NCAA Women’s Basketball Madness 2026: Shocking Upsets, Star Power, and Must-Watch Elite Eight Showdowns

The 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament delivered instant March Madness drama Monday as the second round tipped off. The headline shocker came from Charlottesville, where No. 10 seed Virginia stunned preseason darling No. 2 Iowa 83-75 in double overtime, erasing a nine-point deficit behind senior guard Kiara Johnson’s 31-point explosion. The Cavaliers, who survived the First Four just five days ago, now stand one win from the program’s first Sweet 16 since 1996. Louisville also punched a dramatic ticket, edging Alabama 69-68 when forward Nyla Harris banked in the go-ahead layup with 4.2 seconds left. The Cardinals will face either Michigan or Vanderbilt in Fort Worth on Friday. Blue-blood UConn continues to look untouchable. The undefeated Huskies throttled Syracuse 98-45, stretching their winning streak to 35 and securing a Sweet 16 date with North Carolina. Dawn Staley’s top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks take the floor tonight against upset-minded USC, while fellow No. 1 seeds UCLA (vs. Oklahoma State) and Texas (already into the Sweet 16 after a 100-58 rout of Oregon) aim to keep the chalk intact. Other movers: • Notre Dame’s balance overwhelmed Ohio State 83-73, setting up a potential SEC/ACC clash with Vanderbilt or Illinois. • Kentucky’s Maddie Scherr buried a step-back three with 12 seconds left to clip West Virginia 74-73 and earn a marquee showdown with No. 1 Texas. • TCU needed overtime again but outlasted Washington 62-59 to remain the bracket’s dark horse out West. Sweet 16 outlook (March 27-28): • Fort Worth: UConn – North Carolina | LSU – Duke • Sacramento: Minnesota – UCLA/Oklahoma St. | Notre Dame – Vanderbilt/Illinois • Phoenix path: Texas – Kentucky | TCU – Virginia | Michigan – Louisville | Oklahoma – South Carolina/USC With brackets already busting and blue bloods still flexing, this year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament is shaping up as the most unpredictable in recent memory. Keep refreshing those brackets—another upset may be only one buzzer-beater away.