Say what you want about the NCAA Selection Committee, its decisions, and its processes. But, technically speaking, it did its job adequately.

The top four seeds have advanced to Championship Weekend, setting the stage for the heavy hitters of Division I women’s lacrosse to put on a show.

Every team still standing — North Carolina, Maryland, Boston College and Northwestern — has won a national title. Combined, they’ve captured 24 of the 39 NCAA Division I women’s titles doled out. Maryland has won 14, Northwestern has won seven, UNC has won twice and BC has won once.

There’s no shortage of experience with these teams, and you already know the big players on each side. But let’s dive into our yearly exercise to break down an A-to-Z guide of the Final Four.

A is for Acacia. Acacia Walker-Weinstein has led Boston College to five-straight Final Fours. A win Friday would put her Eagles in the national title game for the fifth year in a row. To do it, She’ll have to best the program she once suited up for to do it. Walker-Weinstein, an Annapolis native, was an IWLCA All-American for the Terps before graduating in 2005.

B is for Brooklyn Walker-Welch. It’s not easy for a freshman to make an impact these days, with many players taking advantage of the COVID-induced fifth year of eligibility. But UNC defender Brooklyn Walker-Welch has bucked that trend. The graduations of standout defenders like Caroline Wakefield and Catie Woodruff and nagging injuries to Emma Trenchard opened the door for Walker-Welch, and she burst through it. The ACC All-Rookie team member is second on UNC with 18 caused turnovers. Her most famous? That game-saving slide against Charlotte North the first time the Tar Heels and Boston College squared off.

C is for Cathy Reese. Cathy Reese returned to the University of Maryland, where she won four national titles as a player and five as an assistant coach, in 2007. She took over for her former coach and boss, Cindy Timchal, and passed her on the program’s all-time wins list in 2019, and now has won 302 as head coach at Maryland. Two more, and she’ll be a national champion for the sixth time as a head coach and the 13th time as a Terp.

D is for Defense. The weekend will feature two of the best scoring defenses in the country in Maryland (7.35) and UNC (8.10). Northwestern and Boston College don’t rank in the top five nationally in the category but don’t discount either. Northwestern limited Syracuse’s offense to four goals, the Orange’s lowest output of the year. BC’s unit features All-American Courtney Taylor and Sydney Scales, who both have 25 caused turnovers.

E is for Emily Sterling. A big reason for Maryland’s success on defense this season has been the standout play of netminder Emily Sterling. Sterling produced a .399 save percentage last season. This year, she’s stopping shots at a .549 clip, the best save percentage in the country.

F is for Fans. COVID may not technically be in our rearview mirror, but this season has seen the return of capacity crowds. The No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup between North Carolina and Boston College brought 5,937 fans to Alumni Stadium in Chestnut Hill. Maryland’s regular-season home finale against Northwestern drew a standing-room-only crowd of 2,132. Will the Terps faithful make the in-state trip to Homewood Field this weekend? You can bet on it, but expect other teams’ fan bases to travel well, too, after two years of watching from their couches.

G is for Goalies. We’ve covered Sterling, but the rest of the field boasts capable netminders. BC’s Rachel Hall, last year’s breakout player in the Final Four, made four fourth-quarter saves in the quarterfinals against Loyola. Madison Doucette stopped 11 saves against Syracuse, and Taylor Moreno is, well, Taylor Moreno. The All-American netminder and 2021 Tewaaraton finalist is eighth nationally in save percentage (.505).

H is for Homewood Field. The Yankee Stadium of lacrosse was built in 1906 and officially holds 8,500 people. Homewood Field previously hosted the women’s Div. I championship in 1999, 2001 and 2019. It also served as the site of the Div. I men’s championship in 1975 and the home field for the Baltimore Bayhawks of the Major League Lacrosse in 2001 and 2003. The stadium was named for the estate of Charles Carroll of Carrollton, who signed the Declaration of Independence.

I is for Izzy Scane. Northwestern’s offense has been without one of the most prolific attackers in the game this season. In December, Izzy Scane, who poured in 98 goals in 2021, announced she’d miss the 2022 season with a torn ACL. Without Scane, the Wildcats have leaned on Lauren Gilbert (74 G, 26 A), Erin Coykendall (44 G, 35 A) and Jill Girardi (49 G, 10 A).

J is for Jamie Ortega. Jamie Ortega has rewritten the North Carolina and ACC record books. Her 458 career points are a school and conference record and are the second-most in Div. I history. She has poured in a school-record 329 career goals, which rank second all-time in the ACC and third in Div. I. But the two-time Tewaaraton finalist would likely trade all of those to win her first national title in four trips to the Final Four.

K is for Kelly Amonte Hiller. Kelly Amonte Hiller, one of three coaches in this year’s Final Four who played at Maryland, built the Northwestern program into a national power. Her 2005 Wildcats became the first program outside the eastern time zone to win an NCAA championship. She’s gone on to lead the program to six more championships, the last coming in 2012.

L is for Libby May. Her first name begins with L, but Libby May has lived up to her last name this postseason. The junior attacker from Sparks, Md., has scored five goals in three-straight games and is second on the team in goals (61) and points (73).

M is for Maryland. The Terps are the winningest program in Div. I women’s lacrosse history with 14 national titles. They’re back in the Final Four after missing it last year and have played on MDW in 12 of the last 13 full seasons.

N is for Charlotte North. The reigning Tewaaraton Award winner became the Division I women’s career goals leader last week, and she continues to be the emerging face of women’s lacrosse. That said, her scoring output has been somewhat — relatively speaking, of course — down compared to early in the season. From Feb. 12 to April 9, North scored at least four goals in 11 games. In the eight games since, she’s hit that mark once. BC is still winning, obviously, but it’s something to monitor.

O is for Overall record. The top four remaining seeds have made it to Championship Weekend. They’ve gone a combined 73-8 up to this point.

P is for Ally Palermo. A Northwestern defense anchored by Madison Doucette is also led by veteran Ally Palermo, who has started all but two games in her career. It’s been another great campaign for Palermo. She’s amassed 37 ground balls and 24 caused turnovers, and she’ll have to have a huge game to help her team overcome North Carolina in the semifinals.

Q is for one big Question. If North Carolina, the undefeated top seed and favorite in this tournament, wins a national championship, there should be one prevailing question — is this possibly one of the best women’s teams of all time? It’s being asked on the men’s side, where Maryland is in a similar situation.

R is for Ride. Specifically, that of Maryland. The Terps dominate teams between the 30s, tiring them out to downright bully them in the second half. It’s not just the defenders or midfielders going to work, either. Cathy Reese’s attackers are relentless on the ride and create extra possessions for their team.

S is for Seasoned. Four of the most experienced and successful coaches in women’s lacrosse remain for Championship Weekend. Jenny Levy (27th season), Cathy Reese (16th season), Acacia Walker-Weinstein (10th season) and Kelly Amonte Hiller (23rd season) have a combined 76 years of experience at their current institutions. There isn’t a single situation this weekend they won’t be prepared for.

T is for Transfers. With Northwestern the lone exception, the Final Four is littered with impactful transfers. Aurora Cordingley and Abby Bosco for Maryland. Courtney Taylor for Boston College. Andie Aldave, Sam Geiersbach and Olivia Dirks for North Carolina. These rosters were all built successfully without those additions, but their presence has pushed these teams over the top.

U is for Underdog. Is Boston College the underdog yet again? Beth Ann Mayer examined the team’s thoughts on just that question, and defender Hollie Schleicher said they don’t mind. It’s always better to be the underdog, Schleicher said.

V is for Victoria Hensh. Hensh came off the bench for Maryland to score three times in the NCAA quarterfinals. Hensh, Jordyn Lipkin and a few others have filled a semi-rotating bench attack role depending on the game and matchup, and Cathy Reese’s ability to rely on several depth options makes her team even more dangerous. It could be Hensh, or Lipkin or somebody else entirely. But you have to account for all of them.

W is for Caitlyn Wurzburger. Stepping into the X attacker role vacated by the graduation of Katie Hoeg, Wurzburger has produced 31 goals and 42 assists. As UNC’s primary facilitator, Wurzburger takes pressure off an offense that’s already pretty good at scoring.

X is for Brianna LamoureuX. Did we take a liberty here? You’re darn right. But Lamoureux (the “x” is silent) didn’t start a single game on defense until this season, and she’s started every single one during Maryland’s re-introduction to the upper tier of women’s lacrosse. The junior has 23 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers for a team that’s only allowed 147 goals in 20 games.

Y is for Youth. This isn’t the type of Final Four in which seniors or graduate students will do all the heavy lifting. Sure, many of the household names are players who’ve been around the block, but each of the four teams has young stars who could use the national stage as their opportunity to make a name for themselves.

Z is for Zero. The number of national championship games Boston College has missed (outside of the COVID-canceled 2020 season) since 2017. This is the Eagles’ fifth straight Final Four, and it would be their fifth straight championship game if they advance past Maryland on Friday.