Stanford secures No. 1 seed for third consecutive year

Stanford's strength of schedule proved dividends when the bracket came out

For what is now the 35th year in a row, the Stanford Cardinal have made it to the NCAA Tournament. 

A moment you never take for granted 🌲#GoStanford pic.twitter.com/8sfmAw3kt7

— Stanford WBB 🌲🏀 (@StanfordWBB) March 13, 2023

Tara VanDerveer's squad finished the season 28-5 (15-3), and capped it off by being named a No. 1 seed for the third year in a row. Stanford, who is in the Seattle region, will host both the first and second-round games in Maples Pavilion, along with a First Four game between 16-seeds Sacred Heart and Southern on Wednesday. Stanford will play the winner of the game on Friday.

Home court advantage is something that Stanford has been historically successful with, as the Cardinal are 40-4 all-time in NCAA Tournament games at Maples Pavilion and have won their last 20. There was a thought that the Cardinal could fall to a No. 2 seed after their early Pac-12 Tournament exit, but ultimately the fact that they led the nation with 10 ranked wins this season along with having 15 wins against the NET top-50, their resume was too impressive to deny. 

Other notable teams in Stanford's region are Gonzaga who they beat by 21 in December, Louisville, Texas, and Pac-12 foe Colorado.