All articles tagged with #ncaa womens basketball
Melissa Jones, who starred for Baylor from 2007 to 2011 and helped the Bears reach the 2010 Final Four and win a 2011 Big 12 championship, died at 36 in Colorado; the cause of death wasn’t disclosed, and she was remembered as the energetic, leading force and 'glue' of the program.
During a 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' interview with UCLA's first-ever women’s basketball national champions, host Jimmy Kimmel steered the chat toward Donald Trump, joking about bringing a fake trophy to the White House; the moment drew social-media backlash as UCLA defeated the South Carolina Gamecocks 79-51 to claim the title.
After its Elite Eight run, No. 7 Michigan women’s basketball will have two open roster spots following the graduation of three players and Macy Brown’s ACL injury, as freshman guard McKenzie Mathurin enters the transfer portal. Mathurin appeared in 25 games, averaged 3.5 points and shot 38.9% from three, and was ESPN’s No. 39 recruit with additional international experience. Michigan plans to add two incoming freshmen, Fope Ayo and Devin Cosgriff, and pursue portal targets to fill guard and center roles.
Geno Auriemma apologized again for his postgame confrontation with Dawn Staley after UConn's Final Four loss to South Carolina, urging a focus on growing women’s basketball. The clash followed UConn’s 54‑game win streak and a handshake dispute that required staff to separate the coaches; Staley accepted the moment and both coaches called to move on and elevate the sport.
UConn improved to 38-0 and earned its 25th Final Four by beating Notre Dame 70-52 in the Fort Worth Regional Final, led by Sarah Strong with 21 points and Blanca Quinonez with 20, as the Huskies extend a 54-game win streak and chase a 13th national title.
The 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Elite Eight features UConn vs. Notre Dame (Sun, 1 p.m. ET on ABC) and UCLA vs. Duke (Sun, 3 p.m. ET on ABC); on Monday Texas vs. Michigan (7 p.m. ET on ESPN) and South Carolina vs. TCU (9 p.m. ET on ESPN). Games are broadcast on ESPN/ABC, with venues at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth and Golden 1 Center in Sacramento.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma criticized the NCAA’s move to a two-site Sweet 16/Elite Eight format for women’s basketball, questioning attendance numbers and logistical decisions that he believes hinder the game’s growth. He also blasted the new rims and basketballs used in the regionals, arguing they affect shooting and practice conditions as teams endure tougher shootarounds before the Elite Eight matchup with Notre Dame.
UConn coach Geno Auriemma blasted the NCAA’s two-site regional format for the women’s Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, linking it to lower shooting percentages and logistical issues, and blamed the new rims and balls for missteps on the court. He argued the format and equipment changes hinder growth and attendance, calling for a return to a four-site setup, as UConn prepared for an Elite Eight matchup against Notre Dame.
Tammi Reiss, a Virginia legend and experienced coach, has been hired to lead Florida’s women's basketball program after turning Rhode Island into a winner — guiding the Rams to a program-record win streak, an Atlantic 10 title and their first NCAA Tournament in 30 years — signaling a build-the-program mindset as she moves to a Power 4 program with strong backing from Florida leadership and peers alike.
South Carolina hosts Southern Cal in a high-stakes NCAA tournament rematch with a Sweet 16 bid on the line. Key storylines: Maddy McDaniel’s health for SC, Juju Watkins out for USC, a rematch since November’s game, potential fatigue given differing game lengths, Jazzy Davidson’s multi-faceted scoring for USC, and USC’s guard/post gaps that could shape how the game unfolds.
Kymora Johnson scored 28 points as 10th-seeded Virginia outlasted No. 2 Iowa 83-75 in a double-overtime NCAA women’s tournament game, making history as the first First Four team to advance to the Sweet Sixteen.
Virginia outlasts Iowa 83-75 in double overtime to become the first double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16 since 2022, while UConn holds Syracuse at halftime and looks to sprint ahead; Notre Dame defeated Ohio State 83-73; Louisville edged Alabama 69-68 to advance; West Virginia and Kentucky were tied 36-36 at halftime, with more second-round games on the slate as teams chase spots in Fort Worth and Sacramento.
10th-seeded Virginia outlasted 7th-seeded Georgia 82-73 in overtime behind 28 points from Kymora Johnson and 23 from Sa’Myah Smith (plus 11 rebounds), becoming the first lower seed to win this season. Virginia outscored Georgia 11-2 in OT to reach the second round, where they’ll face Iowa or Fairleigh Dickinson after beating First Four participant Arizona State earlier this week; Georgia’s Mia Woolfolk had 27 and Rylie Theuerkauf 22, but Virginia’s second-half defense and a tighter man-to-man approach helped seal the win and Woolfolk left overtime after taking hard falls.
No.16 Oklahoma upset No.2 South Carolina 94-82 in overtime, pulling off the upset as a double-digit underdog. After the win, OU coach Jennie Baranczyk celebrated with high energy in the postgame huddle captured by ESPN, signaling that the program is back and just getting started as March Madness approaches.
The NCAA women’s basketball national championship game between South Carolina and Iowa set a new viewership record, drawing in 18.7 million views with a peak of 24 million viewers, marking an 89% increase from last year and a 285% increase from 2022. South Carolina's win over Iowa was the most-watched sporting event outside of American football and the Olympics since 2019. The game featured South Carolina's quest to remain undefeated and win its second championship in three seasons, as well as Caitlin Clark's attempt to end her collegiate career with a national championship. Despite Clark's impressive 30-point performance, Iowa fell short, but her impact on the sport was acknowledged by South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, who credited her with lifting up women's basketball.