Trending Now - March Madness 2026: Big Ten Teams and Sweet 16 Insights

WHO:

The Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team, Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball team, Michigan Wolverines women's basketball team, Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team, Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team, Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team, Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team, Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team, West Virginia Mountaineers women's basketball team, Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, UConn Huskies women's basketball team, Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball team, Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team, USC Trojans women's basketball team, South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team, Oklahoma State Cowgirls women's basketball team, UCLA Bruins women's basketball team.

Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team, Michigan Wolverines women's basketball team.

Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball team, Tajianna Roberts, Elif Istanbulluoglu, Laura Ziegler, Ace Austin.

Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball team, Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team, Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team, Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team, Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team, Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team, Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team, West Virginia Mountaineers women's basketball team, Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, UConn Huskies women's basketball team, Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball team, Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team, USC Trojans women's basketball team, South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team, Oklahoma State Cowgirls women's basketball team, UCLA Bruins women's basketball team.

Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball team, Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team, Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team, Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team, Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team, Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team, Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team, West Virginia Mountaineers women's basketball team, Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, UConn Huskies women's basketball team, Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball team, Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team, USC Trojans women's basketball team, South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team, Oklahoma State Cowgirls women's basketball team, UCLA Bruins women's basketball team.

Alabama Crimson Tide women's basketball team, Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team, Virginia Cavaliers women's basketball team, Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team, Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team, Ohio State Buckeyes women's basketball team, Kentucky Wildcats women's basketball team, West Virginia Mountaineers women's basketball team, Syracuse Orange women's basketball team, UConn Huskies women's basketball team, Illinois Fighting Illini women's basketball team, Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team, USC Trojans women's basketball team, South Carolina Gamecocks women's basketball team, Oklahoma State Cowgirls women's basketball team, UCLA Bruins women's basketball team.

WHAT:

Louisville defeated Alabama 68-64 on March 23rd, 2026, in the second round of the women's NCAA tournament.

Louisville's Tajianna Roberts and Elif Istanbulluoglu each scored 18 points, while Laura Ziegler contributed 12 points in the victory.

Alabama ended their season with a record of 24-11 after failing to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998.

Ace Austin led Alabama with 17 points in the loss.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson scored 28 points in the first round and had a combined total of 45 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists in her first two tournament games.

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo averaged 25.2 points per game and had a performance in the first round with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 8 steals.

UConn's Alex Karaban had a career-high scoring performance to push the Huskies into the Sweet 16.

UCLA's Lauren Betts leads the Bruins with 16.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, shooting 63.8% from the field.

Oklahoma State's Micah Gray leads the team in three-pointers made, averaging 13.8 points per game.

Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes has broken the school's single-season scoring record with 867 points and leads the nation in scoring with an average of 27.1 points per game.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson is averaging 19.3 points per game this season and recently became the first UVA player this century to record a 10/10/5 stat line in a tournament game.

Iowa's Ava Heiden is averaging 17.8 points per game, and Hannah Stuelke is averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.

Alabama's Jessica Timmons is averaging 16.6 points per game and scored 18 points in the opening-round win against Rhode Island.

Louisville's Tajianna Roberts and Laura Ziegler contributed to a 72-52 victory over Vermont in the first round.

Alabama missed six free throws, going 14-of-20 from the line in their first-round game.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson had a combined total of 45 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists in her first two tournament games.

Notre Dame has won 10 of their last 11 games leading into their matchup with Ohio State.

Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge scored 21 points, with two steals and two blocks in the first round against Howard.

Kentucky's coach Kenny Brooks previously won 337 games at James Madison University and took the Dukes to six NCAA tournaments from 2002 to 2016.

West Virginia is hosting the first two rounds of the tournament for the first time since 1992.

UConn has defeated Syracuse 27 times in a row, with a 39-4 overall record against them.

Illinois has made it to the regional semifinals just twice: in 1997 and 1998.

Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes leads the nation in scoring this season with an average of 27.1 points per game.

Oklahoma State was the only team in the Big 12 with five players averaging double-digit scoring this season.

UCLA allowed 34 points in the first half of their first-round game, the most they had allowed in a first half since January 18th, 2026.

Alabama had 14 turnovers leading to 18 points for Rhode Island in the first round.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson scored 28 points in the first round, while Sa'Myah Smith had 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo had at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals in the first round.

Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge scored 21 points in the first round.

West Virginia aims to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992.

UConn has made the Sweet 16 every tournament from 1994 to 2025.

South Carolina's 69-point margin in the first round was the largest in program history.

Oklahoma State had four players in double digits in their first-round game.

Louisville defeated Alabama 68-64 in the second round of the 2026 women's NCAA tournament.

Tajianna Roberts and Elif Istanbulluoglu each scored 18 points, while Laura Ziegler contributed 12 points in the victory.

Alabama ended their season with a record of 24-11 after failing to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998.

Ace Austin led Alabama with 17 points in the loss.

Louisville's Tajianna Roberts and Elif Istanbulluoglu each scored 18 points in their victory over Alabama, while Laura Ziegler contributed 12 points.

Alabama ended their season with a record of 24-11 after failing to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson scored 28 points in the first round and had a combined total of 45 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists in her first two tournament games.

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo averaged 25.2 points per game and had a performance in the first round with 23 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 8 steals.

UConn's Alex Karaban had a career-high scoring performance to push the Huskies into the Sweet 16.

UCLA's Lauren Betts leads the Bruins with 16.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, shooting 63.8% from the field.

Oklahoma State's Micah Gray leads the team in three-pointers made, averaging 13.8 points per game.

Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes has broken the school's single-season scoring record with 867 points and leads the nation in scoring with an average of 27.1 points per game.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson is averaging 19.3 points per game this season and recently became the first UVA player this century to record a 10/10/5 stat line in a tournament game.

Iowa's Ava Heiden is averaging 17.8 points per game, and Hannah Stuelke is averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.

Alabama's Jessica Timmons is averaging 16.6 points per game and scored 18 points in the opening-round win against Rhode Island.

Louisville's Tajianna Roberts and Laura Ziegler contributed to a 72-52 victory over Vermont in the first round.

Alabama missed six free throws, going 14-of-20 from the line in their first-round game.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson had a combined total of 45 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists in her first two tournament games.

Notre Dame has won 10 of their last 11 games leading into their matchup with Ohio State.

Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge scored 21 points, with two steals and two blocks in the first round against Howard.

Kentucky's coach Kenny Brooks previously won 337 games at James Madison University and took the Dukes to six NCAA tournaments from 2002 to 2016.

West Virginia is hosting the first two rounds of the tournament for the first time since 1992.

UConn has defeated Syracuse 27 times in a row, with a 39-4 overall record against them.

Illinois has made it to the regional semifinals just twice: in 1997 and 1998.

Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes leads the nation in scoring this season with an average of 27.1 points per game.

Oklahoma State was the only team in the Big 12 with five players averaging double-digit scoring this season.

UCLA allowed 34 points in the first half of their first-round game, the most they had allowed in a first half since January 18th, 2026.

Alabama had 14 turnovers leading to 18 points for Rhode Island in the first round.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson scored 28 points in the first round, while Sa'Myah Smith had 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo had at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals in the first round.

Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge scored 21 points in the first round.

West Virginia aims to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992.

UConn has made the Sweet 16 every tournament from 1994 to 2025.

South Carolina's 69-point margin in the first round was the largest in program history.

Oklahoma State had four players in double digits in their first-round game.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson is averaging 19.3 points per game this season and recently became the first UVA player this century to record a 10/10/5 stat line in a tournament game.

Iowa's Ava Heiden is averaging 17.8 points per game, and Hannah Stuelke is averaging 8.7 rebounds per game.

Alabama's Jessica Timmons is averaging 16.6 points per game and scored 18 points in the opening-round win against Rhode Island.

Louisville's Tajianna Roberts and Laura Ziegler contributed to a 72-52 victory over Vermont in the first round.

Alabama missed six free throws, going 14-of-20 from the line in their first-round game.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson had a combined total of 45 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists in her first two tournament games.

Notre Dame has won 10 of their last 11 games leading into their matchup with Ohio State.

Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge scored 21 points, with two steals and two blocks in the first round against Howard.

Kentucky's coach Kenny Brooks previously won 337 games at James Madison University and took the Dukes to six NCAA tournaments from 2002 to 2016.

West Virginia is hosting the first two rounds of the tournament for the first time since 1992.

UConn has defeated Syracuse 27 times in a row, with a 39-4 overall record against them.

Illinois has made it to the regional semifinals just twice: in 1997 and 1998.

Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes leads the nation in scoring this season with an average of 27.1 points per game.

Oklahoma State was the only team in the Big 12 with five players averaging double-digit scoring this season.

UCLA allowed 34 points in the first half of their first-round game, the most they had allowed in a first half since January 18th, 2026.

The second round of the 2026 women's NCAA tournament is taking place, with half of the Sweet 16 already set.

Matchups scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, include:

(6) Alabama vs. (3) Louisville at noon ET

(10) Virginia vs. (2) Iowa at 2 p.m. ET

(6) Notre Dame vs. (3) Ohio State at 4 p.m. ET

(5) Kentucky vs. (4) West Virginia at 5 p.m. ET

(9) Syracuse vs. (1) UConn at 6 p.m. ET

(7) Illinois vs. (2) Vanderbilt at 7 p.m. ET

(9) USC vs. (1) South Carolina at 8 p.m. ET

(8) Oklahoma State vs. (1) UCLA at 10 p.m. ET.

Alabama had 14 turnovers leading to 18 points for Rhode Island in the first round.

Virginia's Kymora Johnson scored 28 points in the first round, while Sa'Myah Smith had 23 points and 11 rebounds.

Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo had at least 20 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals in the first round.

Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge scored 21 points in the first round.

West Virginia aims to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992.

UConn has made the Sweet 16 every tournament from 1994 to 2025.

South Carolina's 69-point margin in the first round was the largest in program history.

Oklahoma State had four players in double digits in their first-round game.

WHERE:

The game between Alabama and Louisville was held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The game between Virginia and Iowa was held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

The game between Notre Dame and Ohio State was held at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

The game between West Virginia and Kentucky was held at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia.

The game between Syracuse and UConn was held at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.

The game between Vanderbilt and Illinois was held at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee.

The game between South Carolina and USC was held at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

The game between UCLA and Oklahoma State was held at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California.

The game between Alabama and Louisville was held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The game between Alabama and Louisville was held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The game between Virginia and Iowa was held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

The game between Notre Dame and Ohio State was held at Value City Arena in Columbus, Ohio.

The game between West Virginia and Kentucky was held at the WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia.

The game between Syracuse and UConn was held at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Connecticut.

The game between Vanderbilt and Illinois was held at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee.

The game between South Carolina and USC was held at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia, South Carolina.

The game between UCLA and Oklahoma State was held at Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California.

The game between Alabama and Louisville is being held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The game between Virginia and Iowa is being held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

The games are being held at various locations, including Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa and Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville.

The game between Alabama and Louisville is being held at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

The game between Virginia and Iowa is being held at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.

The games are being held at various locations, including Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa and Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville.

WHEN:

The second round of the women's NCAA tournament took place on March 23rd, 2026.

The game between Alabama and Louisville was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at noon ET.

The game between Virginia and Iowa was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.

The game between Notre Dame and Ohio State was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET.

The game between West Virginia and Kentucky was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET.

The game between Syracuse and UConn was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET.

The game between Illinois and Vanderbilt was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET.

The game between USC and South Carolina was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

The game between UCLA and Oklahoma State was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET.

The game took place on March 23rd, 2026.

The second round of the women's NCAA tournament took place on March 23rd, 2026.

The game between Alabama and Louisville was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at noon ET.

The game between Virginia and Iowa was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.

The game between Notre Dame and Ohio State was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 4 p.m. ET.

The game between West Virginia and Kentucky was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 5 p.m. ET.

The game between Syracuse and UConn was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 6 p.m. ET.

The game between Illinois and Vanderbilt was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 7 p.m. ET.

The game between USC and South Carolina was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 8 p.m. ET.

The game between UCLA and Oklahoma State was scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 10 p.m. ET.

The game between Alabama and Louisville is scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at noon ET.

The game between Virginia and Iowa is scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.

The second round of the women's NCAA tournament is on March 23rd, 2026.

UConn's last meeting with Syracuse was on March 24th, 2024.

The game between Alabama and Louisville is scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at noon ET.

The game between Virginia and Iowa is scheduled for March 23rd, 2026, at 2 p.m. ET.

The second round of the women's NCAA tournament is on March 23rd, 2026.

UConn's last meeting with Syracuse was on March 24th, 2024.

WHY:

Louisville advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 13th time in program history.

Louisville advanced to the Sweet 16 for the 13th time in program history.

Teams are competing to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Teams are competing to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

HOW:

Louisville controlled the boards 41-24 and was called for just 10 fouls to Alabama's 21.

Louisville controlled the boards 41-24 and was called for just 10 fouls to Alabama's 21.

Virginia's elite shot-blocking ranks first nationally with 6.6 blocks per game.

Teams are strategizing based on previous performances, such as Alabama's need to reduce turnovers and Virginia's focus on maintaining composure under pressure.

Virginia's elite shot-blocking ranks first nationally with 6.6 blocks per game.

Teams are strategizing based on previous performances, such as Alabama's need to reduce turnovers and Virginia's focus on maintaining composure under pressure.

(UPDATED March 24, 2026 04:09 UTC)

In a thrilling matchup on March 23, Louisville defeated Alabama 68 to 64 in the second round of the women's NCAA tournament, marking the Cardinals' 13th advance to the Sweet 16 in program history. Tajianna Roberts and Elif Istanbulluoglu each scored 18 points for Louisville, while Ace Austin led Alabama with 17 points as the Crimson Tide ended their season with a record of 24-11. The game took place at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, where Louisville dominated the boards 41 to 24 and committed just 10 fouls compared to Alabama's 21.

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(UPDATED March 24, 2026 01:40 UTC)

In a thrilling matchup on March 23, 2026, the Louisville Cardinals women's basketball team defeated the Alabama Crimson Tide 68-64 in the second round of the women's NCAA tournament at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky. Tajianna Roberts and Elif Istanbulluoglu each scored 18 points, while Laura Ziegler added 12, helping Louisville advance to the Sweet 16 for the 13th time in program history. Alabama's Ace Austin led his team with 17 points, but the loss marked the end of their season with a record of 24-11, failing to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1998.

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(UPDATED March 23, 2026 21:32 UTC)

In today's NCAA women's tournament action, Louisville triumphed over Alabama with Tajianna Roberts and Elif Istanbulluoglu each scoring 18 points, while Laura Ziegler added 12, marking the end of Alabama's season with a record of 24-11. Meanwhile, Virginia's Kymora Johnson shined with 28 points in her first round, and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo averaged 25.2 points per game, contributing significantly to her team's performance. The second round featured several matchups, including Syracuse facing UConn and UCLA going up against Oklahoma State, all taking place across various venues today.

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(UPDATED March 23, 2026 19:45 UTC)

Today marks the second round of the women's NCAA tournament, with key matchups including Alabama facing Louisville at noon ET and Virginia taking on Iowa at 2 p.m. ET. Virginia's Kymora Johnson has been a standout player, averaging 19.3 points per game and recently achieving a remarkable 10/10/5 stat line in a tournament game, while Alabama's Jessica Timmons scored 18 points in their opening-round victory. As teams compete for a chance to advance to the Sweet 16, Virginia leads the nation in shot-blocking, and Alabama aims to cut down on turnovers after a challenging first-round performance.

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(UPDATED March 23, 2026 17:45 UTC)

Today, March 23, 2026, the Alabama Crimson Tide will face off against the Louisville Cardinals at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky, while the Virginia Cavaliers take on the Iowa Hawkeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa. Virginia's Kymora Johnson has been making headlines, averaging 19.3 points per game and recently achieving a remarkable 10/10/5 stat line in a tournament game, while Alabama's Jessica Timmons scored 18 points in their opening-round victory against Rhode Island. Additionally, Virginia leads the nation with an impressive average of 6.6 blocks per game, showcasing their elite defensive skills.

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(UPDATED March 23, 2026 15:33 UTC)

In a thrilling start to the tournament, Alabama struggled at the free-throw line, missing six shots and finishing 14-of-20 in their first-round game. Meanwhile, Virginia's Kymora Johnson shined with an impressive total of 45 points, 17 rebounds, and 11 assists across her first two games, while Notre Dame heads into their matchup with Ohio State riding a wave of momentum after winning 10 of their last 11 games. In other highlights, Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes leads the nation in scoring with an average of 27.1 points per game, and UConn continues its dominance over Syracuse with a staggering 27 consecutive victories against them.

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(UPDATED March 23, 2026 13:31 UTC)

Today marks the second round of the 2026 women's NCAA tournament, with several teams vying for a spot in the Sweet 16. Matchups scheduled for today include Alabama taking on Louisville at noon, Virginia facing Iowa at 2 p.m., and Notre Dame going up against Ohio State at 4 p.m. West Virginia is looking to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1992, while UConn aims to continue its streak of making the Sweet 16 every tournament since 1994. Notable performances from the first round include Virginia's Kymora Johnson scoring 28 points and South Carolina achieving a record 69-point margin of victory. The games are being held at various locations, including Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa and Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville.