No. 1-seed UConn has even more to brag about this week, as stars Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong made history on Wednesday when they became the first teammates to earn AP All-America women's basketball First Team honors since 2020.

The seventh Husky duo to share the distinction, Strong and Fudd are joined by Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes, UCLA's Lauren Betts, and Texas's Madison Booker on the 2025/26 First Team roster.

Strong earned the only unanimous selection from AP voters, while Betts and Booker snagged First Team honors for the second straight season.

"I'm happy for them individually, but I know it means a lot for them to get this accomplishment together as well," UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said of his All-American pair.

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The AP also named its Second and Third Team All-Americans on Wednesday, tapping former teammates Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame) and Olivia Miles (TCU) alongside Jaloni Cambridge (Ohio State), Audi Crooks (Iowa State), and Joyce Edwards (South Carolina) on the second five-player roster.

Flau'jae Johnson (LSU), Olivia Olson (Michigan), Kiki Rice (UCLA), Toby Fournier (Duke), and Raven Johnson (South Carolina) rounded out the Third Team, while Clara Strack (Kentucky), Rori Harmon (Texas), and Cotie McMahon (Ole Miss) earned honorable mentions, among others.

The 2025/26 AP Women's Basketball All-America teams

First Team:

Second Team:

Third Team:

Honorable Mention:

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.

Former President Barack Obama released his annual March Madness bracket predictions on Wednesday, selecting defending champion UConn to cut down the nets in Phoenix.

Obama has published his NCAA tournament brackets since 2012, with his 2026 women's bracket predictions following a chalky approach with few upsets beyond the middle-seeded matchups.

The eight-year commander in chief picked all four No. 1 seeds to reach this year's Final Four, tapping UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina to advance to national semifinals. He additionally has each top seed defeating the No. 2 seed in their respective Elite Eight matchups — with one exception.

Obama's bracket predictions have No. 3 seed TCU knocking off No. 2 seed Iowa in the Sacramento regional, ending the Hawkeyes' tournament run before the Final Four.

UConn enters its March Madness title defense undefeated at 34-0. The Huskies won the 2025 NCAA title, and now aim to become the first team to repeat since their own historic four-peat from 2013 to 2016 — with the team's 2016 victory winning them a trip to President Obama's White House.

The former president's Final Four predictions feature UConn facing South Carolina in one national semifinal, while UCLA meets Texas in the other. The bracket has the Huskies subsequently defeating the Gamecocks, setting up a championship showdown with the Bruins.

Obama's selections align with this year's betting favorites, with UConn serving as heavy championship favorites with the shortest odds since 2018.

UConn enters the NCAA women's basketball bracket as the overwhelming favorite to capture a record-extending 13th national championship, as the Huskies capped Selection Sunday with -270 odds — the shortest odds for a pre-tournament favorite since 2018.

Coach Geno Auriemma's squad carries a perfect 34-0 record into March Madness. The defending NCAA champions earned the No. 1 overall seed in this year's tournament.

A sizable gap separates UConn from the rest of the NCAA women's basketball bracket. Big Ten tournament winner UCLA holds the second-best odds at +550, despite finishing 31-1 with an undefeated conference record. The Bruins also earned a No. 1 seed, representing the biggest threat to UConn's title defense.

The SEC dominates the next tier of odds contenders, with Texas sitting at +700 followed by South Carolina at +800. LSU enters between +1,700 and +2,200, while Vanderbilt checks around +5,000.

Michigan (+9,000), Duke (+10,000), Iowa (+10,000), and Louisville (+10,000) round out the bracket's Top 10 highest odds.

Sportsbook BetMGM reports that UConn, UCLA, and South Carolina have attracted 57.4% of championship future handle throughout the season. The three favorites generated public support all year, though Michigan and Vanderbilt could cause March Madness challenges for the college basketball heavy-hitters.

Current NCAA Women’s Basketball Bracket Championship Odds

UConn -275
UCLA +550
Texas +650
South Carolina +900
LSU +1700
Vanderbilt +5000
Michigan +9000
Duke +10000
Iowa +10000
Louisville +10000
Oklahoma +12500
TCU +12500
Ole Miss +12500
NC State +15000
Kentucky +15000
Maryland +17500
Notre Dame +20000
Tennessee +20000
North Carolina +20000
Iowa State +20000
Ohio State +20000
Texas Tech +20000
USC +25000
Baylor +25000
Alabama +25000
West Virginia +25000
Minnesota +25000
Michigan State +30000
Washington +30000
Oklahoma State +50000
Viollanova +50000
Arizona State +50000
Colorado +50000
Colorado State +50000
Princeton +50000
Syracuse +50000
Virginia Tech +50000
Illinois +50000
Nebraska +75000
Oregon +75000
Clemson +75000
Georgia +75000
Gonzaga +75000
Virginia +100000
Richmond +150000
Cal Baptist +150000
FDU +150000
Charleston +150000
Fairfield +200000
Jacksonville +200000
Rhode Island +200000
High Point +200000
South Dakota State +200000
Idaho +200000
Green Bay +200000
James Madison +200000
Western Illinois +200000
Vermont +200000
Holy Cross +200000
Miami Ohio +200000
UC San Diego +200000
Samford +500000
Stephen F. Austin +500000
Southern +500000
Missouri State +500000
UTSA +500000
Murray State +500000
Howard +500000

It's time to fill out that NCAA tournament bracket, as 68 women's basketball teams discovered their 2026 March Madness paths in the Selection Sunday show over the weekend.

The undefeated UConn Huskies enters the NCAA tournament bracket as the No. 1 overall top seed, with the defending national champs joined by fellow No. 1-seeds UCLA, South Carolina, and Texas at the top of their quadrants.

"There are a lot of good teams out there, and there are times I felt like we deserved a No. 1 seed based on our wins, our record, who we have beaten, and it didn't pan out that way," reflected Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma. "This year, it did."

It only gets harder from here, however, as No. 2-seeds Vanderbilt, LSU, Michigan, and Iowa eye matchups with their higher-seeded competition.

Should UConn and Vanderbilt meet in the Elite Eight, Auriemma will face his former protege, after Commodores boss Shea Ralph won the 2000 NCAA title as a Husky before spending 13 years on UConn's coaching staff.

"The NCAA Tournament is the best sporting event in the world," Ralph said on Sunday night. "We're thrilled with the work that we've done this season to put ourselves in position to do well, but we're really not looking past the first game. We can't. It's a one-game season now."

How to Watch the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament

The 2026 NCAA women's basketball tournament opens with the First Four games on Wednesday and Thursday.

The play-in round will tip off with Nebraska taking on fellow potential No. 11-seed Richmond at 7 PM ET on Wednesday before Missouri State and Stephen F. Austin battle for a No. 16 seed at 9 PM ET.

Thursday will see Southern facing Samford for the final No. 16-seed spot at 7 PM ET, with a No. 10-seed entry on the line when Virginia takes on Arizona State at 9 PM ET.

All First Four games will air live on ESPN2.

Complete 2026 NCAA Tournament Bracket

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UConn captured its sixth consecutive Big East tournament title on Monday with a dominant three-game run at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The Huskies defeated Georgetown, Creighton and Villanova by an average of 44.3 points to claim the program's 31st conference tournament title. Along the way, Sarah Strong earned Most Outstanding Player honors while Azzi Fudd and KK Arnold landed on the all-tournament team.

UConn remains undefeated at 31-0 heading into the 2026 NCAA Tournament. And while the Huskies secured the Big East's automatic bid, the team still faces a major question: Will it earn the national tournament's No. 1 overall seed?

The Connecticut women's basketball powerhouse held that distinction in the first two NCAA bracket reveals. However, UCLA is now gunning for the top spot after finishing the season 31-1 overall with an undefeated Big Ten regular-season run. The Bruins routed Iowa 96-45 in the Big Ten title game and own 18 Q1 victories — double UConn's nine.

UConn leads UCLA in the NET rankings, Torvik rankings, and AP Top 25 Poll, though UCLA did steal three first-place AP Poll votes from the Huskies this week.

Receiving the No. 1 overall seed carries significance beyond bragging rights, with the top NCAA team getting an extra day of rest between the regional finals and the Final Four.

Mohegan Sun Extends Big East Tournament Hosting Deal

The Big East announced during Monday's championship game that the tournament will stay at Mohegan Sun Arena for at least three more years, with Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma praising the venue and atmosphere.

"When you have that many people coming out year after year, when you have people here at 11:30 at night watching the game, the people here at Mohegan know how to run events," said the legendary UConn boss. "I can't imagine it being anywhere else, to be honest with you."

Top-ranked UConn women's basketball demolished fifth-seeded Creighton 100-51 in Sunday's Big East tournament semifinal. The Huskies advanced to Monday's championship game against Villanova.

Sophomore forward Sarah Strong dominated in just 25 minutes on the court, finishing with 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and six steals. KK Arnold added 18 points and four assists, while Azzi Fudd contributed 16 points and six assists.

The Huskies seized control immediately, opening with a 7-0 run before breaking the game open with a 17-0 surge that built a 29-9 first-quarter lead. UConn shot 12-of-19 from the field in the opening frame while forcing nine Creighton turnovers.

Creighton attempted a second-quarter rally with an 8-2 run, before UConn responded with a 26-5 burst to take a commanding 57-22 halftime advantage. Strong led the charge with 17 first-half points on 7-of-8 shooting, including 3-of-3 from 3-point range, while tying her career-high with six first-half steals.

"Just having so many people being able to come in and contribute — looking at this stat sheet today, seeing that everyone came in, scored, got a rebound, got a steal, they did something," Fudd said postgame.

"Being on a team this deep has been a lot of fun... I feel like we're in a great place."

The margin expanded to 82-38 entering the fourth quarter, with UConn shooting 40-of-70 from the field and 14-of-22 from 3-point range. The Huskies defense forced 19 turnovers and recorded 13 steals, extending UConn's conference tournament winning streak to 38 games.

Kennedy Townsend led Creighton with 13 points, with the Bluejays shooting 18-of-54 from the field.

How to Watch UConn Women's Basketball in the Big East Tournament Final

UConn tips off its 24th championship game on Monday at 7 PM ET, live on Peacock and NBCSN.

The Big East women's basketball tournament bracket has arrived, with UConn positioned as the overwhelming favorite after a perfect 31-0 regular-season record.

UConn secured the No. 1 seed after dominating conference play. The Huskies won games by an average of 37.8 points this season — the third-best margin in NCAA women's basketball history. Their 47-game winning streak dates back to last year's national championship run.

Coach Geno Auriemma's squad recorded just one single-digit victory this season, with November's narrow three-point win over then-No. 6 Michigan. Since then, UConn has blown out every opponent, finishing the regular season undefeated for the 11th time in program history.

Under Auriemma, the Huskies have won national titles in seven of their last 10 perfect seasons.

Villanova earned the No. 2 seed in the women's basketball tournament bracket after posting a 16-4 conference record. The Wildcats lost their two 2025/26 matchups against UConn by a combined 63 points.

How to Watch the Big East Women's Basketball Tournament Bracket

The Big East tournament features 11 teams, with first-round action starting March 6th. That's when Georgetown faces Butler at 11 AM ET, before Providence takes on DePaul at 1:30 PM ET and St. John's battles Xavier at 4 PM ET.

UConn received a double-bye, entering the conference bracket during Saturday's quarterfinals at 12 PM ET. The semifinals follow on March 8th, with the championship game scheduled for March 9th at 7 PM ET.

All Big East tournament games air live across Peacock and NBCSN, with the final exclusively airing on Peacock.

The latest AP Top 25 Poll dropped Monday, with just one team making meaningful strides in the final NCAA women's basketball rankings of the 2025/26 regular season.

No. 10 TCU moved up one spot after Sunday win over No. 20 Baylor, breaking into the Top 10 for the first time this season while the rest of the upper echelon held fast.

On the other hand, No. 12 Louisville ceded their Top 10 standing, dropping two spots after Sunday's upset loss to unranked Notre Dame — with the Irish narrowly missing out on rejoining the ranks.

Undefeated UConn caps the 2025/26 season as the wire-to-wire No. 1, riding a perfect 31-0 record into Champ Week.

The Huskies have won 25 of their games by 30 points or more, notching the third-best season-long margin of victory in NCAA women's basketball history — trailing only the 2014/15 and 2015/16 UConn lineups.

"[There are] really close-knit teams that really love playing together, and you get a little bit of something from everybody every night," UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said of his team.

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With the regular season in the rearview, teams are now gearing up for the 31 Division I conference tournaments — most of which tip off this week.

Though only 31 will walk away with titles — and automatic entry into the 2026 March Madness bracket — all teams will look to pad their resumes in tournament play, hoping to impress the committee ahead of March 15th's Selection Sunday.

2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 17

1. UConn (31-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (28-1, Big Ten)
3. South Carolina (29-2, SEC)
4. Texas (28-3, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (27-3, SEC)
6. LSU (26-4, SEC)
7. Oklahoma (23-6, SEC)
8. Michigan (24-5, Big Ten)
9. Iowa (24-5, Big Ten)
10. TCU (27-4, Big 12)
11. Ohio State (24-6, Big Ten)
12. Louisville (25-6, ACC)
13. Duke (21-8, ACC)
14. Maryland (23-7, Big Ten)
15. West Virginia (24-6, Big 12)
16. North Carolina (25-6, ACC)
17. Kentucky (21-9, SEC)
18. Michigan State (22-7, Big Ten)
19. Minnesota (22-7, Big Ten)
20. Baylor (24-7, Big 12)
21. Texas Tech (25-6, Big 12)
22. Georgia (22-8, SEC)
23. Princeton (23-3, Ivy)
24. Ole Miss (21-10, SEC)
25. Fairfield (25-4, MAAC)

UConn women's basketball and Duke announced a three-game series starting in November 2026, with the college basketball giants releasing details about the marquee matchups this week.

The series is set to tip off in Boston's TD Garden starting November 26th, 2026, marking the first regular-season meeting between the two programs since 2022. UConn will then visit Duke in Durham during the 2027/28 NCAA season before Duke travels to Connecticut for the 2028/29 regular-season finale.

"Boston is a city that lives and breathes championship basketball," said TD Garden president and Boston Bruins EVP/COO Glen Thornborough. "Hosting these two powerhouse programs gives fans the chance to experience the very best of the women's game on one of basketball's most iconic stages."

UConn last faced Duke in the Sweet 16 of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, where the Huskies defeated the Blue Devils 53-45.

The teams rank among the winningest in women's college basketball history, with UConn tallying 1,322 victories while Duke's accumulated 1,075 — combining for a total of 2,397.

The news comes as Duke rides significant momentum into Champ Week, claiming the ACC regular-season title for the first time in 13 years this week. The Blue Devils subsequently clinched the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ACC women's basketball tournament, tipping off March 4th.

For its part, Big East regular-season champion UConn continues building an already-legendary program with high-profile non-conference scheduling.

The upcoming series gives fans more opportunities to watch elite women's basketball, with both programs consistently competing for national championships while developing future professionals.

Where to watch UConn women's basketball this weekend

UConn will cap its regular-season run agains St. Johns on Sunday at 7:30 PM ET, live on TNT.