Technologies

March Madness 2023: Women’s NCAA Tournament Schedule, First Four, Bracket, How to Watch and Stream

The women’s college basketball tournament starts Wednesday with a pair of First Four games on ESPN.

If you’re unfamiliar with Caitlin Clark, it’s time to get acquainted. The sensational Iowa point guard is third in the nation in points and first in assists and has led the Hawkeyes to a No. 2 seed in the women’s NCAA basketball tournament. The biggest obstacle standing in Clark’s way is Aliyah Boston and South Carolina. Boston is the reigning Naismith Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, and the Gamecocks are the defending champions. They have yet to lose a game this year.

The women’s March Madness bracket is set with South Carolina, Indiana, Stanford and Virginia Tech as the top seeds in each region. The tournament gets underway on Wednesday with 68 teams in the field and will crown a champion on April 2.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch the women’s NCAA tournament on ABC and a host of ESPN channels without cable (and here’s how to watch the men’s tournament).

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is one of the most exciting players in college basketball.

David Berding/Getty Images

Iowa's Caitlin Clark — Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is one of the most exciting players in college basketball.

David Berding/Getty Images

When does the women’s NCAA tournament start?

The women’s March Madness tournament tips off on Wednesday with two play-in games followed by two more play-in games Thursday night. After these First Four games, the field of 68 is trimmed to a more mathematically manageable 64 and the tournament begins in earnest on Friday, March 17, with a full slate of games.

What is the NCAAW tournament schedule?

Here’s the schedule, round by round:

First Four: March 15-16
First round: March 17-18
Second round: March 19-20
Sweet 16: March 24-25
Elite Eight: March 26-27
Final Four: March 31
Women’s NCAA championship game: April 2

Which teams are in the First Four?

Wednesday, March 15:

(11) Mississippi State vs. (11) Illinois at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT); winner plays (6) Creighton
(16) Sacred Heart vs. (16) Southern at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT); winner plays (1) Stanford

Thursday, March 16

(11) St. John’s vs. (11) Purdue at 7 p.m. ET (4 p.m. PT); winner plays (6) North Carolina
(16) Monmouth vs. (16) Tennessee Tech at 9 p.m. ET (6 p.m. PT); winner plays (1) Indiana

How can I watch the women’s tournament?

The tournament will be shown on ABC and a variety of ESPN channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews and ESPNU.

Can I stream March Madness for free?

Go to the NCAA’s March Madness Live site or use its March Madness Live app and you’ll be able to watch games for free. You can watch March Madness Live on iOS and Android devices along with Apple TV, Roku, Fire TV and Xbox One. The app also supports AirPlay and Chromecast.

As with most things that are free, there’s a catch. Without proving you’re a pay-TV subscriber, you get only a three-hour preview, after which point you’ll need to log in to continue watching.

What are my other streaming options?

You can use a live TV streaming service to watch the women’s NCAA basketball tournament. All five of the major live TV streaming services offer the channels needed to watch every game, but keep in mind that not every service carries every local network, so check each one using the links below to make sure it carries ABC in your area.

Sarah Tew/CNET

YouTube TV

Carries ABC and ESPN channels for $65 a month

YouTube TV costs $65 a month and includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews and ESPNU. Plug in your ZIP code on its welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area. Read our YouTube TV review.

See at YouTube TV

Hulu

Hulu with Live TV

Carries ABC and ESPN channels for $70 a month

Hulu with Live TV costs $70 a month and includes ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews and ESPNU. Click the «View channels in your area» link on its welcome page to see which local channels are offered in your ZIP code. Read our Hulu with Live TV review.

See at Hulu with Live TV

Sling/CNET

Sling TV

Carries ABC and ESPN channels for $70 a month

Sling TV’s $55-a-month Orange and Blue plan includes ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. Keep in mind, however, that Sling offers ABC carries ABC only in a handful of areas. With the $15-a-month Sports Extra add-on, you can also watch the games on ESPNews and ESPNU. Read our Sling TV review.

See at Sling TV

Fubo TV

FuboTV

Carries ABC and ESPN channels for $83 a month

FuboTV’s basic plan costs $75 a month and includes ABC, ESPN and ESPN2. The Fubo Extra add-on costs an additional $8 a month and includes ESPNews and ESPNU. Click here to see which local channels you get. Read our FuboTV review.

See at FuboTV

Directv stream

DirecTV Stream

Carries ABC and ESPN channels for $99 a month

DirecTV Stream’s basic $75-a-month plan includes ABC, ESPN and ESPN2, but you’ll need the $99-a-month plan to also get ESPNews and ESPNU. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live. Read our DirecTV Stream review.

See at DirecTV Stream

All of the live TV streaming services above offer free trials, allow you to cancel anytime and require a solid internet connection. Looking for more information? Check out our live-TV streaming services guide.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Monday, Oct. 27

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 27.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? I thought 8-Across was a bit of an odd one, since it was asking for a sound that has no universal spelling. If you need help, read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: «Soooo cute!» reactions
Answer: AWS

4A clue: ___ mode (battery-saving state)
Answer: SLEEP

6A clue: Afica’s largest capital city
Answer: CAIRO

7A clue: Bicker, bicker, bicker
Answer: ARGUE

8A clue: Close-mouthed sound of agreement
Answer: MMHMM

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Reason to suddenly bolt awake
Answer: ALARM

2D clue: Put on a scale
Answer: WEIGH

3D clue: kin-care product dispensed with a dropper
Answer: SERUM

4D clue: Total rip-off
Answer: SCAM

5D clue: «The Raven» or «The Road Not Taken»
Answer: POEM

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Oct. 27, #399

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Oct. 27, No. 399.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a tricky one. Hope you know your NBA history! If you’re struggling but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Help athletes learn.

Green group hint: Statistics.

Blue group hint: From Sin City.

Purple group hint: Not Queens, but…

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Coach.

Green group: Seen in a baseball scorebug.

Blue group: UNLV

Purple group: Home cities of the NBA’s Kings franchise, over time.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is coach. The four answers are drill, instruct, school and teach.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is seen in a baseball scorebug. The four answers are count, inning, outs and score.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is UNLV. The four answers are Las, Nevada, University and Vegas.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is home cities of the NBA’s Kings franchise, over time. The four answers are Cincinnati, Kansas City, Rochester and Sacramento.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 27, #869

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Oct. 27, No. 869.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a fun mix of topics today. They’re not too tough but if you need help you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Reach out from a center point.

Green group hint: Barely.

Blue group hint: Decorative eats in a drink.

Purple group hint: Not two or three, but …