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| Season | 2021–22 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teams | 68 | ||||
| Finals site | Target Center Minneapolis, Minnesota | ||||
| Champions | South Carolina Gamecocks (2nd title, 2nd title game, 4th Final Four) | ||||
| Runner-up | UConn Huskies (12th title game, 22nd Final Four) | ||||
| Semifinalists |
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| Winning coach | Dawn Staley (2nd title) | ||||
| MOP | Aliyah Boston (South Carolina) | ||||
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The 2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 68 teams to determine the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college basketball national champion for the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The 40th edition of the tournament began on March 16, 2022, and concluded with the championship game on April 3 at Target Center in Minneapolis, where the South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the UConn Huskies 64–49 to win their second NCAA title, and handing UConn its first loss in the championship game. This tournament marked the introduction of the "First Four" round and an expansion of the field of participants from 64 teams to 68, mirroring the men's tournament since 2011.
Big South champion Longwood, Horizon champion IUPUI and Southland champion Incarnate Word made their tournament debuts. Tennessee continued its record streak of making every edition of the tournament, while UConn extended its record streak of 14 consecutive Final Four appearances.