NCAA women’s basketball predictions: Who makes Final Four?

Pack away the holiday decorations and toss out the leftovers: We’re into January and conference play. It’s time to pick up speed on the way to Cleveland, where the 2023-24 women’s college basketball national champion will be crowned.

South Carolina, last season’s undefeated-until-the-Final Four team, is doing it again with a different cast of leading characters holding down the No. 1 ranking. LSU went through early-season drama but is looking more like the defending NCAA champ expected. Led by UCLA, the Pac-12 might have the most compelling league race of all as the conference is about to dissolve.

Freshmen across the country have proved more than ready for prime time, one of the most positive aspects of a season that has already had more than a handful of heartbreaking injuries.

Major milestones are looming. Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer is three wins from passing former Duke men’s coach Mike Krzyzewski for most college basketball career coaching victories. Iowa guard Caitlin Clark is on pace to become the NCAA women’s scoring leader in February.

ESPN’s Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel break down what we’ve seen in the first half of the regular season, predict what’s to come and make updated picks for March Madness.

You’ve got a Sharpie and need to fill in your bracket. Which teams are you confident will reach the Final Four?

Creme: South Carolina looks outstanding. Statistically, the Gamecocks are better than last year, and that team didn’t lose until the Final Four. Dawn Staley still coaches the best defense in the country and now has the offense to match. UCLA has already beaten four top-25 NET opponents, tops in the country. Put the Bruins in too. Those two picks seem easy, right?

The other two remain a mystery. I will go with two teams that opened the season playing each other: LSU and Colorado. The Tigers were the preseason No. 1 for a reason, and with the drama of November seemingly behind them, they might have too much…