In the 44-year history of the NCAA women's basketball tournament, only three No. 3 seeds have won a national title — with the rest of the March Madness champions representing No. 1 or No. 2 seeds.
This year's crop of third-seeded challengers is aiming to break the mold even further by adding their names to that elite list.
No. 3-seeds Duke, Louisville, TCU, and Ohio State all earned first-round hosting duties following strong conference tournament runs, and each team now looks to turn their late-season momentum into deep March Madness campaigns.
"We don't get to control the length of our adversity…. You get to control who you are in it," Duke head coach Kara Lawson said ahead of her team's 2026 ACC tournament win.
Mirroring NCAA women's basketball history's trio of No. 3 champions — UNC (1994), Tennessee (1997), and LSU (2023) — this year's batch has its own dangerous qualities.
Duke showcases a strong commitment to defense and Louisville has honed their ability to stretch the floor while TCU and Ohio State have exhibited stellar guard play from the point of attack all season long.
How to Watch the NCAA's No. 3 seeds in Women's March Madness
Duke tips off the first round of the 2025/26 NCAA women's basketball tournament against No. 14 Charleston at 11:30 AM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN2, with TCU taking on No. 14 UC San Diego 30 minutes later on ESPN.
No. 3-seeds Ohio State and Louisville will similarly kick off Saturday's first-round slate, as the Buckeyes take on No. 14 Howard at 11:30 AM ET on ESPN2 before the Cardinals face No. 14 Vermont at 12 PM ET on ESPN.
