First look at South Carolina vs. UConn, UCLA vs. Texas in 2026 Final Four
Rejoice, basketball fans. The Final Four is here.
The NCAA Women’s Tournament has its finalists in UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina.
It’s the first time since 2018 that all teams in the women’s Final Four are No. 1 seeds. The four teams in this year’s Final Four also are the exact same ones as last year’s.
Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks are in the Final Four for the sixth straight year. UConn is making its third consecutive apperance. Texas and UCLA are both making their second straight Final Four appearances.
South Carolina and UConn will play in the first Final Four game on Friday. The winner of that matchup will face the winner of the second Final Four matchup between UCLA and Texas on Sunday afternoon in the 2026 National Championship game.
Here’s a quick preview of the Final Four matchups.
South Carolina vs. UConn
This year’s Final Four will start with a rematch of last year’s national championship game. UConn got the best of South Carolina last year, beating the Gamecocks in the regular season and 89-52 in the 2025 national championship. While both teams have lost a star or two from last season, they’re both still championship-caliber teams.
The Huskies are the No. 1 overall seed this season and come into the matchup 38-0. UConn is led, like last year, by two stars in forward Sarah Strong and guard Azzi Fudd. Both Strong and Fudd were named to the AP All-America First Team this season and are finalists for the Naismith National Player of the Year. Strong averages 18.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while Fudd averages 17.5 points per game.
UConn breezed through the first two rounds of the tournament with big wins over No. 16 seed UTSA and No. 9 seed Syracuse. The Huskies’ Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games — vs. North Carolina and Notre Dame, respectively — were close to start before UConn eventually pulled away and won by double-digits.
South Carolina is in its sixth-straight Final Four after beating No. 3 seed TCU in the Elite Eight. The Gamecocks were in a close matchup for the first three quarters of the game before pulling away in the fourth quarter and winning, 78-52.
South Carolina has outscored opponents by 161 points in the NCAA tournament, largest point differential by a Southeastern Conference team in SEC history.
USC had three players land on the Sacramento Region 4 All-Regional team in MVP Raven Johnson, Joyce Edwards and Agot Makeer. Those three Gamecocks have been lights out in the NCAA Tournament.
Makeer is coming off a career-high 18 points vs. TCU and has become an X-Factor off the bench for South Carolina. Meanwhile, Johnson and Edwards have been consistent on both sides of the ball in the starting lineup for the Gamecocks.
While South Carolina was shellacked last season, you can make the argument this year’s squad matches up better with UConn. The Huskies are favored by 6.5-points, their smallest margin of the tournament thus far.
UCLA vs. Texas
UCLA enters the Final Four with a 35-1 record.
Who is that one loss to? Texas.
The Longhorns beat the Bruins 76-65 In November during the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas. Since that loss, both teams went on to win their respective conference tournament titles and clinch No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament.
UCLA made it to the Final Four after wins over No. 16 seed Cal Baptist, No. 8 seed Oklahoma State, No. 4 seed Minnesota and No. 3 seed Duke. The Bruins are a veteran team, with all six of its top scorers being seniors.
UCLA is led by Naismith Player of the Year candidate Lauren Betts. The 6-foot-7 forward is averaging 17.2 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Gabriela Jaquez make up the rest of UCLA’s “Big 4” and average over 12 points per game.
Texas has looked like one of the most dominant teams in basketball this month. The Longhorns have won each of their four NCAA Tournament games by an average of 34 points. Texas advanced to their second-straight Final Four by beating No. 2 seed Michigan, 77-41.
The Longhorns are led by AP All-American Madison Booker. The 6-foot-1 forward is averaging a career-high 19.3 points per game this season. Point guard Rori Harmon is a formidable foe on both sides of the ball and Texas’ roster is rounded out by talented players like Kyla Oldacre, Jordan Lee and Justice Carlton.
2026 Women’s Final Four TV schedule
All times Eastern
- South Carolina vs UConn: Friday, April 3 at 7 p.m. on ESPN
- Texas vs UCLA: Friday, April 3 at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN
- National championship game: Sunday, April 5 at 3:30 p.m. on ABC
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 1:30 PM.
