Women’s March Madness 2026: Ranking 4th

For the second straight season, South Carolina, Texas, UCLA and UConn have reached the Final Four. And it is not surprising.

From the moment UConn cut down the net in Tampa a year ago, the Gamecocks, Longhorns, Bruins and Huskies were considered the top four teams heading into this season — and they lived up to it. They have a combined record of 143-7, and the closest any of them have come to an NCAA Tournament is UConn’s 12-point win over Notre Dame in the Elite Eight. This is the same Huskies team that has won 54 straight.

This is the second time in NCAA Women’s Tournament history that all four teams have returned to the Final Four. This is also only the fifth time the four No. 1 seeds have made the bracket; This also happened in 1989, 2012, 2015 and 2018.

While Friday’s UConn-South Carolina national semifinal (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) is a rematch of the 2025 NCAA title game, the UCLA-Texas semifinal is a rematch from earlier this season. The Longhorns beat the Bruins on November 26 in the inaugural Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.

Having familiar encounters or the same foursome in the semi-finals does not mean we will get the same results. This also does not mean that our rankings have remained the same. Here’s a final look at how the remaining teams stack up in the field heading to Phoenix.

1. UConn Huskies
Original seed: No. 1 overall (Fort Worth 1)
results: Def. No. 16 UTSA 90-52 (first round); Def. No. 9 Syracuse 98-45 (32nd round); Def. No. 4 North Carolina 63-42 (Sweet 16); Def. No. 6 Notre Dame 70-52 (Elite Eight)

Geno Auriemma has been vocal about the preparation at Regionals and how he believes it affects the offense. His Huskies, who entered the NCAA Tournament as the second-most accurate three-point shooting team in the country, made 10 of 37 from deep in Fort Worth. But all this talk has distracted from how good the Huskies are on defense. They allowed a total of 94 points in two games and added 32 steals to their Division I-leading total. UConn recorded its two lowest games of the season versus North Carolina and Notre Dame and still won by an average of 19.5 points. The Huskies needed every one of Sarah Strong’s 21 points to keep the Fighting Irish at distance on Sunday, but her 15 blocks and steals in the two regional games punctuated why she is the highest-rated individual defensive player in the country.

Sending from Fort Worth: What was the No. 1 factor that helped the Huskies reach the Final Four? The depth really came through against Notre Dame. The defense was very good, as usual. But it was a relatively quiet match for Azzi Fad (13 points). Strong wasn’t necessarily a superstar (21 points on 6-of-13 shooting), though she was still the area’s most outstanding player. However, the Huskies still have what they need to win. Freshman Blanca Quiñonez scored 20 points, including 12 in the first quarter as she set the tone for the Huskies, while sophomore Jana Alfie played just seven minutes but made an impact with four points and four rebounds.

In all, the bench players — Quinonez, Alfie, Kaylee Hickel and Allie Zippel — had 32 of UConn’s 70 points against the Irish. — Michael Voebel

the next: vs. South Carolina (Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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UConn downs Notre Dame to advance to Final Four

UConn heads to Phoenix for the Final Four after downing Notre Dame.

2. Texas Longhorns
Original seed: No. 1 (Fort Worth 3)
results: Def. #16 Missouri State 87-45 (1st round); Def. No. 8 Oregon 100-58 (round of 32); Def. No. 5 Kentucky 76-54 (Sweet 16); Def. No. 2 Michigan 77-41 (Elite Eight)

It’s time to raise the bar for Texas. All of the No. 1 seeds were impressive, but the Longhorns were absolutely dominant. Michigan has played both UConn and UCLA by three points this season. Texas didn’t let the Wolverines breathe Monday. While the Longhorns made their first nine shots of the game, Michigan missed 11 straight field goal attempts and Texas had an 18-4 lead. The game was already over, and Texas never stopped. Madison Booker looked unguardable and finished with 19 points in 29 minutes. Texas was physically superior. That was also the case when the Longhorns played UCLA, their national semifinal opponent, in November during Texas’ 76-65 win in Las Vegas. The Longhorns’ guards overwhelmed the Bruins’ backcourt, and Texas cruised to an easy win after leading by 20 points at halftime.

Sending from Fort Worth: What was the No. 1 factor that helped the Longhorns reach the Final Four? Texas coach Vic Schaefer said Texas is playing its best basketball of the season following the Longhorns’ Sweet 16 win. This is just over six weeks after he called the team “heartless” and “probably the softest team I’ve had in years” following its 86-70 loss to Vanderbilt on Feb. 12.

Is it time to consider Texas the best team on the field? The Longhorns’ combination of experience, depth, defensive tenacity and offensive firepower could lead Texas to its first national title since 1986. -Alexa Filippo

the next: vs. UCLA (Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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Rory Harmon credits his fellow Longhorns with a Final Four repeat

After dishing out 13 assists in a 77-41 win over Michigan in the regional final, Harmon explains how Texas played with urgency to earn a Final Four trip for the second straight year.

3. UCLA Bruins

Original seed: No. 1 (Secret 2)
results: Def. No. 16 Cal Baptist 96-43 (first round); Def. #8 Oklahoma State 87-68 (Round 32); Def. No. 4 Minnesota 80-56 (Sweet 16); Def. No. 3 Duke 70-58 (Elite 8)

It’s no secret that Lauren Bates has been a key player in the UCLA Finals for the past two years. What’s amazing is how consistent she is at the point under the most pressure each season. Pitts’ 24.0 points and 8.5 rebounds through the first four games of the NCAA Tournament are a point and a half rebounds better than last spring. Their shooting percentage was 71.6% in 2025. It’s 70.2% this time. If the Bruins win in Phoenix, what Betts did in the second half against Duke on Sunday might be what stands out the most. With UCLA down by eight points in the first half — and no stretch of her career carrying more weight — Bates had 15 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in the final 20 minutes, and the Bruins won by half a 20-point comeback.

Posting from Sacramento: What was the No. 1 factor that helped the Bruins reach the Final Four? UCLA’s dominance in the paint is its identity. The Bruins have scored at least 50 points in the paint in all four of their tournament games thus far, including 54 points against Duke. This was their 26th game this season with at least 40 paint points, matching the most paint points UConn and South Carolina have in Division I.

It’s not just Betts that makes UCLA so good. The Bruins guard comes down the ramp and cuts to the basket. UCLA is one of the tallest teams in the country, and frontcourt dominance will remain the Bruins’ identity when they return to the Final Four. — Kendra Andrews

the next: vs. Texas (Friday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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UCLA advances to the Final Four with a win over Duke

UCLA uses a big second half to come back and beat Duke to advance to the Final Four.

4. South Carolina Gamecocks
Original seed: No. 1 (Secret 4)
results: Def. No. 16 South 103-34 (first round); Defeated No. 9 USC 101-61 (round of 32); Def. No. 4. Oklahoma 94-68 (Sweet 16); Def. No. 3 TCU 78-52 (Elite Eight)

The Gamecocks reached their sixth straight Final Four. That’s the second-longest such streak ever, behind UConn’s 14 from 2008 to 2022. This version of South Carolina has done it as impressively as any of the previous five. The Gamecocks won their four NCAA Tournament games by a combined margin of 161 points, the fourth-largest total in history. Beating TCU wasn’t as easy as it seemed by 26 points, but South Carolina’s size and depth wore down the Horned Frogs, as evidenced by a 52-24 advantage on the boards. This display of physicality explains the 29-11 fourth quarter advantage and the grand final margin. When all four No. 1 seeds reach the Final Four, the differences between them are small. Because Monday’s contest was a close one in the fourth quarter, and because the Gamecocks have three losses on the season, they remain fourth in a very tight pecking order.

Posting from Sacramento: What was the No. 1 factor that helped the Gamecocks reach the Final Four: South Carolina plays to its strengths. And on Monday night, it was Agout Maker and Joyce Edwards. Before the game came to a close, Edwards had a double. Edwards finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, leading the Gamecocks to some of their biggest offensive opportunities of the evening. Meanwhile, Maker continues to shine on big stages. In this NCAA Tournament, Maker recorded the highest games of her career; Against TCU, she finished with 18 points. The young players were the difference in the game against TCU, and if the Gamecocks continue to lean on their strengths and feed their players with strong streaks, they could be unstoppable in the Final Four.-Charlotte Gibson

the next: vs. UConn (Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)

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TCU Horned Frogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks: Game highlights

TCU Horned Frogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks: Game highlights