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Southern Conference, Southland, SWAC, Sun Belt Conference, and West Coast Conference