Projected top 16 women's teams revealed, includes Iowa as No. 3 seed

The NCAA Women's Basketball Committee released its second and final March Madness preview last week, revealing who would get the top 16 seeds if the season ended today.

Why it matters: Landing these seeds is a huge advantage, as the top 16 women's teams host first- and second-round games, Axios Sports' Jeff Tracy reports.

• That means Iowa, currently projected as a No. 3 seed, would host two games in March if the committee's projections hold through Selection Sunday on March 12.

The top 16:

• 1 seeds: South Carolina (No. 1 overall), Indiana, Stanford, Utah
• 2 seeds: Louisiana State, Maryland, Connecticut, Virginia Tech
• 3 seeds: Iowa, Notre Dame, Duke, Ohio State
• 4 seeds: Texas, Villanova, Arizona, Michigan

Between the lines: Hosting early-round games has been a mixed bag for Iowa. The Hawkeyes lost to Creighton in the second round last year as the No. 2 seed, but made the Sweet Sixteen in 2015 and the Elite 8 in 2019 after winning their early-round home games.