The full 68-team bracket for the 2026 NCAA women’s basketball tournament has officially been revealed, with UConn taking the No. 1 overall seed, followed by fellow No. 1s UCLA, Texas and South Carolina.
Ahead of the tournament, No. 1 overall seed UConn enters -275 favorites to win it all at BetMGM — the largest pre-tournament favorites in the last four years, thanks to plenty of star power with Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, among others. UConn ranks second in points per game this season (88.8), only behind LSU (94.5), while sitting as the top scoring defense, giving up just 50.4 points per game.
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March Madness tips off with the First Four on March 18 and 19, with the first round beginning on Friday.
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Second round: March 22-23
Sweet 16: March 27-28 in Fort Worth, TX and Sacramento, CA
Elite Eight: March 29-30 in Fort Worth, TX and Sacramento, CA
Final Four: Friday, April 3, Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ
NCAA championship game: Sunday, April 5, Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, AZ
All women’s tournament games will be available across ESPN’s suite of channels, including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, and ESPNews. The championship final on April 5 will be broadcast on ABC.
Follow along with Yahoo Sports for the latest updates coming out of Selection Sunday for the women’s NCAA basketball tournament:
Live coverage is over29 updatesSun, March 15, 2026 at 5:46 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The NCAA women’s tournament bracket has been revealed with UConn as the No. 1 overall seed, followed by fellow No. 1s UCLA, Texas and South Carolina.
Printable bracket | Enter Yahoo Bracket Mayhem
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:48 PM PDT
Cassandra Negley
Amanda Braun, NCAA DI Women’s Basketball Committee Chair, said on ESPN the difference between No. 1 UConn and No. 2 UCLA came down to the observable component criteria.
“[The] way we watched UConn win and win throughout the year, from the beginning to the end … [the] committee felt like observable component really gave the edge,” she said.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:45 PM PDT
Cassandra Negley
South Carolina pulls No. 2 Iowa in its bracket, a rematch of those Final Four/national title game matchups during the Caitlin Clark era. But the big draw here is Oklahoma, the only SEC team to defeat South Carolina during the regular season this year. The Gamecocks lost, 94-82, in Norman when freshman Aaliyah Chavez went off in fourth and extra period. South Carolina leading scorer Joyce Edwards had 12 points, but was 25% from the field.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:41 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
And the bracket is complete!
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 16 Southern/No. 16 Samford (Columbia, SC | Saturday)
No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC (Columbia, SC | Saturday)
No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado State (Norman, OK | Friday)
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Idaho (Noman, OK | Friday)
No. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota State (Fort Worth, TX | Friday)
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego (Fort Worth, TX | Friday)
No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 10 Virginia/No. 10 Arizona State (Iowa City, IA | Saturday)
No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 Fairleigh Dickinson (Iowa City, IA | Saturday)
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:38 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:35 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
After losing to fellow No. 1 seed Texas in the SEC championship game, the Gamecocks will be looking for some revenge and another trophy to add to their collection.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:31 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Check out the full bracket reveal here.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri State/No. 16 Stephen F. Austin (Austin, TX | Friday)
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech (Austin, TX | Friday)
No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison (Morgantown, WV | Saturday)
No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (OH) (Morgantown, WV | Saturday)
No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode Island (Louisville, KY | Saturday)
No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Vermont (Louisville, KY | Saturday)
No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee (Ann Arbor, MI | Friday)
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross (Ann Arbor, MI | Friday)
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:31 PM PDT
Cassandra Negley
Hope you like full-court presses since both Texas and West Virginia like to utilize it. The Longhorns’ win over South Carolina secured the No. 3 seed and kept them near home in Fort Worth. That’s massive.
As for Tennessee vs. N.C. State … we’ll talk over that on tomorrow’s Selection Sunday show for sure (12 p.m. ET!)
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:30 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
They were never going to miss the tournament, but the Lady Vols have had a rough journey to the tournament. They’ll take on No. 7 NC State in their first-round matchup.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:26 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
They’ll play the winner of Missouri State/SF Austin on Friday in Austin.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:23 PM PDT
Cassandra Negley
We’ve only seen two brackets so far, but this might end up being the toughest. UCLA is on a tear to try and win its first NCAA national championship (it has an AIAW national title). LSU has one of the most potent offenses in DI history. And those two have March history. Then there’s Duke, a defensive terror that played LSU back in the non-con schedule. We won’t leave out Minnesota, a darkhorse Big Ten talent with a solid NET that lifted it into hosting status.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:19 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Check out the full reveal here.
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 Cal Baptist (Los Angeles | Saturday)
No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton (Los Angeles | Saturday)
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga (Minneapolis | Friday)
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Green Bay (Minneapolis | Friday)
No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska/No. 11 Richmond (Durham, NC | Friday)
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 Charleston (Durham, NC | Friday)
No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Villanova (Baton Rogue, LA | Friday)
No. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville (Baton Rogue, LA | Friday)
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:16 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
What to expect from Duke? After a trying start to the season, the ACC champions enter the tournament with some nice momentum.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:15 PM PDT
Cassandra Negley
Sometimes the stories write themselves! No. 1 seed UConn and No. 2 seed Vanderbilt could meet with a visit to the Final Four on the line. It’s the first meeting of Geno Auriemma and his former player and longtime assistant Shea Ralph. The matchup also pits two National Player of the Year contenders (UConn’s Sarah Strong; Vandy’s Mikayla Blakes) and two top freshmen (UConn’s Bianca Quiñónez, Vandy’s Aubrey Galvan).
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:13 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
They’ll face California Baptist in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:12 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Here’s the full quadrant of the bracket:
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UT-San Antonio (Storrs CT | Saturday)
No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse (Storrs, CT | Saturday)
No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray State (Chapel Hill, NC | Friday)
No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois (Chapel Hill, NC | Friday)
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield (Columbus, OH | Saturday)
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard (Columbus, OH | Saturday)
No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado (Nashville, TN | Saturday)
No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point (Nashville, TN | Saturday)
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:11 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
The 27-4 Commodores will play No. 15 High Point as a No. 2 seed after a shocking, one-and-done loss in the SEC tournament.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:10 PM PDT
Cassandra Negley
I’m intrigued by this 8-9 matchup. Iowa State’s Audi Crooks vs. Syracuse freshman (and ACC freshman of the year) Uche Izoje working in the paint.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:06 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
Surprise, surprise…just kidding! UConn will take on UTSA in Storrs on Saturday.
Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM PDT
Yahoo Sports Staff
We’re about to find out the rest of the field…