[3] One semifinal game matched defending National Champion Texas against Louisiana Tech.

Texas tried to wear down Teresa Weatherspoon, but set an NCAA Final Four record with eleven assists, while putting in 19 points of her own.

Although Long Beach was averaging over 96 points per game, and had scored 102 in the West Regional final against Ohio State, the Lady Vols held the team to 64 points, and upset the 1 seed by a score of 74–64.

[5] The lone loss by Texas in the regular season had been to Tennessee, ending the Longhorns 40 game win streak, but the two teams played again two weeks later, and this time Texas emerged victorious, with a 14-point victory.

One of those meetings had been the 1982 National Championship game, when the Lady Techsters beat the Volunteers by 23 points.

Eighteen conferences were eligible for an automatic bid to the 1987 NCAA tournament.

In addition, two independent (not associated with an athletic conference) teams earned at-large bids.

The following table lists the region, host school, venue and the twenty-four first round locations: The regionals, named for the general location, were held from March 20 to March 23 at these sites: The forty teams came from twenty states.