No. 1

Louisiana Tech
Sun Belt Champion
Record: 28-2 (16-0).
Coach: Leon Barmore.
Top players: G Betty Lennox (17.5 ppg, 5.9 rpg), G Tamicha Jackson (15.4
ppg, 2.4 rpg), F Ayana Walker (9.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg).
Data: The Lady Techsters have perhaps the best back court in the country in Lennox and Jackson. Their two losses were to Mississippi State and Connecticut; their victories include a season-opening win over Tennessee and wins over UCLA and Purdue. Tech, which has won three national championships (the last in 1988), has been to 13 Final Fours, including the past two years.

No. 2

Penn State
Big Ten At-large
Record: 26-4 (15-1).
Coach: Rene Portland.
Top players: G Helen Darling (10.3 ppg, 7.7 apg, 76% FTs), C Andrea Garner (14.8 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg), F Maren Walseth (13.9 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 53% FGs).
Data: Darling is among the top point guards in the country, and was named the Big Ten player of the year. As a team, the Nittany Lions shoot 71% from the free throw line and average 20 trips to the line per game. No Penn State player has a free throw percentage below .500.

No. 1

Iowa State
Big 12 Champion
Record: 25-5 (13-3).
Coach: Bill Fennelly.
Top players: C Angie Welle (15.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 65% FGs), G Stacy Frese (14.3 ppg, 5.1 apg, 73 3-pt.), F Desiree Francis (13.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg).
Data: The Cyclones, who had five starters return from last season's team that advanced to the round of eight, are second in Division I in three-point field goals made per game (8.8). Welle leads the nation in field goal percentage. Iowa State, which won its first Big 12 championship, has won its past seven games by an average of 26.6 points.

No. 4

Old Dominion
Colonial Athletic Champion
Record: 27-4 (16-0).
Coach: Wendy Larry.
Top players: F Lucienne Berthieu (17.6 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 62% FGs), F Hamchetou Maiga (13.6 ppg, 7.1 rpg), G Natalie Diaz (11.8 ppg, 4.5 apg).
Data: Berthieu, the two-time CAA player of the year and the team's leading scorer and rebounder, has missed the past eight games with a shoulder injury. She is expected to play in the tournament. That has left the Monarchs with just eight healthy players over the past few weeks. Old Dominion's ninth consecutive CAA title set an NCAA record.

No. 5

N.C. State
ACC At-large
Record: 20-8 (11-5).
Coach: Kay Yow.
Top players: G Tynesha Lewis (11.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg), F Kaayla Chones (11.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg), G Terah James (7.9 ppg, 3.9 apg).
Data: Having lost its past four games, including an upset by sixth-seeded Georgia Tech in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, the Wolfpack is no longer as intimidating as earlier in the season, particularly after the loss of center Summer Erb (15.8 ppg, 8.4 rpg) to a knee injury. It is possible, but unlikely, she will return for the tournament. Two years ago, N.C. State made it to the Final Four for the first time during Yow's tenure.

No. 6

Illinois
Big Ten At-large
Record: 22-10 (11-5).
Coach: Theresa Grentz.
Top players: G Allison Curtin (17.6 ppg, 42% 3-pt., 2.6 spg), F Susan Blauser (14.3 ppg, 52% FGs, 7.9 rpg), F Tauja Catchings (15.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg).
Data: The Illini have three of the past four Illinois high school steals leaders on this year's squad, and rely on fast breaks. Curtin, especially, considers herself a defensive specialist. Illinois could be overtaken by a team with a strong post presence. All but two of Illinois' losses were to NCAA tournament teams. Four players average more than 30 minutes a game.

No. 7

Auburn
SEC At-large
Record: 21-7 (9-5).
Coach: Joe Ciampi.
Top players: G Tasha Hamilton (12.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 50% FGs) F Le'Coe Willingham (11.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg), C Conswella Sparrow (10.5 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 55% FGs).
Data: The Tigers are a defensive-minded team that uses 10 players at least 12 minutes per game. Auburn has held its opponents to 37% shooting. The Tigers enter the tournament on a down note, following a 15-point loss in regular season final to Tennessee and a 10-point loss to Mississippi State in an SEC first-round game.

No. 8

Kansas
Big 12 At-large
Record: 20-9 (11-5).
Coach: Marian Washington.
Top players: F Lynn Pride (17.4 ppg, 8 rpg), G Suzi Raymant (14.3 ppg, 5 rpg, 87% FTs), F Brooke Reves (12.3 ppg, 6.6 rpg).
Data: The Jayhawks, who are making their ninth consecutive NCAA tournament appearance, have lost four of their past seven games. Four of Kansas's five starters have recorded double-doubles this season. Pride is the school's fifth all-time scorer, fourth all-time rebounder, fourth all-time steals leader and fourth all-time blocks leader.

No. 9

Vanderbilt
SEC At-large
Record: 20-12 (6-8).
Coach: Jim Foster.
Top players: C Chantelle Anderson (15.3 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 58% FGs), F Zuzi Klimesova (14.2 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 58% FGs), G Chavonne Hammond (10.4 ppg, 2.1 spg, 3.5 apg).
Data: The Commodores have a losing record in the SEC, but their schedule is ranked No. 3 in the country. They beat Mississippi State and LSU and played Tennessee close in two defeats. Vanderbilt likes to work the ball inside to 6-6 Anderson. Biggest flaw, especially in close games, is free throw shooting (64%). Commodores lead SEC in FG percent defense (36.3).

No. 10.

SW Missouri State
Metro Valley At-large
Record: 23-8 (14-4).
Coach: Cheryl Burnett.
Top players: G Jackie Stiles (27.7 ppg, 4.3 rpg), G Tara Mitchem (12.6 ppg, 5.6 ppg), F-G Carly Deer (6.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 2.9 apg, 2.8 spg).
Data: Stiles, a junior, leads the nation in scoring. She scored 56 points in a conference semifinal game against Evansville, which is the fourth highest in NCAA history. The Lady Bears have advanced past the first round in seven of their nine tournament appearances in the past decade. Team is forcing opponents into 22.2 turnovers per game and outrebounding them by nearly seven per game.

No. 11

Utah
Mountain West Champion
Record: 23-7 (11-3).
Coach: Elaine Elliott.
Top players: C Lauren Beckman (10.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.0 bpg), F Kristina Anderson (9.9 ppg, 5.0 rpg), F-G Amy Ewert (8.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg).
Data: This is the Utes' 10th tournament appearance, but they've only advanced past the first round once. Utah is ranked second in the nation in scoring defense, holding opponents to an average of 51.7 ppg and .349 shooting percentage. They average 4.83 blocks per game, which is the best in the nation.

No. 12

SMU
Western Athletic At-large
Record: 21-8 (12-2).
Coach: Rhonda Rompola.
Top players: G D-dra Rucker (15.6 ppg, 4.2 apg, 2.9 spg), F Karlin Kennedy (15.3 ppg, 8.6 rpg), G Anika Calvert (9.6 ppg).
Data: Rompola calls this year's team the best she's ever coached. The Mustangs have held opponents to an average of 60.1 points per game and force an average 22 turnovers. Rucker and Kennedy, who is five rebounds shy of setting a school record, are all-American candidates. This is the Mustangs' sixth tournament appearance in the past seven seasons.

No. 13

Wisc.-Green Bay
Midwestern Collegiate Champion
Record: 21-8 (12-2).
Coach: Kevin Borseth.
Top players: G Amanda Leonhard (11.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg), F Melanie Tilque (11.0 PPG, 4.2 rpg, 3.0 apg), G-F Trisha Ebel (10.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg).
Data: The Phoenix play strongest when they focus on a high-low inside game. Still, defense is their virtue, as they cause opponents to shoot .405 and force them into foul trouble. Borseth was conference player of the year. This is the team's third consecutive tournament appearance and fourth overall. The No. 13 seed is highest ever.

No. 14

St. Francis (Pa.)
Northeast Champion
Record: 23-7 (15-3).
Coach: Myndi Hill.
Top players: F Jess Zinobile (23.2 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 3.8 apg), F Jen DeFilippo (12.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg, 2.8 apg), G Beth Barnabei (9.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg).
Data: The team can credit Zinobile, an all-American candidate, for its highest seed ever in the tournament. She is third in the nation in scoring, fifth in rebounding and the only player in conference history to score more than 2,000 career points. She also set a conference record with 1,289 career rebounds. With her, the team might make it past the first round for the first time.

No. 15

Youngstown State
Mid-Continent Champion
Record: 22-8 (12-4).
Coach: Ed DiGrigorio.
Top players: F Brianne Kenneally (18.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg), F Missy Young (9.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg), G Leslie Majewski (11.7 ppg, 2.8 apg).
Data: Four starters have NCAA tournament experience, so getting past the first round for just the second time is a possibility. Among those starters is Kenneally, the only player in the conference to have been named player of the year twice. She has scored 560 points this season and made a school-record 80.9 percent of her free throws.

No. 16

Alcorn State
Southwestern Athletic Champion
Record: 22-8 (15-3).
Coach: Shirley Walker.
Top players: F Cherea Wood (18.4 ppg, 8.9 rpg), G Daisha Reed (9.1 ppg, 39% 3-pt.), G Kamrica Turk (4.9 ppg, 5.1 apg).
Data: Reed scored 17 points as Alcorn State stunned top-seeded Grambling State, 83-58, to earn the program's first trip to the NCAA tournament. The Braves had won six consecutive SWAC titles in the 1990s, but the league didn't receive an automatic bid and no at-large was forthcoming. Alcorn State is a guard-oriented team with no player taller than 5-11.