After a weekend that was nearly all chalk, March Madness lived up to its name on Monday, as two major upsets in the 2025/26 NCAA women's basketball tournament saw some Cinderella stirrings en route to next weekend's Sweet 16.
First, No. 10 seed Virginia made tournament history, becoming the first-ever women's team to advance from the First Four to the third round when they took down No. 2 Iowa 83-75 on Monday.
Fueling the Cavaliers' double overtime victory was junior guard Kymora Johnson, who led the game with 28 points to push UVA to its first Sweet 16 since 2000.
"We just believed that we were going to win this game before it even started," said Virginia head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. "Every time they punched, we punched back, stayed poised."
Elsewhere, Monday's elite guard showdown also delivered, as No. 6 Notre Dame ousted No. 3 Ohio State 83-73 behind Irish junior Hannah Hidalgo's 26 points, 13 rebounds, and eight steals.
"We have really fought through the adversity this season, and really the last several weeks have become more tough," said Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey after her squad forced 21 turnovers to overcome Ohio State guard Jaloni Cambridge's 41-point performance.
"I don't ever really know my stats," Hidalgo said postgame. "I'm just out there hooping."
How to watch Virginia, Notre Dame in the March Madness Sweet 16
The Madness returns this weekend, with No. 6 Notre Dame tipping off the Sweet 16 against No. 2 Vanderbilt at 2:30 PM ET on Friday before No. 10 Virginia faces No. 3 TCU at 7:30 PM ET on Saturday.
Both clashes will air live on ESPN.
