Of the 213 posts on this thread, only a few have come close to pointing out what I think is the salient fact for UConn fans: UConn cannot face more than one of the BIG Troika of Mississippi State / Baylor / Texas, and then only in the Final game.
Everyone (even Geno) seemed to agree that the teams with major size (mainly those three) would be the biggest threat to UConn’s chances. Now, with this bracket, at least two of those three will be eliminated before UConn can possibly play them.
The biggest and strongest player that UConn will have to face before the final game is A’ja Wilson, and while she is certainly deserving of being the Player of the Year and the probably #1 draft choice for the WNBA, she is NOT the biggest or strongest player in the field, and UConn has became fairly accustomed to facing her. Moreover, I don’t think she has the guard play around her that any of the three above-mentioned teams have around their bigs, which should make it easier for UConn to beat the Gamecocks yet again.
If UConn comes out of Albany with the Husky still growling, their semifinal game is likely to be against either Notre Dame or Oregon. They are both very good teams, but not as intimidating as those mentioned above. UConn knows how to play those games against those kinds of teams, and (since about 2013) has nearly always been successful.
UConn might have had to win its NC this year by playing Texas, Baylor, and Mississippi State in succession. This bracket removes that possibility entirely.
Obviously, I think the bracket is very favorable to UConn’s chances for an NC.
