Big Ten women’s bracket: When do Northwestern, Illinois and Caitlin Clark begin play in Minneapolis?

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Northwestern plays in the opening game Wednesday, Illinois tips off Thursday and Caitlin Clark and Iowa have a double bye into Friday’s quarterfinals as the pairings are set for the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament in Minneapolis.

Coach Joe McKeown’s Wildcats (9-20, 4-14) are seeded 13th and will face No. 12 seed Purdue (12-17, 5-13) in the tournament opener at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday on Peacock. The winner advances to meet fifth-seeded Nebraska (19-10, 11-7).

The ninth-seeded Illini (14-14, 8-10), in their second season under coach Shauna Green, will take on No. 8 seed Maryland (17-12, 9-9) in the first of four second-round games at 11:30 a.m. Thursday on Big Ten Network. Top seed Ohio State (25-4, 16-2) would await in the quarterfinals.

All-time Division I scoring leader Clark and the Hawkeyes (26-4, 15-3) are seeded second and open play at 5:30 p.m. Friday on BTN against Penn State (18-11, 9-9) or Wisconsin (13-15, 6-12).

ESPN’s latest bracketology projects seven Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament field: Ohio State as a No. 1 seed, Iowa as a No. 2, Indiana (24-4, 15-3) as a No. 4, Michigan State (22-7, 12-6) as a No. 7, Nebraska as a No. 8, Michigan (18-12, 9-9) as a No. 10 and Maryland as a No. 11. The Wolverines and Terrapins are two of ESPN’s last four byes, while Penn State is among the first four out.

The tournament is sold out for the first time in its 31-year history, according to the Big Ten, while Sunday’s championship game will air on CBS-2 for the first time.

Big Ten Tournament schedule

Target Center, Minneapolis

Wednesday’s first round

  • (12) Purdue vs. (13) Northwestern, 5:30 p.m., Peacock
  • (11) Minnesota vs. (14) Rutgers, 8 p.m., Peacock

Thursday’s second round

  • (8) Maryland vs. (9) Illinois, 11:30 a.m., BTN
  • (5) Nebraska vs. Purdue-NU winner, 2 p.m., BTN
  • (7) Penn State vs. (10) Wisconsin, 5:30 p.m., BTN
  • (6) Michigan vs. Minnesota-Rutgers winner, 8 p.m., BTN

Friday’s quarterfinals

  • (1) Ohio State vs. Maryland-Illinois winner, 11:30 a.m., BTN
  • (4) Michigan State vs. Nebraska/Purdue/NU, 2 p.m., BTN
  • (2) Iowa vs. Penn State-Wisconsin winner, 5:30 p.m., BTN
  • (3) Indiana vs. Michigan/Minnesota/Rutgers, 8 p.m., BTN

Saturday’s semifinals

  • First two quarterfinal winners, 1 p.m., BTN
  • Last two quarterfinal winners, 3:30 p.m., BTN

Sunday’s final

  • Semifinal winners, 11 a.m., CBS-2

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