[chimera]

Chimera, based on that analysis, looking at other teams, here are what challenges they may present (I haven't really watched their games so I am not sure how their forwards/centers score, whether back to the basket post ups or drives to the rim):

• N.C. State (Their center and leading scorer is Elissa Cunane, who is 6'5" and is averaging 16.8 ppg on 57%, and their next two leading scorers Brown-Turner and Jones are each hitting at least 38% from 3-point range and they have 2 other players who play notable minutes who are also hitting 34% or better from long range)
  
• Texas A&M (Their center is Ciera Johnson, who is 6'4" and their fourth leading scorer (though their top five scorers' averages are within 3 points of each other) at 12.3 ppg and 54%, Destiny Pitts is their most prolific 3-point shooter at 47% and has attempted 40 more long range shots than the next player; they have one more shooter hitting 44% of her 3-point shots and another one at 32%)
  
• Louisville (They have two forwards 6'3" and 6'5" who are both shooting 59% from the floor and averaging 10.7 ppg and 8.3 ppg respectively; arguably their best 3 players (and leading scorers) are three guards: Dana Evans, Kianna Smith (Cal transfer) and freshman Hailey Van Lith and they all shoot 35% or better from long range)
  
• Baylor (Their main center is Queen Egbo at 6'3" averaging 11.3 ppg at a 51% clip, they have a taller center in freshman Hannah Gusters who's 6'5", she's played in every game but averaging only 11 mins/game, so she's like Belibi or Prechtel coming in off the bench but playing decent minutes. Gusters is averaging 6 ppg, but at a very efficient 66% rate. Their best players are NaLyssa Smith, a 6'2" forward who draws a lot of fouls (127 FT attempts) and Carrington, who comes off the bench but is often one of their leading scorers. DiJonai also takes the most 3-point shots on their team (40 more than the next closest) and nails 32% of them. Their best 3-point shooters Moon Ursin and Sarah Andrews are making them at a 35% rate)
  
• UConn (Olivia Nelson-Ododa is 6'5" averaging 12.5 ppg and shooting 58% and Aaliyah Edwards at 6'3" is even more efficient, a Hebard-like 68% from the floor, but Paige Bueckers is their primary scorer. As a freshman, she's already averaging 19.7 ppg and hitting 54% of her shots, including 47% from long range, but Christyn Williams, Evina Westbrook and Nika Muhl all can't be left alone beyond the arc either, all of them with a 31% or better conversion rate from 3-point land)
  
• Maryland (The Terrapins don't seem to have a true center like other teams; their tallest players are 6'3". I don't think the strategy of doubling up on someone and leaving someone else more open will work with them however, as they have six players who average double digits in scoring. Their best long-range shooter demands attention - Katie Benzan, she's hitting 52% of her 3-pointers. Two of their other starters also are prolific three pointer shooters, Diamond Miller and Chloe Bibby, both of whom are shooting 34% from long range. Their Achilles heel is that their defense is weaker than the other contenders; they might score a lot, but they can also give up a lot of points too. They've surrendered 80 or more points in 8 of their games including in their 2 losses)
  
• South Carolina (Their center is Aliyah Boston, who is 6'5", averaging 13 ppg on 49% shooting; she also has 70 blocks on the season. Henderson and Cooke are their main 3 pointer shooters (43% and 37% respectively), but Beal also makes 30% of hers)
  

Interesting stuff, thx for putting that together.  I am now scared of all those teams.  OK, not so much, but they do seem impressive offensively.  I haven't seen much of any of them and nothing of a few of them, so I don't know what to think except that the job the coaches do in scouting and prepping the team might be key.  Teams don't know each other as well this year, don't have common opponents where it may be easier to evaluate an opponent since you have a team you know as a metric.  If scouting is a wee bit harder than usual and our coaches outdo the other team, that is a definite edge.  I am just going to wait for the bracket, not think too much about who I'd least want to play, and see what happens.

[chimera]

Chimera, based on that analysis, looking at other teams, here are what challenges they may present (I haven't really watched their games so I am not sure how their forwards/centers score, whether back to the basket post ups or drives to the rim):

• N.C. State (Their center and leading scorer is Elissa Cunane, who is 6'5" and is averaging 16.8 ppg on 57%, and their next two leading scorers Brown-Turner and Jones are each hitting at least 38% from 3-point range and they have 2 other players who play notable minutes who are also hitting 34% or better from long range)
  
• Texas A&M (Their center is Ciera Johnson, who is 6'4" and their fourth leading scorer (though their top five scorers' averages are within 3 points of each other) at 12.3 ppg and 54%, Destiny Pitts is their most prolific 3-point shooter at 47% and has attempted 40 more long range shots than the next player; they have one more shooter hitting 44% of her 3-point shots and another one at 32%)
  
• Louisville (They have two forwards 6'3" and 6'5" who are both shooting 59% from the floor and averaging 10.7 ppg and 8.3 ppg respectively; arguably their best 3 players (and leading scorers) are three guards: Dana Evans, Kianna Smith (Cal transfer) and freshman Hailey Van Lith and they all shoot 35% or better from long range)
  
• Baylor (Their main center is Queen Egbo at 6'3" averaging 11.3 ppg at a 51% clip, they have a taller center in freshman Hannah Gusters who's 6'5", she's played in every game but averaging only 11 mins/game, so she's like Belibi or Prechtel coming in off the bench but playing decent minutes. Gusters is averaging 6 ppg, but at a very efficient 66% rate. Their best players are NaLyssa Smith, a 6'2" forward who draws a lot of fouls (127 FT attempts) and Carrington, who comes off the bench but is often one of their leading scorers. DiJonai also takes the most 3-point shots on their team (40 more than the next closest) and nails 32% of them. Their best 3-point shooters Moon Ursin and Sarah Andrews are making them at a 35% rate)
  
• UConn (Olivia Nelson-Ododa is 6'5" averaging 12.5 ppg and shooting 58% and Aaliyah Edwards at 6'3" is even more efficient, a Hebard-like 68% from the floor, but Paige Bueckers is their primary scorer. As a freshman, she's already averaging 19.7 ppg and hitting 54% of her shots, including 47% from long range, but Christyn Williams, Evina Westbrook and Nika Muhl all can't be left alone beyond the arc either, all of them with a 31% or better conversion rate from 3-point land)
  
• Maryland (The Terrapins don't seem to have a true center like other teams; their tallest players are 6'3". I don't think the strategy of doubling up on someone and leaving someone else more open will work with them however, as they have six players who average double digits in scoring. Their best long-range shooter demands attention - Katie Benzan, she's hitting 52% of her 3-pointers. Two of their other starters also are prolific three pointer shooters, Diamond Miller and Chloe Bibby, both of whom are shooting 34% from long range. Their Achilles heel is that their defense is weaker than the other contenders; they might score a lot, but they can also give up a lot of points too. They've surrendered 80 or more points in 8 of their games including in their 2 losses)
  
• South Carolina (Their center is Aliyah Boston, who is 6'5", averaging 13 ppg on 49% shooting; she also has 70 blocks on the season. Henderson and Cooke are their main 3 pointer shooters (43% and 37% respectively), but Beal also makes 30% of hers)
  

Interesting stuff, thx for putting that together.  I am now scared of all those teams.  OK, not so much, but they do seem impressive offensively.  I haven't seen much of any of them and nothing of a few of them, so I don't know what to think except that the job the coaches do in scouting and prepping the team might be key.  Teams don't know each other as well this year, don't have common opponents where it may be easier to evaluate an opponent since you have a team you know as a metric.  If scouting is a wee bit harder than usual and our coaches outdo the other team, that is a definite edge.  I am just going to wait for the bracket, not think too much about who I'd least want to play, and see what happens.