Women’s March Madness 2026: Ranking the Elite Eight

Welcome to the occasion, Michigan and Notre Dame. For everybody else in the Elite Eight, it is like they by no means left.

The different six groups that superior to the ladies’s Elite Eight performed in the regional finals a 12 months in the past. That does not imply it is the similar, although. UConn now not has Paige Bueckers. UCLA added Gianna Kneepkens, and South Carolina introduced Ta’Niya Latson aboard. TCU has a totally totally different look with Olivia Miles and Marta Suarez.

All 4 No. 1 seeds and the heavy favorites to achieve the Final Four had little hassle reaching this level. The closest sport amongst UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina was a 19-point win by the Bruins over Oklahoma State in Round 2. The quartet’s common margin of victory in the regional semifinals was 23.3 factors.

The No. 2 seeds weren’t as lucky: Michigan is the just one remaining.

Notre Dame was a perennial energy only a few years in the past, however now, as a 6-seed, it qualifies as a Cinderella. The Fighting Irish performed UConn, Michigan and Duke (twice) this season, shedding all 4 of these video games by a mean of 23 factors. But the Irish have the hottest participant left in the NCAA match in Hannah Hidalgo.

Still, she wasn’t sufficient to maintain Notre Dame from being final in the up to date Elite Eight rankings. Will Hidalgo be sufficient to drag off the upset of the match and beat No. 1 UConn? Here’s a take a look at the ultimate eight.

1. UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 1 general (Fort Worth 1)
Results: Def. No. 16 UTSA 90-52 (first round); def. No. 9 Syracuse 98-45 (round of 32); def. No. 4 North Carolina 63-42 (Sweet 16)

The Huskies entered the NCAA match with the nation’s top-rated protection. On Friday towards North Carolina, they offered the proof. Despite taking part in its worst offensive sport of the season and scoring 25 factors beneath its season common, UConn nonetheless rolled previous the Tar Heels. Making simply 4 of 20 3-pointers appears inconceivable for the most correct deep taking pictures group in the nation coming into the sport, however the Huskies struggled to make pictures the total contest. Getting 18 steals and forcing 24 turnovers definitely helped. UConn is now one sport away from a twenty fifth Final Four. The Huskies haven’t misplaced a regional ultimate sport since 2007, throughout Tina Charles’ freshman 12 months.

Up subsequent: vs. Notre Dame (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)

2. UCLA Bruins

Original seed: No. 1 (Sacramento 2)
Results: Def. No. 16 Cal Baptist 96-43 (first round); def. No. 8 Oklahoma State 87-68 (round of 32); def. No. 4 Minnesota 80-56 (Sweet 16)

With six seniors, who’re all 1,000-point scorers, the Bruins want this to be their 12 months. Perhaps that is why in two of the Bruins’ NCAA match wins, most of the urgency got here in the second half. UCLA outscored Minnesota by 19 in the ultimate 20 minutes on Friday and eased right into a second straight regional ultimate. UCLA ranks second in the nation in efficient area objective share, factors per scoring try and factors per play. That form of effectivity has fueled the Bruins by way of their first three tourney outings. No participant has exemplified that greater than Lauren Betts, who’s taking pictures 31-of-43 from the area and averaging 24.3 factors in March Madness.

Up subsequent: vs. Duke (Sunday, 3 p.m., ABC)

3. Texas Longhorns
Original seed: No. 1 (Fort Worth 3)
Results: Def. No. 16 Missouri State 87-45 (first round); def. No. 8 Oregon 100-58 (round of 32); def. No. 5 Kentucky 76-54 (Sweet 16)

Vic Schaefer mentioned he did not like the efficiency of his group in the third quarter towards Kentucky, however the fact is the Longhorns have been one in all the most dominant teams in the NCAA match. They have received three video games by a mean margin of 35.3 factors. The taking pictures percentages throughout the board for Texas have improved from the common season, and the Longhorns simply pressured 24 turnovers from a Wildcats’ group that averaged fewer than 13 per sport throughout the common season. Texas did lose that third quarter to Kentucky 19-18, nevertheless it’s the solely quarter the Longhorns did not win to date on this match.

Up subsequent: vs. Michigan (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

4. South Carolina Gamecocks
Original seed: No. 1 (Sacramento 4)
Results: Def. No. 16 Southern 103-34 (first round); defeated No. 9 USC 101-61 (round of 32); def. No. 4. Oklahoma 94-68 (Sweet 16)

Getting revenge on the group that handed South Carolina its solely regular-season SEC loss was little question secondary to the larger incentive of advancing to a fifth straight Elite Eight, however the Gamecocks performed like a group that was not going to depart something to likelihood this time towards Oklahoma. South Carolina never trailed in Saturday’s regional semifinal matchup, and after shedding by 12 to the Sooners on Jan. 22, it prevailed by 26. The greatest distinction for the Gamecocks was Ta’Niya Latson, the Florida State switch who was taking part in in her first Sweet 16. In the first assembly in Norman, Latson scored six factors. On Saturday, she topped all scorers with 28, wanting like the participant who led the nation in scoring final season as a Seminole and one who might be the distinction in South Carolina ending a nationwide championship run.

Up subsequent: vs. TCU (Monday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

5. Michigan Wolverines
Original seed: No. 2 seed (Fort Worth 3)
Results: Def. No. 15 Holy Cross 83-48 (first round); def. No. 7 NC State 92-63 (round of 32); def. No. 3 Louisville 71-52 (Sweet 16)

The Wolverines have been one in all the most explosive groups in the NCAA match. They started this run — to their second Elite Eight look in program historical past — with a 27-6 first quarter towards Holy Cross. In the second-round, towards NC State, Michigan got here roaring out of the locker room to place up 64 second-half factors. A pair of 18-0 runs, one in every half, fueled the 19-point victory over Louisville on Saturday. All these spurts have been triggered by the Wolverines’ press, which has helped drive 60 turnovers in the tourney, in addition to the play of Olivia Olson and Syla Swords, who’ve mixed to common 37.6 factors per sport.

Up subsequent: vs. Texas (Monday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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Louisville Cardinals vs. Michigan Wolverines: Game Highlights

Louisville Cardinals vs. Michigan Wolverines: Game Highlights

6. Duke Blue Devils
Original seed: No. 3 (Sacramento 2)
Results: Def. No. 14 Charleston 81-64 (first round); def. No. 6 Baylor 69-46 (round of 32); def. No. 2 LSU 87-85 (Sweet 16)

If solely Duke had performed UCLA earlier in the season — as a result of getting revenge appears to be the Blue Devils’ factor. For the second straight sport in the NCAA match, Duke beat a group it misplaced to beforehand in the marketing campaign. Duke topped Baylor in the second spherical. And 3½ months after a 16-point loss to LSU, the Blue Devils survived towards the Tigers on an Ashlon Jackson 3-pointer at the buzzer. Kara Lawson’s squad has gone from failing to achieve the NCAA match in her first full 12 months to creating consecutive journeys to the Elite Eight. A Final Four look can be Duke’s first since 2006, when Gail Goestenkors was the coach. Friday’s 87 factors by the typically uneven Duke offense was its most since Feb. 8 towards SMU.

Up subsequent: vs. UCLA (Sunday, 3 p.m. ET, ABC)

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Duke wins at the buzzer as Ashlon Jackson’s 3 spins round and goes in

Ashlon Jackson fires a shot at the buzzer that goes down as Duke stuns LSU to maneuver on to the Elite Eight.

7. TCU Horned Frogs
Original seed: No. 3 (Sacramento 4)
Results: Def. No. 14 UC San Diego 86-40 (first round); def. No. 6 Washington 62-59 OT (round of 32); def. No. 10 Virginia 79-69 (Sweet 16)

The Horned Frogs have relied on the Olivia Miles–Marta Suarez combo all season. Coach Mark Campbell referred to the pair as Batman and Robin, not being particular as to which character was which. But TCU reached the Sweet 16 leaning closely on Miles, who averaged a triple-double over the first two rounds. Suarez, a virtually 17-points-per-game scorer in the common season, was 8-of-26 from the area by way of TCU’s first two match tilts whereas averaging 10 factors. The Frogs received their second star producing nicely once more towards Virginia. In reality, Suarez loved her finest scoring sport of the season with 33 factors. And the significance of the dynamic duo can’t be understated. Miles added 28 factors versus the Cavaliers, and the two both scored or assisted on all 79 of TCU’s factors.

Up subsequent: vs. South Carolina (Monday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)

8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Original seed: No. 6 (Fort Worth 1)
Results: Def. No. 11 Fairfield 79-60 (first round); def. No. 3 Ohio State 83-73 (round of 32); Def. No. 2 Vanderbilt 67-64 (Sweet 16)

In 2023 and 2024, Caitlin Clark lifted Iowa to appearances in the NCAA match nationwide title sport. Last 12 months, Paige Bueckers put UConn on her again for the first three rounds of the Big Dance. The 2026 tourney now belongs to Hannah Hidalgo. With 31 factors, 11 rebounds and 10 steals on Friday, Hidalgo recorded the second 30-point triple-double in NCAA match historical past. (Clark was the different, in the Elite Eight towards Louisville in 2023.) It was the fifth time this season Hidalgo had grabbed no less than 10 steals. But it is one factor to do this towards Akron, Bellarmine or SMU. To do it in a regional semifinal towards No. 2 seed Vanderbilt is really historic. Hidalgo now has the document for the most steals in a single NCAA tourney. And Notre Dame is in the Elite Eight for the first time below Niele Ivey. But UConn represents a unique stage of problem. Hidalgo’s historical past towards the Huskies is definitely good. In her first two video games versus UConn, each Fighting Irish wins, she averaged 31.5 factors, 10 rebounds and 7 assists. The matchup earlier this marketing campaign went otherwise: Notre Dame misplaced 85-47 on Jan. 19 in Storrs, and Hidalgo posted 16 factors on 5-of-15 taking pictures, with simply 4 rebounds, three steals and two assists.

Up subsequent: vs. UConn (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET, ABC)

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Hannah Hidalgo finishes with close to quadruple-double in Notre Dame’s win

Hannah Hidalgo does all of it with 31 factors, 11 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists in Notre Dame’s win over Vanderbilt.