The 1998 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament began on March 13, 1998, and concluded on March 29, 1998, when Tennessee won the national title. The Final Four was held at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Missouri, on March 27âÂÂ29, 1998. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, NC State, and Arkansas qualified for the Final Four. Tennessee and Louisiana Tech won their semi-final Final Four matchups and continued on to the championship. Tennessee defeated Louisiana Tech 93âÂÂ75 to take their sixth title, and complete an undefeated season (39âÂÂ0).
For the first time in the history of the women's tournament, and in the 64-team tournament era on both the men's and women's side, two teams â Tennessee and Liberty â entered the tournament unbeaten (this feat was replicated in 2014 by the women's teams from Connecticut and Notre Dame). In the opening round of the Mideast Regional, the top-seed Lady Vols blew out 16th-seeded Liberty 102âÂÂ58. However, in the West Regional, the expected 1âÂÂ16 blowout did not happen. In that matchup, Harvard defeated an injury-plagued #1 seed Stanford on its home court 71âÂÂ67. This was the first time in the men's or women's tournament that a #16 seed had beaten a #1 seed, a feat that would not be repeated until 2018 in the men's tournament. No team seeded lower than 13 has won a round of 64 game in the women's tournament since.
In addition, the 9th-seeded Arkansas made the Final Four, becoming and remaining the lowest seeded team the lowest seeded team to ever reach the Final Four in the women's tournament. Only 10th-seeded Oregon in 2017, 10th-seeded Creighton in 2022 and 11th-seeded Gonzaga in 2011 have even reached an Elite Eight to be in position to break this record. In addition, Arkansas remains the only 9-seed to even reach the Elite Eight in the women's tournament. This is the last time that two number 1 seeds failed to make the Sweet 16, a feat not repeated until 2023 tournament.
Sixty-four teams were selected to participate in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Thirty conferences were eligible for an automatic bid to the 1998 NCAA tournament.
Thirty-four additional teams were selected to complete the sixty-four invitations.
Thirty conferences earned an automatic bid. In nineteen cases, the automatic bid was the only representative from the conference. Thirty-four additional at-large teams were selected from eleven of the conferences.
In 1998, the field remained at 64 teams. The teams were seeded, and assigned to four geographic regions, with seeds 1âÂÂ16 in each region. In Round 1, seeds 1 and 16 faced each other, as well as seeds 2 and 15, seeds 3 and 14, seeds 4 and 13, seeds 5 and 12, seeds 6 and 11, seeds 7 and 10, and seeds 8 and 9. In the first two rounds, the top four seeds were given the opportunity to host the first round game. In all cases, the higher seed accepted the opportunity.
The following table lists the region, host school, venue and the sixteen first and second round locations:
The Regionals, named for the general location, were held from March 20 to March 23 at these sites:
Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four held March 27 and March 29 in Kansas City, Missouri, at the Kemper Arena
The sixty-four teams came from thirty-four states, plus Washington, D.C. Four states, California, Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina each had the most teams with four bids. Sixteen states did not have any teams receiving bids.
Data source
<small>E-East; ME-Mideast; MW-Midwest; W-West.</small>
Sixteen conferences had more than one bid, or at least one win in NCAA Tournament play:
Fourteen conferences went 0âÂÂ1: America East, Big Sky Conference, Big South Conference, Horizon League, MAAC, MAC, MEAC, Northeast Conference, Ohio Valley Conference, Patriot League, Southern Conference, Southland, SWAC, and West Coast Conference