Women's March Madness: Sweet Sixteen Recap

Entering the Sweet Sixteen, the madness hasn't ended and surely doesn't appear to be soon.

Statement Wins Continue

The UCLA Bruins

Taking on No. 4 Minnesota, the UCLA Bruins were looking to make their second straight Elite Eight. Coming off an Amaya Battle game winner against No. 5 Ole Miss, Minnesota was hoping to keep the momentum against a strong UCLA team. Throughout this matchup, UCLA remained in control despite a slow start. Minnesota hung tight with UCLA for a while, as the Bruins' lead was manageable, but they couldn't top UCLA's senior guard, Kiki Rice. Rice led UCLA with 21 points followed by her partner in crime, Lauren Betts with 16 points of her own. Although they've been slow to start many games in the tournament, UCLA was able to hold off Minnesota's leading scorer, Tori McKinney to just 9 points. Minnesota struggled to shoot the ball in this matchup, with a team field-goal percentage below 40%. Displaying pure dominance, UCLA won 80-56, an electrifying show of their scoring ability as well as their ability to end opposing teams' scoring runs. Per usual, UCLA was able to control the paint as well with Lauren Betts recording 5 blocks. Betts, UCLA's 6'7" senior center, is a crucial factor into how the Bruins can dictate an opposing team's offensive rhythm, making her presence known not only on defense with her ability to block the ball, but also in her post-work on offense. Will Rice's scoring and Betts' defense be enough for UCLA to dance on to the Final Four as they take on Coach Kara Lawson's No. 3 Duke?

The South Carolina Gamecocks

On January 22, 2026, the Oklahoma Sooners beat the South Carolina Gamecocks in overtime, a shock to the entire basketball world. Who would've thought the two teams would meet again in the Sweet Sixteen. Although Oklahoma took the regular season win, South Carolina won when it mattered more: in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Going into this contest, many were eager to see whether Oklahoma could pull off the upset again, that said, it was an absolute clinic from Ta'Niya Latson that put the Sooners to bed. Latson was unstoppable from beyond the arc shooting 4/4 and putting up 28 points for the Gamecocks. In attempt to keep the Sooners in it, Aaliyah Chavez added her own 21 points, but it wasn't enough to top Coach Dawn Staley's South Carolina squad. One of the greatest things Coach Staley has within teams she builds each year is consistent scoring. Even when there isn't always a standout performance like that of Latson in this particular game, the Gamecocks always have multiple players like Tessa Johnson and Raven Johnson putting up double figures (14+ each in this game). As a team, South Carolina shot far more efficiently than Oklahoma. The Gamecocks' 71% from three was crucial to the way they dominated the Oklahoma Sooners 94-68. Will Coach Staley's team continue to click at the right time when they match up with No. 3 TCU in hopes to advance to the Final Four?

The Two Upsets: Last-Second Stunners

Hannah Hidalgo and Notre Dame Upset Again

Facing off against Mikayla Blakes and a rising Vanderbilt team is no easy task, but to Hannah Hidalgo, nothing is ever unachievable. This matchup between Notre Dame and Vanderbilt was truly a fight to the finish as both teams shot very poorly. Vanderbilt's field-goal percentage was 35%, shooting 28% from three and Notre Dame shot just 6% from beyond the arc with a 42% field-goal percentage. Despite neither team shooting well at all, nothing could have prevented an absolute masterclass from Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo and Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes. Willingly putting the team on her back, Hidalgo almost put up a quadruple-double with 31 points, 11 rebounds, 7 assists, and 10 steals. This is almost unheard of and for Hidalgo to just be a junior should terrify the country for what is to come in her final collegiate season. Vanderbilt gave Notre Dame all they had and their star duo, Mikayla Blakes and Aubrey Galvan showed out despite the loss. Blakes contributed 26 points and 8 rebounds accompanied by Galvan's 24 points. A true battle to the final whistle, it was a tied game 64-64 with 25 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Cassandre Prosper put the Fighting Irish up two with 22 seconds left after a beautiful assist from Hidalgo. Turnovers got the best of Vanderbilt in this Sweet Sixteen matchup as Blakes couldn't connect on a pass, Vanderbilt losing the possession which resulted in their need to foul to stop clock. Notre Dame would win 67-64 in a memorable Sweet Sixteen clash. Can Hannah Hidalgo help deliver Notre Dame through the absolute force of the No. 1 overall UConn Huskies to make it to the Final Four?

Ashlon Jackson Wins it for Duke to Upset LSU

This Sweet Sixteen matchup between Duke and LSU was an absolute movie. From the outstanding performances from No. 3 Duke's "Big 3" (Toby Fournier, Ashlon Jackson, and Taina Mair), to No. 2 LSU's powerhouse duo, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Mikaylah Williams, this game still came down to the final shot. This Sweet Sixteen matchup was constantly back and forth with tough buckets and commendable shooting coming from both teams. As previously mentioned, Duke's Toby Fournier and Taina Mair went to town both putting up 22 points each, followed by 19 points from Ashlon Jackson. Everything was clicking for Duke in this game, especially within this trio, keeping the upset within reach. LSU also had their share of success from Mikaylah Williams and MiLaysia Fulwiley, both contributing 22+ points each. Now, there's one LSU player you make is missing, and that's Flau'jae Johnson. Although she put up 13 points for the Tigers, Johnson appeared to struggle in this game as she wasn't able to connect from three. This played a huge factor into Coach Kim Mulkey's LSU team as Flau'jae was not only their locker room leader, but also one of their leading scorers. As a result of Duke's performance of the ages and LSU's lack thereof as a team, Duke was able to pull off the upset with a last-second dagger from Ashlon Jackson. With just 2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Duke down 84-85 with the ball, Jordan Wood inbounded the ball to Jackson who sank a three to win the game 87-85. In an absolute heartbreaker for LSU, Duke completed the upset and advances to play No. 1 UCLA in the Elite Eight.

Elite Eight Preview

As each of the four No. 1 seeds remain, it will be interesting to see how they play out against some hungry teams who have made multiple upsets. With all of the Elite Eight matchups set, here are the following matchups:

Regional 1: No. 1 UConn vs. No. 6 Notre Dame | March 29, 2026 @ 1:00 pm EST

Regional 2: No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 3 Duke | March 29, 2026 @ 3:00 pm EST

Regional 3: No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Michigan | March 30, 2026 @ 7:00 pm EST

Regional 4: No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 3 TCU | March 30, 2026 @ 9:00 pm EST