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The NCAA women’s basketball tournament bracket is set and the games will begin Wednesday with the start of the First Four.
Here’s a rundown of the players to watch, potential dark horse teams and game previews for every region in the 2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament.
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FORT WORTH 1 REGIONAL
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No. 1 Connecticut: The top-seeded Huskies (34-0) rank near the top of the nation in most offensive categories (second with 88.8 points per game, first with 52.5% from the field and 39.6% from three-point range) and have arguably the nation’s best player in Sarah Strong. The Huskies haven’t lost since Feb. 6, 2025.
No. 2 Vanderbilt: The Commodores (27-4) did not lose a game until late January. They fell to Ole Miss in the SEC tournament, but will still host an NCAA tournament game, behind the nation’s leading scorer, Mikayla Blakes.
No. 3 Ohio State: The Buckeyes (26-7) lost in the Big Ten semifinal to UCLA, but they can field a dominant offensive attack behind Jaloni Cambridge (22.8 points per game).
No. 4 North Carolina: The 26-7 Tar Heels were narrowly named one of the top 16 seeds after losing to Louisville in the ACC semifinals. Their 26 wins were the program’s most since 2019.
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Fairfield was given an 11 seed after winning the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and got a fascinating first-round matchup with No. 6-seed Notre Dame. The Stags (28-4) love to shoot three-pointers and have flirted with a top 25 ranking all season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame: The ACC player of the year leads the nation with 5.4 steals per game and is known as one of the dynamic playmakers in the country.
Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt: Leads the nation with 27 points per game as just a sophomore and was named the SEC player of the year.
Audi Crooks, Iowa State: Is second in the nation with 25.5 points per game and a 64.7% field goal percentage. Crooks has established herself as one of the most dominant offensive players in the game this season.
RIM SHOTS
- Fairfield’s 51.6% of shots coming from behind the three-point arc leads the nation.
- Syracuse (23-8) has a 42.2% offensive rebound rate, the fourth best in the country, which has helped its slower offense find success.
- Colorado (22-11) is 14-0 when scoring more than 70 points, but just 8-11 when being held to fewer than that.
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SACRAMENTO 2 REGIONAL
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No.1 UCLA: The Bruins (31-1) haven’t lost since November and have three players (Gianna Kneepkens, Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez) who rank in the top 10 in offensive rating this season. The dominant Bruins’ scoring powered them to a second consecutive Big Ten tournament title.
No. 2 LSU: The Tigers (27-5) lead the nation with 39.2 bench points per game. They also haven’t lost to a team ranked worse than 12th in the nation all season.
No. 3 Duke: After a slow start, the Blue Devils (24-8) have lost just twice since early December. The ACC champions narrowly defeated Louisville in the conference championship game.
No. 4 Minnesota: The Golden Gophers (22-8) fell to Ohio State in a Big Ten quarterfinal upset but still got one of the top 16 seeds in the country as the No. 4 seed on this side of the bracket. It is their first NCAA tournament since 2018 and first time hosting the opening round since 2005.
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The Ivy League champion Princeton Tigers (26-3) have been in and out of the top 25 all season. They got a No. 9 seed and face a tough Oklahoma State team. Princeton is making its 13th NCAA tournament appearance since 2010 and has lost just once since the end of January.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Lauren Betts, UCLA: The Big Ten defensive player of the year has helped UCLA to the No. 2 overall seed as arguably the top center in the country.
Flau’jae Johnson, LSU: Johnson could have gone to the WNBA this year, but opted for one last run with the Tigers. She was a first-team All-SEC player this season.
Lauren Whittaker, Gonzaga: The freshman was named the WCC player of the year, freshman of the year and WCC tournament most outstanding player after leading the league in scoring and rebounding.
RIM SHOTS
- No. 15-seed Jacksonville (24-8) is in the tournament for the first time since 2016 after clinching the Atlantic Sun automatic bid.
- No. 13-seed Green Bay’s 67.8 assist percentage is the 12th best in the country.
- No. 10 seed Villanova’s 10.9 free-throw attempts per game are the second-fewest in the nation.
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FORT WORTH 3 REGIONAL
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No. 1 Texas: The Longhorns (31-3) toppled South Carolina 78-61 in the SEC tournament championship game to cement themselves as the nation’s third overall seed. They are led by junior forward Madison Booker.
No. 2 Michigan (25-6): The Wolverines are led by Olivia Olson and Syla Swords, who are the only duo in Division I this season averaging at least 14 points, four rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
No. 3 Louisville (27-7): With three losses in their past six games, the Cardinals limp into the postseason following an overtime loss to Duke in the conference championship.
No. 4 West Virginia: The Big 12 champions have won six games in a row and earned a top 16 seed to host a tournament game for the first time since 1992.
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Coming off their first Atlantic 10 tournament championship and heading to their second NCAA tournament and first in 30 years, the Rhode Island Rams (28-4) have spent time in the top 25 this season. Center Albina Syla (6-foot-5) has shot 54.1% from the field and was the A-10 tournament’s most outstanding player.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Madison Booker, Texas: Booker scores 18.9 points per game for the powerful Longhorns attack. She was the SEC tournament MVP.
Clara Strack, Kentucky: Strack ranks fifth nationally with 2.58 blocks per game for the defensive-minded Wildcats (23-10).
Olivia Olson, Michigan: An All-Big Ten postseason pick, Olson is one of five finalists for the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year award. Her 19.2 points per game rank ninth in the loaded Big Ten.
RIM SHOTS
- No. 10-seed Tennessee lost 10 of its last 12 games heading into the tournament.
- No. 13-seed Miami (Ohio) is making its first tournament appearance since 2008 after winning the Mid-American Conference tournament.
- No. 4-seed West Virginia (27-6) forced opponents to turn the ball over on 27.3% of their possessions, which is ninth best in the nation.
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SACRAMENTO 4 REGIONAL
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No. 1 South Carolina: The 31-3 Gamecocks got thrashed by Texas in the SEC tournament championship game but are still a clear No. 1 seed with one of the deepest starting five in the nation, led by Raven Johnson, Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot.
No. 2 Iowa: After getting smashed by UCLA in the Big Ten championship, the Hawkeyes have something to prove. They have already sustained the loss of Taylor McCabe. Chazadi Wright is one of the top three-point shooters in the country (45.2%).
No. 3 Texas Christian: Powered by Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez, the Horned Frogs didn’t get quite what they hoped, entering the bracket from the Sacramento side instead of hometown Fort Worth.
No. 4 Oklahoma: The 24-7 Sooners are second in the nation with 48.5 rebounds per game. and lead the country with an 81.1 points per game pace. Freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez paces the team with 18.4 points per contest.
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Behind USC transfer Avery Howell and Elle Ladine, the No. 6-seed Washington Huskies (21-10) might sneak up on some teams. They defeated the Trojans in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinal and challenged UCLA in the tournament semifinal.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Raven Johnson, South Carolina: Johnson has won two national titles with the Gamecocks and is a leader for Dawn Staley’s squad. She has racked up 184 assists this season.
Jazzy Davidson, USC: The Big Ten freshman of the year, Davidson was the top recruit in the nation entering this season and is coming off of a shoulder injury she sustained during the Trojans’ Big Ten tournament quarterfinal loss to Washington.
Marta Suarez, TCU: Suarez has broken out this season after helping California return to the NCAA tournament a year ago. With the Horned Frogs, she has averaged 17.2 points per game and shot 46.7%.
RIM SHOTS
- No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson (30-4) will bring a 22-game winning streak to the NCAA tournament.
- No. 16-seed Samford upset top-seed Chattanooga to win the Southern Conference and is playing in its first NCAA tournament since 2012.
- TCU led the nation in paint defense this season, holding opponents to 36.7% shooting in the paint.
The post March Madness women’s tournament analysis: Teams and players to watch appeared first on Los Angeles Times.
