ESPN is breaking new NCAA basketball ground this weekend, sending studio teams to the Elite 8 and Sweet 16 for the first time in Women's March Madness history.
The network is deploying two crews to Fort Worth and Sacramento as the women's tournament starting Friday, March 27th. Christine Williamson, Andraya Carter, and Chiney Ogwumike are visiting Fort Worth, while Kelsey Riggs Cuff, Muffet McGraw, and Meghan McKeown head to Sacramento.
Coverage started Friday at 2 PM ET with NCAA Women's Championship Live on ESPN. The studio shows will cover the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 rounds on-site, before the crews land in Phoenix to tackle the Final Four.
Fort Worth hosts top seeds UConn, Texas, Vanderbilt, and Michigan. Across the country, Sacramento hosts UCLA, South Carolina, LSU, and Duke for its Elite 8 showcase.
Ryan Ruocco, Rebecca Lobo, and Holly Rowe are handling multiple assignments, including the Final Four and NCAA Championship alongside rules analyst Dee Kantner.
Beth Mowins, Debbie Antonelli, and Jess Sims cover the Sacramento 2 Regional through the Elite 8. Separately, Courtney Lyle, Stephanie White, and Kris Budden handle the Sacramento 4 Regional — featuring top-seeded South Carolina.
Rules analysts provide additional support across both locations, with Dee Kantner working Fort Worth while Violet Palmer covers Sacramento.
In addition to tournament coverage, ESPN and Hulu premiered Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story on Wednesday. The documentary from director Dawn Porter and executive producer Robin Roberts is subsequently slated to re-air on Sunday, March 29th on ESPN2 and Sunday, April 5th on ESPN.
How to Watch Sweet 16 and Elite 8 NCAA basketball on ESPN
The Sweet 16 tips off Friday afternoon at 2:30 PM ET, with coverage picking back up on Saturday at 12:30 PM ET. Following that, the Elite 8 takes center stage on Sunday, with coverage running through Monday evening.
All women's NCAA basketball tournament games air live on ESPN, and are available for streaming via the ESPN App.
The NCAA basketball schedule continues on Friday with the women's Sweet 16, when eight games air live across two days. This year's Women's March Madness tournament features matchups across ESPN, ABC, and other ESPN networks.
Friday's action tips off at 2:30 PM ET with No. 2 seed Vanderbilt facing No. 6 Notre Dame. No. 1 UConn subsequently takes on No. 4 North Carolina at 5 PM ET, before No. 1 UCLA meets No. 4 Minnesota at 7:30 PM ET, both on ESPN.
No. 2 LSU then closes the slate against No. 3 Duke at 10 PM ET, with all matches airing live on ESPN.
Saturday's NCAA basketball schedule begins with No. 2 Michigan taking on No. 3 Louisville at 12:30 PM ET, before No. 1 Texas faces No. 5 Kentucky at 3 PM ET, live on ABC.
No. 1 South Carolina then plays No. 4 Oklahoma at 5 PM ET, followed by No. 3 TCU battling No. 10 Virginia at 7:30 PM ET to close out ESPN's Saturday showcase.
All tournament games additionally stream on ESPN Unlimited, with fans also able to access live TV streaming services including Fubo, DirecTV, and Sling TV.
The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds split time between Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, California., with the Elite Eight tipping off on March 29th.
The Women's Final Four then takes place April 3rd at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix. The 2026 national championship game takes the floor on Sunday, April 5th, with ABC set to broadcast the title game from Phoenix.
Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story — a new documentary chronicling the late Tennessee basketball coach — will premiere across Hulu and ESPN starting March 25th.
The documentary special traces the legendary coach's path from her childhood on a farm through her 38-years tenure with the Lady Vols. Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts is backing the project via her Rockin' Robin Productions, alongside Trilogy, Tribeca Productions, and producer Don Porter.
Summitt's son Tyler told local media the film covers his mother's playing career, coaching achievements, eight NCAA titles, and her battle with Alzheimer's disease.
"The documentary shows how much she cared about other people, including her graduation rate, her efforts to help people with Alzheimer's, her support for women's sports, and the importance of family and friends," Tyler Summitt said.
Roberts met Pat Summitt in 1987 when she worked as a sports reporter in Nashville. The two stayed close for the next 29 years, with Roberts previously producing the 2013 ESPN documentary Pat XO.
The Tennessee icon retired in April 2012 with 1,098 career wins — more than any DI basketball coach at the time. She won eight championships between 1987 and 2008, with Tennessee appearing in 31 consecutive NCAA tournaments under her leadership.
Summitt died in 2016 after battling early-onset Alzheimer's disease. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
How to Watch 'Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story' on Hulu and ESPN
Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story will be available to stream on Hulu starting March 25th, before making its ESPN debut on April 5th.
ESPN will spotlight UConn star Azzi Fudd in a new SC Featured segment exploring the guard's journey beyond basketball.
Titled "Imperfectly Imperfect," the documentary spotlight debuts this Sunday during SportsCenter, with ESPN planning to re-air additional editions throughout the day.
Reporter Sam Borden chronicles Fudd's upbringing, highlighting the familial foundation that guided her through adversity and triumph. Her mother Katie played at NC State and Georgetown before joining the Sacramento Monarchs in 2001, while her father Tim played at American University.
Including never-before-seen footage and firsthand perspective, the segment additionally explores Fudd's resilience and mindset, after she battled through multiple injuries during her UConn tenure — including a foot injury that sidelined her for 11 games as a freshman.
Fudd ranks among the most dynamic players in women's college basketball, with the UConn guard projected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 WNBA draft after helping the Huskies to an undefeated regular season.
The 23-year-old earned first team All-America honors this week alongside teammate Sarah Strong. She currently averages 17.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 43.6% from beyond the arc. Fudd won the 2025 national championship with the Huskies, and is now gearing up to lead UConn's pursuit of back-to-back March Madness titles.
ESPN's SC Featured has won six Sports Emmy Awards since rebranding in 2013, earning more than 90 industry awards over the past 12 years.
How to Watch Azzi Fudd's 'SportCenter' Spotlight on ESPN
"Imperfectly Imperfect" debuts Sunday, March 22nd starting at 8 AM ET on ESPN.
ESPN will exclusively present the 2026 NCAA Women's Ice Hockey Championship starting March 12th, with most games streaming live on ESPN+. This month's ice hockey tournament features 11 teams competing for the national title, with the championship game set for March 22nd.
Regional semifinals tip off Thursday, March 12th, followed by regional finals Saturday, March 14th., all streaming exclusively across ESPN platforms. The Frozen Four semifinals then take the ice on March 20th and 22nd, closing out the tournament at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.
No. 1 seed Ohio State (34-4-0) opens its regional campaign on Saturday at 6 PM ET on ESPN+. The Buckeyes finished as runners-up last season, going on to earn the No. 1 overall seed after defeating Wisconsin 2-1 at the WCHA championship.
No. 2 seed Wisconsin will defend its eighth national championship this year, after the Badgers won the 2025 title with a 4-3 overtime victory over Ohio State. The programs have alternated national championships over the last five seasons, while meeting in the title game for the last three consecutive years.
Penn State earned the No. 3 seed, after the Nittany Lions claimed their fourth straight Atlantic Hockey America title behind the nation's top-scoring defense at 1.35 goals per game.
Minnesota grabbed the No. 4 seed, while Northeastern rounds out this year's automatic berths. Five conferences earned bids, with six at-large teams set to battle through the tournament's opening round.
How to Watch the 2026 NCAA Women's Hockey Tournament on ESPN+
The tournament starts tonight at 6 PM ET, live on ESPN+, with the championship game airing Sunday, March 22 at 4 PM ET on ESPNU.
All coverage will also stream on the ESPN App via direct-to-consumer or pay TV authentication.
US captain Hilary Knight criticized comments Trump made about the women's hockey team on Wednesday, as the Olympic gold medalist called the President's words a "distasteful joke" during a SportsCenter appearance.
Trump made the comment during a congratulatory call to the men's hockey team, as the players celebrated their Olympic gold medal win. He invited the men's team to the State of the Union address at the White House, then joked he would have to invite the women's hockey team too or face impeachment. Several men's players laughed at Trump's remarks, drawing public criticism after the video went viral.
Knight later said Trump's comment overshadowed the women's team's Olympic achievements. "I thought it was sort of a distasteful joke and unfortunately that is overshadowing a lot of the success," she told the ESPN broadcast, emphasizing celebrating accomplishments rather than focusing on lapses in support.
Knight led Team USA to its third Olympic gold this year, scoring the tying goal against Canada in the final game's last two minutes. Megan Keller then netted the overtime winner to secure the 2-1 victory — and the Knight's second gold medal.
The 36-year-old also became the most decorated player in US women's hockey history, capping her Olympic career ranked first among US skaters in goals (15) and points (33) over five Winter Games.
With the PWHL and NCAA hockey returning to the ice this week, the women's team opted to decline their White House invitation.
"Due to the timing and previously scheduled academic and professional commitments following the Games, the athletes are unable to participate," the team stated Monday.
Just weeks away from the kickoff of the 2026 NWSL season, ESPN will look back on the 2025 campaign, with the broadcast giant premiering a three-part docuseries entitled NWSL: The Final Third on Wednesday.
The three-episode series will follow the Washington Spirit, Kansas City Current, and Angel City FC at pivotal points of an NWSL season "shaped by rising expectations, increased investment, and relentless pressure to win."
"The three teams we embedded with were navigating very different realities as the 2025 regular season concluded, and the drama that unfolded was incredible to witness," said producing partner Words + Pictures director Marie Margolius in ESPN's Monday announcement. "I hope viewers come away feeling inspired by the intensity of the competition on the pitch — but most of all, connected to the players who shoulder the pressure and live with the consequences of every result off of it."
The docuseries will primarily feature Washington Spirit standouts Trinity Rodman, Hal Hershfelt, and Esme Morgan, Angel City rookie Riley Tiernan, and Kansas City captain Lo'eau LaBonta.
Episodes will drop fans into the waning weeks of the 2025 NWSL season, following the action of the Shield-winning Current's shocking quarterfinal loss to eventual champion Gotham FC, Washington's championship game run, and Angel City's plans for a future without retired stars Ali Riley and Christen Press.
Rodman's injury battles also provide an emotional through-line for the series, with off-field storylines peppered into the episodes as each club makes organizational strides.
How to watch "NWSL: The Final Third"
NWSL: The Final Third will premiere on the ESPN App on Wednesday before all three episodes will air in succession beginning at 9 PM ET on Monday, March 2nd, on ESPN2.
ESPN is doubling down on the women's game, with the network announcing on Thursday that it will replace Sunday Night Baseball with Women's Sports Sundays starting this summer.
Calling it "a bold commitment to incomparable competition, consistency and storytelling," the new show will spotlight 12 top NWSL and WNBA matchups over a nine-week span, as the broadcast giant invites "longtime fans and newcomers alike into a reimagined summer primetime tradition."
"Women's sports are experiencing continued momentum, and Women's Sports Sundays is ESPN's next step in meeting that demand," ESPN EVP of programming and acquisitions Rosalyn Durant said in the network's Thursday announcement. "This franchise is about more than showcasing games — it's about building a consistent, high-profile destination that reflects the passion, excellence, and cultural impact of women's sports today, while giving athletes and leagues the stage they deserve."
In addition to the live game coverage, Women's Sports Sundays will also include studio shows, digital storytelling, and social coverage.
Speaking to Variety, ESPN VP of women's sports programming Susie Piotrkowski is already eyeing an extension of the new show into other leagues, seasons, and tentpole events, with the broadcast behemoth also owning rights to other top women's sports entities like NCAA basketball and the recently expanded Athletes Unlimited Softball League.
ESPN will announce additional details surrounding Women's Sports Sundays, including specific games, broadcast talent, and the new program's kickoff schedule, at a later date.
USWNT star Catarina Macario could be on the move, with ESPN reporting Monday that numerous interested NWSL teams may make a play for the 26-year-old Chelsea FC forward in 2026.
Macario's contract with the reigning six-time WSL champions expires on July 1st, though FIFA regulations allow her to sign with a new club as early as January, with other European clubs expected to join hopeful NWSL teams in the race.
Despite leading the USWNT with eight goals in 2025, Macario did not dress for Chelsea's recent UWCL league-phase finale against Wolfsburg last week, with the attacker starting just six of the Blues' 11 WSL matches so far this season.
Should an NWSL club make an offer, its viability could hinge on the league's current salary cap dispute, with the Board of Governors suggesting the adoption of a "High Impact Player" rule to help teams keep or attract big names.
However, the NWSL Players Association came out against the mechanism last week, pushing instead to raise the overall cap to match any potential special relief.
Though a Macario NWSL deal is mere speculation at the moment, leagues on both sides of the Atlantic are beginning to grapple with the demands of retaining or drawing top talent in the increasingly competitive — and expensive — global women's game.
The Houston Rockets are reportedly shooting for the Sun, with sources telling ESPN last week that the NBA team's ownership group has entered "substantive" talks with the Mohegan Tribe to buy and relocate the WNBA franchise from Connecticut.
Calling the discussions "positive," a source told ESPN that Houston apparently improved upon the $250 million bid put forth by the WNBA to purchase the Connecticut Sun back in August.
However, as neither party has signed a formal agreement, the Sun's longterm future remains uncertain.
The Mohegan Tribe began exploring the sale in 2024, with Houston emerging as a possible landing place after the WNBA reportedly blocked the Sun's $325 million sale to former Boston Celtics owner Steve Pagliuca — with the league preferring to find a buyer with past expansion team experience.
The Sun also fielded a bid from the State of Connecticut to keep the team in the area, though ESPN reported last week that those talks have slowed.
Notably, Houston boasts deep WNBA roots as one of the league's founding markets, with the Texas city serving as home to the four-time champion Comets from 1997 to 2008.
Of course, the league's current CBA negotiations are further complicating any transaction — especially after the WNBPA voted last Thursday to approve a potential strike.