Women's March Madness Final Four predictions to win 2026 NCAA Tournament regions
Now that the Women's NCAA Tournament bracket has been unveiled, we know the paths teams must take to reach Phoenix and the Final Four.
Will we have the same Final Four as last season? All four ― UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina ― are No. 1 seeds after all.
Who could pull off an upset from the lower seeds? Maybe a Tennessee team that underperformed at the end of the season?
USA TODAY Sports' staff makes their Final Four picks. Check them out below. And be sure to sign up for USA TODAY's Bracket Challenge and Survivor Poll to test your hoops knowledge.
Women's NCAA Tournament predictions, 2026 Final Four picks
Nancy Armour
- Regional 1 − Fort Worth: UConn
- Regional 2 − Sacramento: UCLA
- Regional 3 − Fort Worth: Texas
- Regional 4 − Sacramento: South Carolina
Honestly, I don’t see anyone getting past UConn. Sarah Strong is a special, special talent, and we’ve seen what Azzi Fudd can do come tournament time. And if the Huskies are even tempted to get complacent, coach Geno Auriemma will set them straight. But it’s called the Final Four for a reason, and the other top three seeds are simply better, and more battled tested, than the rest of the field. That will make a difference.
Meghan L. Hall
- Regional 1 − Fort Worth: UConn
- Regional 2 − Sacramento: UCLA
- Regional 1 − Fort Worth: Texas
- Regional 2 − Sacramento: South Carolina
The same four that went to the Final Four last season will be back again. The stars have seemed to align for this to happen two years in a row. That said, I think how it happens will look different from 2025. There will be a national championship rematch between South Carolina and UConn and it will have the same result.
Cydney Henderson
- Regional 1 − Fort Worth: UConn
- Regional 2 − Sacramento: UCLA
- Regional 3 − Fort Worth: Texas
- Regional 2 − Sacramento: South Carolina
The four No. 1 seeds will advance to the Final Four, but it won’t be easy. UCLA has the toughest path and may face Ole Miss in the Sweet 16 and potentially LSU or Duke in the Elite Eight. But the Bruins are battle-tested, like my other Final Four picks. UCLA has the most Quad 1 wins in the nation (19), followed by Texas (14) and South Carolina (12). Whereas, UConn has an average margin of victory of 38 points heading into the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament. Experience can’t be discounted. These four schools made the Final Four last season and know what it takes to get back there.
Mitchell Northam
- Regional 1 − Fort Worth: UConn
- Regional 2 − Sacramento: UCLA
- Regional 3 − Fort Worth: Kentucky
- Regional 4 − Sacramento: South Carolina
The surprise here is Kentucky, obviously, but did you really make March Madness picks if you didn’t choose a lower seed to make the Final Four? The big hurdle for the Wildcats will be upsetting No. 1 Texas, which beat Kentucky in Austin earlier this season by 11 points. But Teonni Key was just coming back from her injury and the SEC Tournament showed that Wildcats’ center Clara Strack has leveled up. With bigger stakes on the line, Kentucky should fare better in a rematch with the Longhorns.
Women's March Madness 2026 schedule
The 2026 NCAA men’s basketball tournament will transpire over the next three weeks, which will end with the Final Four and the national championship game in Phoenix.
Here’s a rundown of the schedule for the Women's 2026 NCAA Tournament:
- First Four: Wednesday, March 18 through Thursday, March 19
- First Round: Friday, March 20 through Saturday, March 21
- Second Round: Sunday, March 22 through Monday, March 23
- Sweet 16: Friday, March 27 through Saturday, March 29 (Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, California)
- Elite Eight: Sunday, March 29 through Monday, March 30 (Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, California)
- Final Four: Friday, April 3 (Phoenix, Arizona)
- National championship: Sunday, April 5 (Phoenix, Arizona)