March Madness and all the special players that come with it are set to land in Birmingham.

The NCAA women’s basketball tournament Sweet 16 and Elite Eight are set to tip off in Birmingham on Friday when No. 2-seeded Duke squares off against archrival North Carolina in the first matchup of the Birmingham Regional.

RELATED: Get to know the teams headed to Birmingham for March Madness

Friday’s first game will be followed by star-studded a matchup of No. 1 South Carolina and No. 4 Maryland, while Saturday will see No. 2 TCU face No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 1 South Carolina square off against No. 5 Tennessee.

The first Elite Eight game will be on Sunday at noon with the regionals to close out on Monday at 6 p.m.

Here are some of the top players to watch as the Sweet 16 tips off in Birmingham on Friday:

Madison Booker, Texas

Booker claimed AP All-America honors and was named SEC Player of the Year after a dominant season on offense with the Longhorns. The sophomore star heads into the Sweet 16 averaging 16.5 points and 5.9 rebounds a game, shooting 46.2% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc. She scored 20 points in both of Texas’ first two NCAA tournament games.

Ashlon Jackson, Duke

A second team all-conference pick for Duke this year, Jackson has started every game for the Blue Devils so far. She’s averaging 12.5 points per game and leads the Blue Devils’ efforts from beyond the arc, making 83 of her 217 shots (38.2%) from 3-point range; she ranks fourth in the ACC in 3-point baskets. Jackson heads to Birmingham fresh off a 20-point performance against Oregon.

Kaylene Smikle, Maryland

Akey offensive player in the Terrapins’ double-overtime win over Alabama, Smikle totaled 24 points and shot 9-for-18 on offense for Maryland to help send her team to the Sweet 16. A first team all-conference player, she’s averaged a team-high 18.3 points a game for a high-octane Maryland team.

Hailey Van Lith, TCU

The Big 12 Player of the Year heads to Birmingham having scored in all but two of her starts this season for the Horned Frogs. Averaging 17.7 points per game, Van Lith is shooting 45.9% from the field and ranks ninth in the nation with 198 assists. During the Horned Frogs’ runs in the Big 12 tournament and NCAA tournament, she’s averaging 18.4 points and shooting 29-for-58 (50%) from the field.

Talaysia Cooper, Tennessee

The Lady Volunteers’ leading scorer heads into Birmingham averaging a convincing 16.8 points per game after dropping 20 points in the first round of the NCAA tournament against South Florida and 19 against Ohio State. A second-team all-SEC selection and all-defensive selection, she ranks eighth in the nation in steals (104) and is averaging 5.7 rebounds per game.

Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame

One of the top scorers in the country, Hidalgo ranks third in the nation in points per game 24.1 heading into a first-round matchup with TCU in Birmingham. The AP All-American has scored at least 20 points in all five of the Fighting Irish’s last five games, most recently scoring 21 against Michigan on Sunday. The sophomore also ranks fourth among all Division I players with 3.71 steals per game.

Joyce Edwards, South Carolina

One of the top freshmen players in the nation, Edwards claimed first team all-conference honors for the Gamecocks after making an instant impact on both sides of the ball. She’s averaging a team-high 13.2 points per game and is shooting 55% from the field, which ranks fourth in the SEC. She’s also scored in double figures 25 times this year and is averaging 4.9 rebounds per game.

Alyssa Ustby, North Carolina

After becoming North Carolina’s all-time leading rebounder during the Tar Heels’ first-round matchup against Oregon State, Ustby hasn’t slowed down for a surging UNC team. Fresh off of a 21-point performance against West Virginia that saw her shoot 7-for-11 from the field and log 7 rebounds, she’ll carry an average of 10.9 points and 9.4 rebounds per game into Birmingham.

Madison Conner, TCU

Conner claimed first team all-conference honors for the Horned Frogs after one of the best shooting seasons from beyond the arc in program history. She shattered the single-season 3-pointers record with 125 on the year so far, with her 45.45% mark from beyond the arc ranking eighth among all qualified Division I players. The sharpshooter heads into Birmingham averaging 14.6 points per game.

Shyanne Sellers, Maryland

One of the top playmakers in the country, Sellers comes into Birmingham fresh off of scoring a team-high 28 points in a double-overtime victory over Alabama on Sunday. She claimed first team all-conference honors for the third straight year, averaging 14.5 points and 4.1 assists per game so far this year. The Ohio native also became the first Maryland player with career marks of 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 500 assists.

Chloe Kitts, South Carolina

After a regular season that saw her earn All-SEC honors and an AP All-America honorable mention, Kitts has been on a tear for the Gamecocks as she picked up SEC tournament MVP and shined in both NCAA tournament games. Kitts logged 50 points and 23 rebounds across the Gamecocks’ three SEC tournament games and shot 23-for-31 (74.1%) from the field; she’s fresh off of a double-double for 10 points and 11 rebounds against Indiana in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

Oluchi Okananwa, Duke

A key contributor for Duke down the stretch, a career game in the ACC tournament title game helped Okananwa claim ACC tournament MVP ahead of the NCAA tournament. She notched a double-double for a season-high 22 points and 10 rebounds before piling up 15 points and 7 rebounds against Lehigh in the next game. She ranks second on the team in rebounds (177) and is averaging 10.2 points a game headed into the Sweet 16.