Kansas State women’s basketball is two wins away from reaching the Final Four for the first time in program history, but the games won’t get any easier for the Wildcats.

After an overtime thriller against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament Second Round, K-State has made the trip to Spokane, Wash., to participate in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2002. However, the Spokane Regional 4 pod features some of the nation’s toughest opponents, including a No. 2 seed that was a potential No. 1 seed during Selection Sunday.

The Wildcats will cap off Sweet 16 action on Saturday against No. 1 USC (30-3; 16-1 Big Ten) at 7 p.m. CT. If the Wildcats win, they’ll advance to the Elite 8 against the winner of No. 2 UConn and No. 3 Oklahoma.

K-State has made the Elite 8 once before, but that was back in 1982 when the NCAA Women’s Tournament featured just 32 teams, and the Big 12 was the Big 8. The Wildcats beat Old Dominion – then an independent – in the Sweet 16.

Here is a preview of each team in K-State’s pod and the challenges they may present to the Wildcats.

Conference: Big Ten

Record: 30-3; 16-1 Big Ten

2025 NCAA Tournament Results: 71-25 W vs. No. 16 UNC Greensboro, 96-59 W vs. No. 9 Miss. St

USC is still picking up the pieces after Big Ten National Player of the Year JuJu Watkins suffered a season-ending knee injury against Mississippi State earlier this week. Watkins is obviously one of the best players in the country, but she’s also the Trojans’s catalyst on offense, playing most of their minutes this season.

With her injury, 2025 AP All-American Kiki Iriafen will take a larger role in the offense. The Stanford transfer is one of the best centers in college basketball, averaging 18.6 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. After Watkins’s injury, Iriafen scored 36 points on 22 shots against Mississippi State.

Even without Watkins, USC is a formidable opponent. Their bench features plenty of high-major talents, including backup guard Kayleigh Heckel, a 2024 McDonald’s High School All-American. They’re also a battle-tested team, beating eight ranked opponents this season, including wins against UCLA, UConn, and Maryland, all in the Sweet 16.

Conference: Big East

Record: 33-3, 18-0 Big East

NCAA Tournament Results: 103-34 W vs. No. 15 Arkansas St.; 91-57 W vs. No. 10 South Dakota St.

Fueled by senior point guard and likely top pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft Paige Bueckers, UConn is looking to make another push toward the National Championship, which head coach Geno Auriemma hasn’t won since 2016.

This year, they might have the pieces to do it.

Bueckers is UConn’s star, but she’s not alone. Forward Sarah Strong is one of the best freshmen in the country, averaging 16.1 points and 8.5 assists per game, and guard Azzi Fudd is a future WNBA player. Off the bench, guard Ashlynn Shade averages 8.1 points and provides a steady presence whenever the Huskies need to rest a starter.

UConn is good across the board, but their offense is something special. They don’t turn the ball over, shoot it incredibly well, and average 81.7 points per game. This season, they’ve crossed 100 points four times, including in the NCAA Tournament First Round against Arkansas State.

If UConn turns the game into a track meet, they’re winning. It’s that simple.

Conference: SEC

Record: 27-7, 11-5 SEC

2025 NCAA Tournament Results: 81-58 W vs. No. 14 FGCU, 96-62 W vs. No. 6 Iowa

Oklahoma has gone under the radar in this pod, but they’ve played and beaten plenty of good opponents this season. In their first season in the SEC, the Sooners played the 19th-toughest schedule and won eight Quad 1 games, including LSU and Tennessee in conference play.

On the court, the Sooners pride themselves on rebounding and are one of the top rebounding teams in the country, averaging 47.9 rebounds per game. In the NCAA Tournament, that number has skyrocketed to 68.0 rebounds per game, including an insane 72 rebounds vs Florida Gulf Coast.

6-foot-4 center Reagan Beers leads the way for the Sooners. An Oregon State transfer, Beers has been a dominating presence in the paint for Oklahoma, averaging 17.5 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. Beers has posted a double-double in each of Oklahoma’s NCAA Tournament games this season, including an astonishing 25-point and 18-rebound performance against FGCU.

Conference: Big 12

Record: 28-7, 13-5 Big 12

NCAA Tournament Results: 85-41 W vs. No. 12 Fairfield; 80-79 W vs. No. 5 Kentucky

K-State has shooters, but you already knew that.

This season, the Wildcats are shooting 38.8 percent from three-point range, with guards Jaelyn Glenn and Taryn Sides shooting over 40 percent from deep. The Wildcats’s numbers have decreased in the NCAA Tournament – primarily because they couldn’t buy a three-pointer against Kentucky in the first half – but forward Temira Poindexter finished with eight threes in the game.

K-State’s shooting will give them a good chance against any team in their pod, but it will have to be supplementary to the play of point guard Serena Sundell and center Ayoka Lee. The good news is that K-State has gotten strong performances from both in the NCAA Tournament. Sundell is averaging a double-double in March Madness with 18.5 points and 11.5 assists per contest.

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