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Women's Final Four predictions. Experts pick tournament champ in Phoenix
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- Women's Final Four predictions. Experts pick tournament champ in Phoenix
The 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament is nearly over, but there are four teams left standing.
Starpower will reign supreme in Phoenix as all teams in the Women's Final Four are No. 1 seeds. The four teams defeated their opponents by double digits in all of the Elite Eight matchups.
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With all four teams returning from last year's Final Four, will there be a different outcome than UConn winning it all?
The Huskies have looked sharp throughout the tournament, staying undefeated and not breaking much of a sweat until the Elite Eight against Notre Dame.
But UConn isn't the only powerhouse in the mix.
UCLA 's impressive now-senior class has made it to the Women's Final Four in back-to-back seasons and has a shot to win its first national championship.
Texas ' experience and toughness helped the Longhorns put together a dominant effort against a talented but young Michigan team.
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And South Carolina continues its residency in the Final Four, reaching the stage for the sixth consecutive season. The Gamecocks led TCU by eight points after the third quarter of their regional final Monday, March 30, but crushed the Aggies by 19 in the fourth quarter.
What do we think will happen in the Final Four? Will South Carolina get revenge in its national championship rematch against UConn?
Let's take a look at who our Arizona Republic panel is picking below:
KK Arnold puts a cowboy hat on Geno Auriemma as UConn celebrated its Final Four bid.
NCAA Women's March Madness Final Four: UConn vs. South Carolina
4 p.m. Friday | ESPN
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Jenna Ortiz: UConn
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José M. Romero:UConn
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Bob McManaman:UConn
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Jeremy Cluff:UConn
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Dana Scott:UConn
NCAA Women's March Madness Final Four: UCLA vs. Texas
6:30 p.m. Friday | ESPN
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Jenna Ortiz: Texas
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José M. Romero: UCLA
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Bob McManaman:Texas
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Jeremy Cluff:UCLA
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Dana Scott:Texas
National championship prediction
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Jenna Ortiz: UConn. The Huskies have made quick work of most of their opponents this season, with just one single-digit win in a sea of blowouts. However, the 38-0 record didn't come without struggle as UConn was tested in the Elite Eight against Hannah Hidalgo and a relentless Notre Dame team, along with a three-point win against Michigan earlier in the season. Head coach Geno Auriemma has a knack for finding not just the best talent, but the right people for his juggernaut teams. It's not an easy feat because other teams have tried, but can't seem to find the formula for sustained success.
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José M. Romero:UCLA. The Big Ten champion Bruins (35-1) rolled through conference play and the conference tournament, have won 29 straight games and haven't really been challenged in four NCAA Tournament games. This is head coach Cori Close's best team in her tenure, even though last season's team made the Final Four. Should the Bruins face UConn in the championship game, they will have a score to settle after being knocked out of last year's tournament by the Huskies. UCLA's only loss this season was to Texas on a neutral court, giving the team incentive to avenge that loss on a big stage.
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Jeremy Cluff:UConn. The UConn Huskies women's basketball team has had six undefeated seasons in its history. Get ready for a seventh. This team, currently 38-0, will beat South Carolina in the Final Four and then UCLA in the championship game to finish 40-0 to top off a dominant season, the Huskies' first undefeated season since 2015-16.
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Dana Scott:It will be a UConn-Texas national championship, in which the Huskies will add No. 13 to their NCAA record number of titles. Texas has star power in its core trio of Madison Booker , Rori Harmon and Jordan Lee to match UConn's Azzi Fudd , Sarah Strong and Blanca Quinonez. This will be a defensive game as UConn and Texas rank first and second in the nation for opponent points per 100 possessions allowed, respectively, per HerHoopsStats. But the Huskies' dominant full-court pressure will be too much.
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Bob McManaman:Texas might be playing the basketball at the moment, but undefeated UConn, making its 25thFinal Four appearance in the Women's NCAA Tournament, feels like the logical choice to win it all in Phoenix. Coach Geno Auriemma and his program are gunning for a 13thNCAA championship and although the Huskies haven't been destroying teams like they did in their 53-point blowout of Syracuse in the second round, they are still dangerously dominating. When UConn is playing fast and is completely on its game, it's an unstoppable force. It will be interesting to see how things develop with yet another national title a mere two wins away, especially if the Huskies have to get past a scrappy defensive team like Texas to capture back-to-back championships.
Joyce Edwards (8) of the South Carolina Gamecocks cuts down the net after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs 78-52 in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 30, 2026 in Sacramento, Calif.
Most intriguing player to watch
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Jenna Ortiz:Rori Harmon. The Final Four will host some of the best playmakers in the NCAA, but Harmon stands out for her abilities. The Longhorns are one of the toughest teams because Harmon is the engine that keeps them going on both ends, while being the glue that holds them together. She's the program's all-time leader in career assists and steals, breaking a pair of 40-year-old school records. No matter the outcome, she will leave behind a legacy at Texas.
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José M. Romero: Lauren Betts . The UCLA center can score (24 points per game in the NCAA Tournament). She can rebound (almost 9 per game). And she can block shots and cause big problems on the defensive end. Aside from all of that dominance at 6 feet 7, Betts and her teammates have high-level dance moves. She's going to win one-on-one matchups in the post, and if double-teamed and somehow limited, her teammates have plenty of scoring and experience on the floor with Betts.
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Bob McManaman:As much influence and cache a player such as entertaining guard Azzi Fudd represents to UConn's ongoing success, the heart and soul of this basketball machine is 6-foot-2 sophomore forward Sarah Strong, who averaged 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4 assists, 3.4 steals and nearly two blocked shots per game during the regular season. Don't forget about the underrated Blanca Quinonez, who scored 20 points off the bench in the Huskies' Elite Eight victory over Notre Dame, but Strong is the finisher among a super-talented roster and figures to be the difference maker.
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Jeremy Cluff: Joyce Edwards . You can't write off South Carolina with Edwards on the team. She gives the Gamecocks a chance against anyone and continues to elevate her game. Edwards had 24 points and 12 rebounds in the win over TCU in the Elite Eight for South Carolina. What will she do against UConn?
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Dana Scott:UConn's Sarah Strong isn't the only super sophomore in this Final Four. Texas guard Jordan Lee's versatility is the key to Texas' balanced offensive attack, physical grit and stampeding pressure defense. She averaged the Longhorns' second-best 13.6 points per game on 43% shooting and 1.5 steals during the regular season. But she stepped up for big shots and put up 18.0 ppg on 57.7% shooting from the first round to the Sweet 16, helping lessen Madison Booker's scoring load.
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com , as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Predictions and top players for NCAA Women's March Madness
