No. 6 Louisville suffers first NCAA women's basketball tournament loss since 2006

In a major upset at the 2024 women’s NCAA Tournament, No. 11 Middle Tennessee defeated the No. 6 Louisville Cardinals 71-69, overcoming an 18-point first-half deficit to complete the third-largest comeback in tournament history. This marked Louisville's first first-round loss since 2006 and ended their streak of winning an NCAA Tournament game in every season under their current coach. Meanwhile, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addressed concerns about the future of the NCAA Tournament, clarifying that he does not support a format that restricts the national championship to power conference teams only, calling such interpretations an overread of his comments. Sankey emphasized that the tournament’s inclusivity remains intact, dispelling fears of a power-conference-only championship. These developments highlight ongoing dynamics in college basketball, from surprising tournament outcomes to debates about the structure and inclusivity of the national championship.