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It’s time to march through the madness.
The field has been selected and the bracket is set for the 2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament. Undefeated UConn earned the No. 1 overall seed, with UCLA, Texas and South Carolina taking the other top spots.
So, who is going to win it all? Who is going home earlier than expected? And who is going to bust some brackets?
Here’s a breakdown of the bracket, with instant reactions for each region. Share your impressions, expectations and excitement in the comments.
Although we can pretend that the annual construction of the NCAA tournament bracket is an entirely objective process, the committee can never resist a juicy narrative.
Of course Vanderbilt, coached by Shea Ralph, who won one national championship as a player and six as an assistant coach at UConn, is the No. 2 seed in No. 1 overall UConn’s regional. The potential of the mentee in Ralph denying her mentor, Geno Auriemma, a shot at back-to-back titles would be quite the storyline.
This regional also presents some other possible buzzy matchups. Although mid-major darling Farifield, the MAAC champions that earned a No. 11 seed, will likely be a popular upset pick over the up-and-down No. 6-seed Notre Dame, an Irish victory could set up a second-round matchup against No. 3-seed Ohio State, gifting us a showdown being Hannah Hidalgo and Jaloni Cambridge, two of the nation’s most electric point guards.
What do you think about UConn’s path? Do you want to see the Huskies and Commodores face off for a trip to the Final Four? Can a Hidalgo heater carry the Irish into the Sweet 16, or will Fairfield send Notre Dame home early and emerge as a Cinderella?
Among the No. 1 seeds, UCLA might have the most dangerous potential second-round matchup. No. 8-seed Oklahoma State, if they can first defeat No. 9-seed and Ivy League champs Princeton, embraces a high-variance style of play, bombing away from 3. If they get hot, things could get tricky for the Bruins; if the Cowgirls are cold, however, UCLA should cruise.
Despite capping their in-season turnaround with their second-straight ACC Tournament title, Duke is a No. 3 seed, something Zack Ward argued should happen because of the Blue Devil’s underwhelming early-season record. But, head coach Kara Lawson’s team has the opportunity to prove that all their progress is real. The second round possibly presents a rematch with No. 6-seed Baylor, the team the Blue Devils lost to in their season opener. Advance further and Duke can get more revenge: No. 2-seed LSU. Setting the stage for Sweet 16 showdown between the Blue Devils and Tigers also further substantiates that the committee has an eye for storylines.
Of the No. 1 seeds, does UCLA have the hardest path? Are you confident in Duke’s revenge tour? Can LSU be the best version of themselves and earn a trip to Phoenix?
No. 2-seed Michigan, possibly more than any team in the history of the sport, has received a ton of credit for “good” losses.
And yes, it’s impressive that the Wolverines gave UConn an early-season scare, nearly completed a big comeback against then-undefeated Vandy and were the only Big Ten opponent to hang with UCLA. However, it seems like two blowout losses to Iowa, plus a bad loss at Washington, should raise a bit more skepticism about the Wolverines.
The first-round matchup between No. 7-seed NC State and No. 10-seed Tennessee will serve as a reminder of how long the college basketball season is. When they met in the season opener, both the Wolfpack and Lady Vols were ranked in the top 10. Now, it feels like Tennessee is lucky to be a No. 10 seed! At the same time, it’s hard to totally discount the possibility of the talented Lady Vols putting it together and making a deeper-than-expected tournament run.
What are your thoughts on the Wolverines? Are they overrated, underrated or properly rated? Can Tennessee salvage a sour season with a miraculous run to the Sweet 16—or even further? And is there a team in this region that can trip up top-seeded Texas?
No. 16-seed Southern, the SWAC Tournament champions for the second year in a row, faced a non-conference schedule that included six Power Four tournament teams, including UCLA. So, the Jaguars will not be intimated by a first-round matchup against No. 1-seed South Carolina. Southern just has to win their First Four game against fellow No. 16-seed Samford, which won the SoCon Tournament as the No. 6 seed to earn their first Big Dance bid since 2012.
Presuming neither Southern nor Samford stuns South Carolina, the Gamecocks will be slated for a SC-centric second-round rematch. South Carolina already handled No. 9-seed Southern Cal in “The Real SC” showdown in Los Angeles in November. One game before beating the Trojans, the Gamecocks defeated in-state rival, No. 8-seed Clemson.
With another win over USC or Clemson, the Gamecocks get another shot at the one team they failed to defeat this season: No. 4-seed Oklahoma.
Despite taking a beating in the Big Ten title game, Iowa still received a No. 2 seed. In the second round, the Hawkeyes could face an alum, as Georgia head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson played two seasons at Iowa. In 2023, Coach Abe’s first season at Georgia and the only other time she led the Dawgs to the NCAA Tournament, the committee also set up an Iowa-Georgia second-round matchup. (The Bulldogs, of course, lost to the Caitlin Clark-led Hawkeyes).
Even though they are the fourth No. 1 seed, did South Carolina secure the most favorable path to Phoenix? Or, can Aaliyah Chavez and the Sooners find the magic against the Gamecocks again in the Sweet 16? Is No. 3-seed TCU a sneaky threat in this region?
