Half of the 2026 Final Four is in the books, as No. 1 seeds UConn and UCLA punched their tickets to Phoenix with Elite Eight victories in Sunday's Women's March Madness slate.
The Huskies overcame a rough offensive start to thwart No. 6 Notre Dame's upset bid, securing the 70-52 win behind Player of the Year frontrunner Sarah Strong's 21 points, seven rebounds, and five steals.
Freshman Blanca Quiñonez added 20 points off the bench — the first-ever Husky to do so in the Elite Eight or later — to help UConn overcome the 22-point, 11-rebound double-double posted by Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo.
Elsewhere, the Bruins rallied from an eight-point halftime deficit to top No. 3 Duke 70-58, with star center Lauren Betts's game-leading 23 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks silencing a red-hot Blue Devils team fresh off Friday's buzzer-beater Sweet 16 victory over No. 2 LSU.
Both UConn and UCLA looked like formidable foes on Sunday, tapping into depth and professionalism to offset lower-seed momentum.
"So proud of the way that we're able to just stay calm and still hold each other accountable while also just competing at the highest level," said Betts.
"I don't know if I've ever been prouder to take a team to the Final Four than this one," Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma said of his still-unbeaten squad.
How to watch UCLA and UConn in the 2026 Final Four
The Bruins and Huskies will get a few days of rest before the 2026 Final Four tips off on Friday, when UConn will face the winner of Monday's Elite Eight tilt between No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 TCU while UCLA similarly contends with either No. 1 Texas or No. 2 Michigan.
The Final Four semis will tip off at 7 PM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN.
