The Baylor women’s basketball program earned its fifth overall No. 1 seed in the seven years and will play 16th-seeded Texas Southern (23-9) on Saturday, March 18, at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, the NCAA announced Monday night. Joining Baylor and Texas Southern in first-round NCAA Championship action in Waco are eighth-seeded LSU (20-11) and ninth-seeded California (19-13).
The Baylor/Texas Southern game will tip off at 5:30 p.m. (CT), while the LSU/Cal contest will start at 8 p.m. Both games will be televised on ESPN2.
Baylor is 30-3 on the season and went 17-1 in Big 12 Conference play to clinch its seventh-straight Big 12 regular season title. The Lady Bears are ranked No. 5 nationally in both the Associated Press and USA Today polls.
Against teams within the Oklahoma City Regional bracket, Baylor went 4-0 this season with two wins against Oklahoma (home and away), one win against DePaul (neutral) and one win over Tennessee (away).
It is Baylor’s 14th consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance and 16th overall. The Lady Bears have earned 16 bids in the last 17 seasons and compiled a 39-13 (.750) NCAA Tournament record, all under the direction of head coach Kim Mulkey. Baylor has appeared in three Final Fours (2005, 2010, 2012), which resulted in NCAA Championships in 2005 and 2012.
First-round winners face off in the second round action on Monday, March 20, with the winner advancing to the Oklahoma City Regional on Friday, March 24 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. The 2017 Women’s Final Four will be played on March 31 and April 2 at American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
All-session tickets are $35 for reserved, which includes a ticket for both sessions and three games. Single session tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for youth. Every person, regardless of age, must have a ticket to enter the facility.
NCAA Tournament Appearances
2001 - 0-1, lost to Arkansas, first round (Durham, N.C.)
2002 - 1-1, lost to Drake, second round (Waco, Texas)
2004 - 2-1, lost to Tennessee, Sweet 16 (Norman, Okla.)
2005 - 6-0, NCAA Champion (Indianapolis)
2006 - 2-1, lost to Maryland (NCAA champion), Sweet 16 (Albuquerque, N.M.)
2007 - 1-1, lost to North Carolina State, second round (Raleigh, N.C.)
2008 - 1-1, lost to Pittsburgh, second round (Albuquerque, N.M.)
2009 - 2-1, lost to Louisville (NCAA runner-up), Sweet 16 (Raleigh, N.C.)
2010 - 4-1, lost to UConn (NCAA champion), Final Four Semifinals (San Antonio, Texas)
2011 - 3-1, lost to Texas A&M (NCAA?champion), Elite Eight
2012 - 6-0, NCAA?Champion (Denver)
2013 - 2-1, lost to Louisville, Sweet 16 (Oklahoma City)
2014 - 3-1, lost to Notre Dame, Elite Eight (Notre Dame, Ind.)
2015 - 3-1, lost to Notre Dame, Elite Eight (Oklahoma City)
2016 - 3-1, lost to Oregon State, Elite Eight (Oklahoma City)
NCAA Tournament Seeds – Sites
2001 - No. 8 - Durham, N.C.
2002 - No. 2 - Waco, Texas
2004 - No. 4 - Albuquerque, N.M.; Norman, Okla.
2005 - No. 2 - Seattle, Wash.; Tempe, Ariz.; Indianapolis
2006 - No. 3 - Tucson, Ariz., Albuquerque, N.M.
2007 - No. 5 - Raleigh, N.C.
2008 - No. 3 - Albuquerque, N.M.
2009 - No. 3 - Lubbock, Texas; Raleigh, N.C.
2010 - No. 4 - Berkeley, Calif.; Memphis, Tenn.; San Antonio
2011 - No. 1 - Waco, Texas, Dallas
2012 - No. 1 - Bowling Green, Ohio; Des Moines, Iowa; Denver
2013 - No. 1 - Waco, Texas; Oklahoma City
2014 - No. 2 - Waco, Texas; Notre Dame, Ind.
2015 - No. 2 - Waco, Texas; Oklahoma City
2016 - No. 1 - Waco, Texas; Dallas
2017 - No. 1 - Waco, Texas; Oklahoma City
NCAA Tournament By Seed
No. 1 - five times (2011, `12, `13, `16, ‘17)
No. 2 - three times (2002, `05, `14, `15)
No. 3 - three times (2006, `08, `09)
No. 4 - twice (2004, `10)
No. 5 - once (2007)
No. 8 - once (2001)
