3 Cinderella Picks for 2025 Women’s College Basketball Tournament Brackets

The 2025 women's college basketball tournament is finally here.

Before you fill out your bracket, it's important to know which lower-seeded teams could make a further-than-expected run in the bracket. Hitting on one or two Cinderellas could go a long way in winning your bracket pool.

With that, here are 3 potential Cinderella teams in the women's college basketball tournament, with a little help from Bart Torvik.

Any odds reference via the college basketball odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.

Top Cinderella Teams in the Women’s Tournament

Kansas State (5 Seed, Spokane 4)

Beyond the top 3 seeds, I'm not sure there's a team in the 2025 women's college basketball tournament with as much upside as Kansas State. The Wildcats earned a 5 seed after going 26-7 in the regular season, but they lost four of their final six games.

The caveat with that late-season skid is that they were without star center Ayoka Lee. The 6'6" senior led Kansas State in points (15.5), rebounds (6.6), and blocks (2.3) per game prior to her injury -- at which point the Wildcats were 19-1 and ranked 7th in the nation at Bart Torvik.

They stumbled down the stretch sans Lee, but the senior is expected to be back for the tournament.

With Lee back in the lineup, K-State could be one of the most dangerous teams in the field, and this region presents them with a strong opportunity to make a Cinderella run.

First, Kansas State faces 12 seed Fairfield -- an undersized mid-major that finished 62nd in ESPN's BPI.

The Wildcats are 16.5-point favorites in that one, so they'll likely meet Kentucky in the second round. UK is the strongest 4 seed in the field, but they went just 2-6 against top-20 teams, according to Bart Torvik.

In the Round of 16, Kansas State would then likely face 1 seed USC. The Trojans are among the best teams in the tournament, but they'd be undersized down low against K-State.

Assuming Lee is good to go, this Kansas State team is one that could play spoiler this March.

West Virginia (6 Seed, Birmingham 2)

If we're purely looking at the field from a metrics standpoint, West Virginia is the most under-seeded team in the tournament -- and it's not even really close.

West Virginia earned a 6 seed despite finishing the year ranked 10th in BPI and 9th on Bart Torvik. They closed the year with the country's third-ranked adjusted defense and led the nation in forced turnover rate.

Their offense remains a question mark, but senior guard JJ Quinerly is a 20-point-per-game scorer who can take over games. That's a good recipe for success in a tournament setting.

The Mountaineers got a good draw, too. Assuming they get past the 11 seed in the first round, West Virginia would likely face North Carolina -- by far the weakest 3 seed and one that finished 49th in adjusted offense.

After that, they'd take on Duke in the Round of 16. The Blue Devils are a strong all-around team, but their Achilles heel has been turnovers. Duke finished 92nd in offensive turnover rate and went just 5-4 against top-20 defenses.

With one of the country's top defenses and a lethal perimeter bucket-getter, West Virginia fits the mold of an under-seeded team that could make waves in the 2025 tournament.

George Mason (11 seed, Spokane 1)

Double-digit seeds haven't found much success in the women's college basketball tournament. Only two double-digit seeds have ever made the Round of 8, so history isn't on George Mason's side entering 2025.

But there's a lot to like about this Patriots team, and their draw offers hope at a Cinderella run.

George Mason hails from the Atlantic 10, so they didn't get many chances at high-major wins this season. They lost their toughest game by 10 to Maryland and otherwise didn't face a single team inside Bart Torvik's top 40.

But George Mason took care of business against the other two Power Conference teams they faced (Wake Forest and Georgetown) and enter the tournament red-hot, having won all three A-10 tournament games by double-digits.

The Patriots feature a balanced attack, ranking in the top 50 for adjusted offense and adjusted defense. They're top-25 nationally in turnover rate and 3-point field goal percentage -- both key statistics this time of the year.

They also have an uber-appealing draw. George Mason faces an overrated Florida State team in the first round, and the Seminoles went just 5-7 against top-50 teams this season.

After that, they'd likely face the 3 seed LSU. The Tigers would be a tough matchup for George Mason, but their best player -- Flau'jae Johnson -- is notably banged up coming out of the SEC tournament. LSU is also an abysmal 3-point shooting team, and that could help keep the Patriots in the game.

There's likely not a huge ceiling for George Mason, but if you're looking for a double-digit seed to make it to the second weekend, they have as good of a case as anyone.

You can also download our FREE college basketball printable bracket.

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The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.