Women’s March Madness live updates: Previews, action from Monday’s second round
Half of the Sweet 16 is ready. The last eight spots are on the road Monday because the second round of the 2026 ladies’s NCAA event wraps up.
We’re monitoring each recreation, from regular-season rematches to decrease seeds on the lookout for one other upset.
Here is ESPN’s information to all of the Day 4 action, which suggestions off at midday ET on ESPN.
Monday’s schedule:
(6) Alabama vs. (3) Louisville, midday ET, ESPN
(10) Virginia vs. (2) Iowa, 2 p.m. ET, ESPN
(6) Notre Dame vs. (3) Ohio State, 4 p.m. ET, ESPN
(5) Kentucky vs. (4) West Virginia, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
(9) Syracuse vs. (1) UConn, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN
(7) Illinois vs. (2) Vanderbilt, 7 pm ET, ESPN2
(9) USC vs. (1) South Carolina, 8 pm ET, ESPN
(8) Oklahoma State vs. (1) UCLA, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN
Noon ET, ESPN
How the Crimson Tide can advance to the Sweet 16: There shall be a lot for Alabama coach Kristy Curry to appropriately head into her matchup towards Louisville. Although the Crimson Tide dominated Rhode Island within the paint within the first round, they’d too many turnovers (14), resulting in 18 Rhode Island factors. Rhode Island additionally outrebounded Alabama 32-31 — together with 13-5 on the offensive boards. One extra space of be aware: Alabama missed six free throws, going 14-of-20 from the road. Having mentioned all that, Louisville began slowly in its recreation towards Vermont. If the Crimson Tide can set the tone early and discover methods to determine themselves because the aggressors within the paint, it’ll give them a shot to tug the upset. — Andrea Adelson
How the Cardinals can advance to the Sweet 16: Jeff Walz will need his group to get off to a significantly better begin after struggling particularly to attain off the go. The ball motion vastly improved within the second half, and the best way Mackenly Randolph you might have performed during the last 5 video games is one thing for Louisville to construct off headed into its subsequent recreation. Vermont offered a take a look at the Cardinals can be taught from as they transfer ahead. — Andrea Adelson
2 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Cavaliers can advance to the Sweet 16: The Cavaliers are taking part in with confidence and perception proper now. Even once they trailed within the fourth quarter within the first round, they remained calm and poised. It helps to have scorers corresponding to Kymora Johnsonwho had 28 factors within the win. Sa’Myah Smith He additionally had an enormous recreation, with 23 factors and 11 rebounds in his greatest recreation this season. Romi Levy scored 14 and performed terrific protection within the second half. If Virginia can keep out of foul bother and play extra cleanly when defending, the Cavaliers have the scorers to assist them advance. — Andrea Adelson
How the Hawkeyes can advance to the Sweet 16: The Hawkeyes must shoot higher from the perimeter towards the Cavaliers than they did towards FDU (1-for-13, 8%). Virginia has already gained two video games on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena courtroom: 57-55 Thursday over Arizona State within the First Four after which Saturday’s 82-73 extra time win over No. 7 seed Georgia within the first round. Virginia junior guard Kymora Johnson had a mixed 45 factors, 17 rebounds and 11 assists in these video games, so the Hawkeyes might want to attempt to gradual her down whereas persevering with to depend on their highly effective publish offense. — Michael Voepel
4 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Fighting Irish can advance to the Sweet 16: Notre Dame will enter their matchup with Ohio State on a scorching streak, with wins in 10 of their final 11 video games. As at all times, Hannah Hidalgo would be the key to your success. In the primary round, Hidalgo notched his second profession NCAA event recreation with a minimum of 20 factors, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals — and no different participant has ever had three. If she completes that feat towards the Buckeyes, the Fighting Irish ought to make their fourth straight Sweet 16. — Kendra Andrews
How the Buckeyes can advance to the Sweet 16: While the press is disruptive towards any group, it usually is much less impactful the upper the extent of competitors. That’s the place Jaloni Cambridge you are available. She is without doubt one of the greatest guards within the nation. Her skill to penetrate and create fuels something Ohio State does on offense. The Buckeyes’ hopes for his or her first journey to the Sweet 16 since 2023 relaxation with Cambridge taking part in properly. She did that towards Howard with 21 factors, two steals and two blocks. The Buckeyes have been additionally efficient from 3-point vary (9-of-24), significantly Chance Graywho made 3-of-6 and completed with 11 factors. –Charlie Creme
5 p.m. ET, ESPN2
How the Wildcats can advance to the Sweet 16: Coach Kenny Brooks, whose Wildcats took on his former group, James Madison, within the first round, gained 337 video games at JMU and took the Dukes to 6 NCAA tournaments from 2002 to 2016. He most likely would have most well-liked the urgency that his Wildcats confirmed within the first quarter to proceed, however Kentucky did loads of proper that they will carry over into Round 2. The Wildcats gained the rebounding battle (46-38), took away JMU’s perimeter recreation (3-of-17 from 3-point vary) and had 16 assists on 24 discipline objectives. –Charlie Creme
How the Mountaineers can advance to the Sweet 16: The Mountaineers are heading to the second round for the third consecutive yr, however their aspirations are set additional than that. West Virginia needs to make it to the second weekend for the primary time since 1992. That yr was additionally the final time West Virginia hosted the primary two rounds of the event, which is doing this yr as properly. To get again to the Sweet 16, the Mountaineers should undergo Kentucky. — Andrea Adelson
6 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Orange can advance to the Sweet 16: The Orange might want to pull an epic upset. UConn has made the Sweet 16 each event from 1994 to 2025, and has defeated Syracuse 27 instances in a row, going again to the times when each colleges have been within the previous Big East. In all, UConn is 39-4 towards the Orange. Their final assembly was a 72-64 UConn victory within the 2024 NCAA second round.
With ACC Rookie of the Year Uche Izoje and one other 6-foot-3 participant, ahead Journey Thompsonthe Orange have some dimension to go up towards UConn star ahead Sarah Strong. But contemplating what Iowa State’s Audi Crooks (37 factors) was capable of do towards Syracuse, the Orange will want higher protection towards Strong and the Huskies. — Voepel
How the Huskies can advance to the Sweet 16: UConn has superior to a minimum of the regional semifinals each season since 1993, once they fell within the first round. So the Huskies are closely favored to maneuver on to Fort Worth, however there are some issues they are going to wish to do higher than they did within the first round. That consists of 3-point taking pictures — the Huskies have been 7-of-33 (21%) from behind the arc towards UTSA — and avoiding the foul bother that restricted the minutes for Azzi Fudd and K. K. Arnold on Saturday. — Michael Voepel
7 p.m. ET, ESPN2
How the Illini can advance to the Sweet 16: The Illini have made it to the regional semifinals simply twice: in 1997 and 1998 underneath coach Theresa Grentz. To do it once more, they should beat Vanderbilt on their residence courtroom, one thing no group has performed this season. The Commodores are 17-0 at Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, together with Saturday’s 102-61 victory over High Point. Illinois should attempt to decelerate Vandy star Mikayla Blakesthe main scorer in Division I this season, who had 30 factors within the opening round. — Michael Voepel
How the Commodores can advance to the Sweet 16: The Commodores are headed to the round of 32 for the primary time since 2013, the place they bumped into then-No. 1-seeded UConn. This yr, they are going to face Illinois — with an opportunity to advance to their first Sweet 16 since 2009. After falling to Ole Miss within the first round of the SEC event a couple of weeks in the past, the Commodores imagine they’ve much more in them than what they confirmed. Blakes, who trailed solely UConn’s Sarah Strong in ESPN’s national player of the year debateleads the nation in scoring this season (27.1 PPG). — Kendra Andrews
8 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Trojans can advance to the Sweet 16: The Trojans have one of many hardest exams within the bracket forward of them — and have already misplaced eleven this season to the Gamecocks. South Carolina beat USC 69-52 in LA on Nov. 15. That was simply 12 days into the season, but USC — taking part in with out reigning participant of the yr JuJu Watkins — briefly led within the second quarter as South Carolina struggled to hit photographs. After the break, the Gamecocks’ dimension and frontcourt took over as they outrebounded the Women of Troy 56-32. USC star freshman Jazzy Davidsonwho had eight factors (4-of-11 taking pictures), three assists and 4 turnovers in that recreation, has had a a lot larger affect because the season has progressed and leads USC in scoring at 18.0 PPG. — ESPN
How the Gamecocks can advance to the Sweet 16: This was a powerful method for the Gamecocks to start the NCAA event, however even a blowout win right here was only a needed step to the larger purpose of a nationwide championship. The 69-point margin within the first round was the most important in program historical past. If Dawn Staley has to search for one thing to deal with in movie periods, it may be 3-point taking pictures. South Carolina improved as the sport progressed, ending 8-of-28 from past the arc after beginning 1-of-13 within the first half, however that is still an space of enchancment for a group that ranked eighth within the nation at 37.1% throughout the season. — Charlie Creme
10 p.m. ET, ESPN
How the Cowgirls can advance to the Sweet 16: Oklahoma State was a well-rounded group this season, with 5 gamers averaging 10 or extra factors per recreation. According to ESPN Research, it was the one group within the Big 12 with 5 gamers averaging double-digit scoring. On Saturday towards Princeton, Oklahoma State got here near that quantity, with 4 gamers in double digits and eight factors for guard Stailee Heard. Oklahoma State misplaced within the first round of the event a yr in the past to South Dakota State, and that loss caught with the group. In her pre-tournament information convention, guard Micah Gray She mentioned she thought the group was “hungry” to get a win and get out of the primary round. Oklahoma State achieved that on Saturday and can face UCLA on Monday. –Sarah Barshop
How the Bruins can advance to the Sweet 16: Despite a 53-point first-round win, UCLA allowed 34 factors within the first half, probably the most the group had allowed in a primary half since Jan. 18 towards Maryland. The Bruins will wish to compete towards Oklahoma State extra like they did within the second half, once they held California Baptist to 9 factors. The largest discrepancy between the groups confirmed up on the glass. In the common season, UCLA averaged 15.6 second-chance factors per recreation. On Saturday towards California Baptist, it had 17 second-chance factors within the first half. The Bruins used their dimension benefit over the Lancers to outrebound CBU 62-21. — bar store
