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.
March Madness is back for its second weekend of action, with the Sweet 16 tipping off a stacked slate to determine the 2026 Final Four contenders — with top seeds primed to collide throughout the bracket.
No. 2 seed LSU faces No. 3 Duke in Friday's nightcap, with the bounce-back Blue Devils looking to avenge their early December 93-77 loss to the Tigers.
"They're not the same team, we're not the same team," said Duke senior Ashlon Jackson. "That is a great team, great coach, great players. I would love to see our development over the months that it's been since we played them."
Both Duke and LSU have blown through the first two rounds of the tournament on 20- and 56-point average margins of victory, respectively, as Blue Devils coach Kara Lawson and Tigers boss Kim Mulkey crank up the postseason heat.
"I've gotten to the Elite Eight [every year] since I got to LSU," said Tigers guard Mikaylah Williams, who arrived in Baton Rouge just after the team won the 2023 national title. "It would be lovely for me to get past the Elite Eight and make it to the Final Four. We're almost there."
Despite Duke's recent surge, Las Vegas is currently leaning toward the SEC titans, favoring LSU by 8.5 points over the ACC underdogs.
How to watch Duke vs. LSU in the Sweet 16
The No. 2 Tigers will tip off against the No. 3 Blue Devils at 10 PM ET on Friday, airing live on ESPN.
Star guards are stepping into the March Madness spotlight, as Hannah Hidalgo and her No. 6 seed Notre Dame Fighting Irish open the Sweet 16 against Mikayla Blakes and the No. 2 Vanderbilt Commodores on Friday afternoon.
Naismith Player of the Year finalist and Division I leading scorer Blakes anchors the Commodores, as they attempt to hold off Defensive Player of the Year frontrunner and DI steals leader Hidalgo.
Blakes is averaging 27.5 points per game in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, while Hidalgo powered Notre Dame past No. 3 Ohio State with a 26-point, 13-rebound, and eight-steal performance on Monday.
Both teams are pushing for program turnarounds: Vanderbilt is pursuing their first trip to the Elite Eight since 2002 while Notre Dame is hoping to make it past the Sweet 16 for the first time since winning it all under legendary coach Muffet McGraw in 2019.
"You prepare in November, December, January, so you don't have to get ready," said Commodores head coach Shea Ralph. "You don't have to rise to the level of the occasion, because you're gonna fall to the level of your standard."
The sportsbooks are currently giving Vanderbilt a slight edge, tapping the Commodores as a 5.5-point favorite over the Irish.
How to watch Notre Dame vs. Vanderbilt in the Sweet 16
The Sweet 16 tips off with the No. 6 Irish taking on the No. 2 Commodores at 2:30 PM ET on Friday, with live coverage airing on ESPN.
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.
Top-tier teams remain locked in on the 2026 March Madness bracket, as all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the NCAA women's basketball tournament's Sweet 16 round — with a lot of daylight between the title contenders and their challengers.
On Monday, No. 1 UConn blew out No. 9 Syracuse 98-45 before No. 1 South Carolina handled No. 9 USC 101-61, with No. 1 UCLA later dominating No. 8 Oklahoma State 87-68 as the trio joined No. 1 Texas in the Sweet 16.
"After being in this business for 37 years, and to have to be in this particular bracket every freakin' year is unacceptable," said Syracuse head coach Felisha Legette-Jack after the Huskies secured their 15th 50-point NCAA tournament win.
Seniors also stole the show on Monday, as graduating talents bid goodbye to their home crowds before moving on to the third round's neutral courts.
UCLA center Lauren Betts scored a career-high 35 points in her last game at Pauley Pavilion, while UConn guard Azzi Fudd dropped 34 points to tie her career high in Storrs.
"It's kind of what Azzi does — not miss," said fellow Husky Sarah Strong. "I'm happy to see her at her most confident self."
How to watch the No. 1 seeds in the Sweet 16
Two of the top March Madness seeds return on Friday, when UConn takes on No. 4 UNC at 5 PM ET before UCLA faces fellow Big Ten contender No. 4 Minnesota at 7:30 PM ET.
Then on Saturday, both Texas and South Carolina will enter all-SEC matchups as the Longhorns face No. 5 Kentucky at 3 PM ET before the Gamecocks battle No. 4 Oklahoma at 5 PM ET.
Except for Texas vs. Kentucky, which will air live on ABC, all No. 1 seed Sweet 16 games will air on ESPN.
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.
Notre Dame basketball star Hannah Hidalgo took the mic this week, telling reporters at Tuesday's ACC Media Day that she's eager to erase the memory of last season's March Madness crash-out.
"Knowing how much talent we had last year and underachieving like we did was something that was heartbreaking," the junior guard said, explaining that the one-time No. 1 Fighting Irish lost focus ahead of their Sweet 16 tournament exit.
Hidalgo, whose 23.8 points per game made her the fifth most prolific scorer in the NCAA last season, also vowed to step up as a leader this year in light of Notre Dame losing standouts Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld to the WNBA and fellow star guard Olivia Miles in a transfer to TCU.
"I know how to get the best out of my teammates, I know the steps that I need to take and the things that I need to do," said Hidalgo, dismissing questions about her rumored rift with Miles. "One of the most important things is building that relationship and that connection with my teammates off the court. It's bigger than basketball."
"I know the weight of [the spotlight] is heavy," Notre Dame head coach Niele Ivey said of Hidalgo's role. "But I feel like she has done a great job of surrounding herself with the right network."
Notre Dame standout Olivia Miles will forgo the 2025 WNBA Draft, instead opting to stay in the NCAA for her final year of college eligibility. But she reportedly will not for the Fighting Irish.
Miles is set to enter the transfer portal, posted ESPN’s Shams Chariana on Monday, moving on from Notre Dame after back-to-back Sweet 16 exits.
"Notre Dame's Olivia Miles — the projected No. 2 pick in the WNBA draft this month — will forgo the draft and enter NCAA's transfer portal, sources tell ESPN," the journalist posted on X. "The 22-year-old top prospect makes unprecedented decision to use her one year remaining of college instead of the draft."
Miles shakes up the 2025 WNBA draft
Miles will certainly have her choice of top-ranked NCAA programs. But the projected No. 2 draft pick’s decision also has major implications on both the 2025 WNBA Draft and the 2026 draft lottery.
The junior started all 34 games this season for Notre Dame. She averaged a career-high 15.4 points per game while maintaining 48.3% effectiveness from the field.
"I love college. I think I've outgrown it a little bit, though, so that makes my decision tougher to stay. It's comfortable, a place where you have security," the star guard told ESPN after Saturday's loss.
With UConn’s Paige Bueckers sitting comfortably at No. 1, expected Top 5 pro recruits USC’s Kiki Iriafen, South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao, and fellow Irish Sonia Citron could all see a rankings boost.
No. 2 seed TCU rode their Cinderella story to their very first Elite Eight berth on Saturday, ousting one-time Women's March Madness favorite No. 3 seed Notre Dame 71-62 behind a 26-point performance from transfer guard Hailey Van Lith.
While chalky on paper, the victory was indeed a bracket-buster, setting the Horned Frogs up for tonight’s showdown against No. 1 seed Texas after the Longhorns’ 67-59 Sweet 16 win over No. 5 seed Tennessee.
“Hailey’s a dog,” said TCU senior Madison Conner of Van Lith, who set the school’s single-season scoring record en route to her fifth Elite Eight appearance. “Regardless of if it’s on the offensive end or on the defensive end, she’s going to do anything it takes to win.”
“Going into this game, I was really just going to go and have no regrets,” said Van Lith. “I wasn't going to put any pressure on myself to necessarily win. I was going to go out there and have fun and play with the joy that God gave me.”
USC faces UConn in highly anticipated Elite Eight rematch
Tonight’s blockbuster Elite Eight rematch between No. 1 seed USC and No. 2 seed UConn will look different without injured superstar JuJu Watkins. But the Trojans aren’t done fighting.
USC lost Watkins to a season-ending ACL tear in the tournament’s second round. Nevertheless, a determined USC took down No. 5 seed Kansas State 67-61 in Saturday’s Sweet 16 clash. Freshmen Avery Howell and Kennedy Smith combined for 37 points on the night.
“With Ju going down, obviously it was a bit of adversity that we had to face,” Smith said after the game. “But just having her in our presence — we talked to her before the game and she was still rooting us on, things of that nature — [we're] just keeping her in our hearts and minds and playing for her as well as for each other.”
USC will subsequently have their hands full. Leading the Huskies to the Elite Eight, UConn star Paige Bueckers is fresh off a career-high 40-point Sweet 16 performance against Oklahoma.
“You try not to think about the stakes or the pressure or getting to the Final Four,” Bueckers said ahead of tonight's rematch. “Obviously that's there, so you try not to think about it and just go out and play every single game the same way like it's your last, like it's the most important 40 minutes of your life... We just want the season to keep going as long as possible. So leaving nothing up to chance, giving it our all for that 40 minutes to play for another 40 is our team mindset.”
Where to watch Women's March Madness games tonight
TCU tips off against Texas tonight at 7 PM ET before UConn takes on USC at 9 PM ET. Both games will air live across ESPN platforms.
No. 1 seeds UCLA and South Carolina prevailed on Sunday, punching their tickets to the Final Four and putting a bow on a wild NCAA tournament weekend that nonetheless ended in chalk.
After surviving a surging No. 4 seed Maryland offense 71-67 on Friday, the Gamecocks took down No. 2 seed Duke 54-50 in Sunday’s Elite Eight, building a watertight defense to silence the Blue Devils.
Coming off Friday’s strong 76-62 win over No. 5 seed Ole Miss, the Bruins went on to blank No. 3 seed LSU 72-65, holding off the Tigers despite All-American center Lauren Betts’s early foul trouble.
“The game was lost in the second quarter,” said LSU coach Kim Mulkey. “That’s where the game was lost. We didn’t capitalize on Betts being off the floor.”
South Carolina, UCLA bring different strengths to Final Four
With both teams having topped this season’s AP Poll rankings, UCLA and South Carolina pose different physical threats fueled by similar mental resilience.
The Gamecocks will make their fifth straight Final Four appearance. As such, the reigning champs are managing to keep the repeat dream alive despite some shaky starts.
“We know that every night is going to be a battle, and we know that they’re going to come for us,” said senior Te-Hina PaoPao.
On the flip side, next weekend will mark UCLA’s first-ever NCAA Final Four.
“All season we’ve talked about how our talent is our floor and our character is our ceiling,” guard Kiki Rice said. “And to just be the tougher team every single day out there on the court is really the difference.”
Subsequently, maintaining poise down the stretch could be the key to winning this year’s NCAA title.
How to watch Women's March Madness Final Four games
UCLA tips off the Final Four at 7 PM ET on Friday, April 4th, before South Carolina takes the court at 9:30 PM ET. Both games will air live across ESPN platforms.