Trending Now - Top Seeds and Favorites Set for Women's NCAA Tournament

WHO:

UConn, UCLA, Texas, South Carolina, LSU, Vanderbilt, Iowa, Duke, Michigan, West Virginia, Ohio State, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, ACC, Ivy League, Big East

Patrick Berbert, Caesars Sportsbook college basketball trader

Jay Bilas, Jay Williams, Seth Greenberg, Brad Evans, Matt Fortuna, Derek Piper

WHAT:

UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina were the top four teams in the final regular-season Associated Press women's basketball Top 25.

UConn was the overall top seed in the NCAA bracket announced on March 15th, 2026.

UConn is favored at -265 to win the women's college basketball title, the shortest odds for a pre-tournament favorite since 2018.

UCLA has +550 odds to win the tournament.

UConn has won the NCAA championship 17 times out of 43 early March polls since 1982.

The NCAA tournament opens with First Four games on March 18th and 19th, 2026.

UConn has won 29-straight games by double digits.

46% of ESPN Tournament Challenge brackets selected UConn to win the national championship.

UConn, UCLA, and South Carolina have a combined 57.4% of the future handle at BetMGM.

The women's NCAA tournament will have a final poll on April 6th, 2026.

WHERE:

The NCAA tournament games will take place at various host locations determined by seeding.

WHEN:

The NCAA tournament begins on March 18th and 19th, 2026.

The final poll for the women's tournament will be released on April 6th, 2026.

WHY:

UConn's dominance in women's basketball has led to their status as favorites in the tournament.

HOW:

The NCAA tournament format includes automatic qualifications for 31 teams and at-large bids for 37 teams, determined by a selection committee.

(UPDATED March 16, 2026 17:19 UTC)

UConn, UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina have secured the top four spots in the final regular-season Associated Press women's basketball Top 25, with UConn being named the overall top seed in the NCAA bracket announced last Monday. UConn is heavily favored to win the women's college basketball title with odds of -265, marking the shortest odds for a pre-tournament favorite since 2018, while the NCAA tournament kicks off with the First Four games on March 18th and 19th. The tournament will feature a total of 68 teams, with 31 receiving automatic qualifications and 37 selected by a committee, and the final poll for the women's tournament will be released on April 6th.