FSU Women’s Basketball is going to have their work cut out for them if they plan on making it to their first ever Final Four in a few weeks.
For the 18th time in the history of the program – and the 14th time in the last 15 seasons – the FSU women’s basketball team found out on Monday that they would be among the 64 teams who are dancing in that sport’s NCAA Tournament with four teams getting a chance to make it to the national semifinals and title game this April in Tampa.
While we all love the Seminoles here and will support them all the time, head coach Sue Semrau and the team found they will be having no favors done for them after the draw that was announced for the Lady Noles after finishing with a surprising 23-8 record after losing all the starters from last year’s team.
After starting last year’s tournament inside the Tucker Center and getting upset in the second round in the process, FSU women’s basketball will be starting this year’s dance on the road.
The Lady Noles don’t even get to technically play at the home of the host No. 4 seed South Carolina – who they would play in the second round – since that arena is hosting the first two rounds of the men’s tournament.
If FSU women’s basketball is able to win their first round game – something that have done in each of their last 15 NCAA tournament trips – they would face a Gamecocks team that has knocked them out of the tournament the last two times the teams met in the Elite Eight round in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments.
At that point, the Lady Noles could have the “fortune” to face a 31-1 Baylor team in the Sweet 16 round as well as a chance to play ACC foe N.C. State or Iowa in the Elite Eight round. We’re not saying it can’t be done, but it’s going to be a struggle for Semrau and they’re going to have to earn it.
It’s entirely possible that a Lady Noles team who defied the odds this season could make it to Downtown Tampa as one of the Final Four teams standing – and it all starts Friday afternoon.