How USC-Oklahoma and other NCAA Sweet 16 women’s basketball matchups could fare
March Madness has reached its halfway point.
Dawn Staley and the South Carolina women’s basketball team are on their way to the Sweet 16 after beating Southern Cal Monday night. The Gamecocks and seven other teams now travel to Sacramento, California for the next two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The other eight teams that advanced will play the next two rounds in Fort Worth, Texas.
Here’s a look at each regional, starting with South Carolina’s corner of the bracket in Sacramento:
Regional 4 – Sacramento
No. 1 seed South Carolina vs No. 4 seed Oklahoma
The Gamecocks are looking for revenge in this year’s Sweet 16. One of South Carolina’s three losses this season was to Oklahoma back in January. The game was back and forth until Sooners freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez exploded for 15 points in overtime to give the Oklahoma a 94-82 upset win.
The Sooners are led by Chavez (18.3 ppg) and All-American center Raegan Beers. South Carolina has had luck defending Beers in previous matchups and will need to slow her down again if it wants to advance to the Elite Eight. The Gamecocks will need a big game from Madina Okot, whose lack of production against the Sooners in January (six points and four rebounds) played a pivotal role in the loss. If South Carolina can play like it did in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, it’ll be in good position to advance to the next round.
No. 3 seed TCU vs No. 10 seed Virginia
The Cavaliers are the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16 after knocking off No. 2 Iowa in the second round. This is Virginia’s first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2018 and just its second in the last 15 years. If Virginia wants to continue its unlikely run, it will have to get through players like TCU’s star guard Olivia Miles.
Miles, a three-time All-American, lifted TCU to the Sweet 16 with an overtime win over Washington in the second round. The graduate student finished with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Beating TCU will be a tall task for Virginia, but never say never when it comes to March Madness.
Regional 1 – Forth Worth
No. 1 seed UConn vs No. 4 seed North Carolina
UConn is coming off a dominant 98-45 win over No. 9 seed Syracuse in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. To no one’s surprise, Geno Auriemma’s Huskies’ are firing on all cylinders and looking like the team to beat.
While the Huskies are 27.5-point favorites to win over North Carolina, don’t count the Tar Heels out. UNC is coming off a tough win over No. 5 seed Maryland in the second round and will be the first opponent ranked in the NET’s Top 20 that UConn has faced since December.
No. 6 seed Notre Dame vs No. 2 Vanderbilt
Notre Dame isn’t your conventional Cinderella, a title typically reserved for double-digit seeds or mid-major programs, but the Fighting Irish have a shot at playing spoiler in the Sweet 16.
Notre Dame, led by All-American point guard Hannah Hidalgo, already upset No. 3 Ohio State and has a shot at upsetting No. 2 seed Vanderbilt. A win over the Commodores would send Notre Dame to the Elite Eight for the first time since 2019 and spoil one of the best seasons of the last decade for Vanderbilt. That being said, Vanderbilt star Mikayla Blakes can shoot the lights out of the ball and can absolutely lead the Commodores to the Elite Eight.
Regional 2 – Sacramento
No. 1 seed UCLA vs No. 4 seed Minnesota
The Bruins have rolled past their first two opponents in the NCAA Tournament and are expected to do so again in the Sweet 16. UCLA has already beaten Minnesota once this season, a 76-58 win on the road in January, thanks to a 25-point performance from Kiki Rice.
Minnesota enters the Sweet 16 after narrowly avoiding an upset in the second round. The Gophers, led by 17 points from Mara Braun, beat No. 5 seed Ole Miss 65-63 to advance to the Sweet 16.
No. 3 seed Duke vs No. 2 seed LSU
This matchup is arguably one of the most anticipated games of the tournament so far.
Duke lost six of its first nine games this season, including dropping a 93-77 game at home to LSU in December. After that loss, Duke won 17 straight games and steadily began to look like one of the top teams in the country. The Blue Devils will need big performances from players like Toby Fournier and Ashlon Jackson if they want to upset LSU. It will be a tall task, as LSU’s offense is hitting on all cylinders right now. Kim Mulkey’s Tigers have breezed through the tournament so far, and scored 100-plus points in the first and second rounds.
Regional 3 – Fort Worth
No. 1 seed Texas vs No. 5 seed Kentucky
The second of the Sweet 16’s SEC rematches will take place in Fort Worth. The Longhorns got the better of Kentucky when the two teams played in February. Texas won the game 64-53 after a 17-point game from Justice Carlton.
Texas will no doubt rely on its All-American forward Madison Booker to lead the way in the rematch. Booker scored a career-high 40 points in Texas’ second round win over No. 8 seed Oregon. Kentucky will still be a tough match for the Longhorns. The Wildcats upset No. 4 seed West Virginia in the second round and All-SEC center Clara Strack can be a nightmare to guard when she’s playing her best.
No. 3 seed Louisville vs No. 2 seed Michigan
Much like the 3 vs. 2 seed matchup in Sacramento Regional 2, Louisville and Michigan’s game should be must-see TV. Michigan beat its first two NCAA Tournament opponents by an average of 32 points. Meanwhile, Louisville is coming off a close one-point victory over No. 6 seed Louisville in the second round.
Michigan’s one-two punch of sophomores Olivia Olson and Syla Swords (who combine for 34 points per game) has been lethal on offense this season. Louisville will need to slow down one, if not both, of those Wolverine players in order to win. The Cardinals will also need a big showing from All-ACC First Teamer Laura Ziegler and the ACC’s Sixth Woman of the Year, Imari Berry.
Sweet 16 Schedule, Betting Odds
Here’s a quick look at the Sweet 16 schedule. Monday’s betting lines from ESPN are in parentheses.
Friday, March 27
- No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Vanderbilt (-5.5) at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN
- No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 1 UConn (-27.5) at 5 p.m. on ESPN
- No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 1 UCLA (-19.5) at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
- No. 3 Duke vs. No. 2 LSU (-8.5) at 10 p.m. on ESPN
Saturday, March 28
- No. 3 Louisville vs No. 2 Michigan (-4.5) at 12:30 p.m. on ABC
- No. 5 Kentucky vs No. 1 Texas (-15.5) at 3 p.m. on ABC
- No. 4 Oklahoma vs No. 1 South Carolina (-18.5) at 5 p.m. on ESPN
- No. 10 Virginia vs No. 3 TCU (-9.5) at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
This story was originally published March 24, 2026 at 12:43 PM.
