Virginia Ousts Arizona State, Sets Up 1st Round NCAA Tournament Clash with Georgia Basketball

Before its Women's March Madness game with Georgia basketball members of the Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team celebrate after beating the Arizona State Sun Devils during a First Four game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 19, 2026 in Iowa City, Iowa. — Virginia advanced past the Women's March Madness First Four to meet Georgia basketball in the NCAA tournament's first round. (Cliff Jette/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Mar 20, 2026

JWS Staff

No. 10 seed Virginia defeated Arizona State 57-55 in Thursday's First Four finale, claiming its first Women's March Madness victory since 2018 and setting up a first-round showdown with No. 7 seed Georgia basketball.

The Cavaliers (20-11) overcame the fellow No. 10 seed Sun Devils (24-11) behind double-doubles from Kymora Johnson and Caitlin Weimar. Johnson led Virginia with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists. Weimar provided a crucial spark off the bench with 11 points and 12 rebounds, while Paris Clark added nine points and four steals.

"I'm really proud of our players," head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said postgame. "That was a gutsy performance. We had to grind that one out."

Neither team led by more than four points until late in the first quarter, when Virginia subsequently rattled off a 7-0 run. The Cavaliers then took a 19-14 lead into the second quarter, after shooting 7-for-13 from the field.

Virginia extended its advantage to nine points in the first half to lead 30-22 at halftime. However, the Cavaliers held Arizona State to 0 made baskets in their final seven first-half attempts.

Arizona State trimmed the deficit to four points heading into the fourth quarter, before Johnson responded with a clutch 3-pointer to regain the lead. Clark sealed the victory with a steal in the final four seconds.

The win marks Agugua-Hamilton's first NCAA tournament victory at Virginia. The fourth-year coach improves to a 4-2 overall Women's March Madness coaching record after leading Missouri State to the 2021 Sweet Sixteen.

Johnson moved into sole possession of 10th place on Virginia's all-time scoring list with 1,651 career points. She also became the third player in program history to record at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in an NCAA tournament game.

Weimar recorded the 49th double-double of her career and her first in an NCAA tournament game.