UK women’s basketball to host NCAA games as a No. 4 seed. Here’s who’s coming to Lexington
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NCAA Selection Sunday 2025: Brackets, analysis, predictions and more
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader’s and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Selection Sunday 2025 as brackets are revealed for the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments.
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For the first time since 2017, Memorial Coliseum will play host to first- and second-round games in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
The selection committee rewarded Kenny Brooks and the Kentucky Wildcats with a No. 4 seed in this year’s Big Dance, as revealed on ESPN’s Selection Sunday broadcast on Sunday night. This marks the fifth time in the NCAA era that Kentucky women’s basketball has been named to the fourth line, joining the 2010, 2011, 2017 and 2021 rosters.
The Wildcats’ best showings as a No. 4 seed came in 2010, with a trip to the Elite Eight. The Wildcats handled business against No. 13 Liberty, No. 5 Michigan State and No. 1 Nebraska before falling in the quarterfinals to No. 3 Oklahoma.
Kentucky’s return to the distinction of a top-16 overall seed will also serve as Brooks’ third consecutive year of doing so, and third-ever. The Wildcats will welcome the No. 13 seed, Conference USA champion Liberty, as their first opponent. Lexington will also play host to the battle between the Big 12’s Kansas State, the No. 5 seed, and Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference’s Fairfield, the No. 12 seed.
The Wildcats had been projected as a No. 3 seed by several outlets, but Brooks said any chance to host is a good one.
“It means the world, gives you a home-court advantage,” Brooks said. “It gives you the opportunity to advance, so it’s very, very important. Very important. One line up, and we would have been going to Kansas State, so it would’ve been very, very difficult. So we understand the importance of it. We don’t take it lightly. We know the responsibility that comes with it, and we’re looking forward to it.”
Both first-round Memorial Coliseum games in Lexington will take place Friday, with Kentucky facing Liberty at noon and Kansas State playing Fairfield at approximately 2:30 p.m. The second-round game will be played on Sunday. The victor from Memorial moves on to the NCAA Sweet 16 in Spokane, Washington, the following week.
The First Four will take place Wednesday and Thursday, with the first-round games beginning on Friday.
“It’s been a really fun year,” Brooks said. “For me, one of the best I’ve ever had. Because of everybody putting everything together and believing in us.”
All-session and single-session tickets for the three games in Memorial Coliseum will go on sale Monday at 10 a.m.
Kentucky’s tournament opener
No. 4 seed Kentucky vs. No. 13 seed Liberty
What: NCAA Tournament Spokane Regional 4
When: Noon Friday
Where: Memorial Coliseum in Lexington
TV: ESPN
Records: Kentucky 22-7, Liberty 26-6
ABOUT LIBERTY
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
Enrollment: 16,000 on campus; 124,000 online
Nickname: Flames
School colors: Blue, Red, White and Grey
Head coach: Carey Green (591-239 in 26 seasons at Liberty and overall)
Conference: Conference USA
NCAA berth: Automatic (Liberty tied Middle Tennessee for first place in the conference in the regular season then won the league tournament.)
All-time series: Kentucky leads 2-1
Last meeting: Kentucky won 83-77 on March 20, 2010, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Louisville.
Common opponents with Kentucky this season: Liberty lost to Tennessee 109-93 (Nov. 16) and beat Arkansas 75-61 (Dec. 18) and Western Kentucky 77-66 (Jan. 2) and 74-70 (March 8).
Notable games this season: Against power conference teams in addition to Tennessee and Arkansas, Liberty lost to Duke 83-67.
This story was originally published March 16, 2025 at 8:54 PM.
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