Power Restored: South Carolina and Texas Complete the All-No. 1 Final Four

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The 2026 Women’s Final Four is officially an all-No. 1 seed affair. On Monday, March 30, South Carolina and Texas completed the bracket by securing decisive Elite Eight victories, joining UConn and UCLA in a collision of the sport’s most dominant programs in Phoenix.

Sacramento Region: (1) South Carolina 78, (3) TCU 52

For the first time in this tournament, the Gamecocks faced an early deficit, but their sheer depth eventually overwhelmed the Horned Frogs at the Golden 1 Center. South Carolina clinched its sixth consecutive Final Four appearance with a dominant fourth-quarter surge.

The Shift: TCU jumped out to an early 12–4 lead and held a 22–18 advantage in the second quarter. However, South Carolina closed the first half on a 17–5 run to take control.
The Breakout: Sophomore Joyce Edwards was spectacular, tying a program record with her 22nd 20-point game of the season. She finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks.
The Clincher: Leading by only eight entering the final frame, the Gamecocks exploded for a 29–11 fourth quarter. Freshman Agot Makeer provided a massive spark off the bench with a career-high 18 points.
Paint Presence: South Carolina’s physicality was the story, as they out-rebounded TCU 52–24 and turned 22 offensive boards into 21 second-chance points.

Fort Worth Region: (1) Texas 77, (2) Michigan 41

In a matchup of the region’s top two seeds, the Longhorns put on a defensive clinic at Dickies Arena, holding Michigan to the second-lowest shooting percentage in Elite Eight history (22.8%).

The Quick Start: Texas left no room for doubt, making 11 of their first 12 shots to build a 22–9 lead after the first quarter.
Harmon’s Vision: Fifth-year senior Rori Harmon was the engine of the offense, dishing out 13 assists to keep the Longhorns in rhythm even during a second-quarter shooting lull.
Booker’s Brilliance: All-American Madison Booker led the scoring with 19 points and 7 rebounds, while freshman Justice Carlton added 15 points in the rout.
Historic Defense: Texas led by as many as 40 points in the fourth quarter. The Longhorns’ length forced Michigan stars Olivia Olson and Syla Swords into a combined 5-of-28 shooting performance.

The Final Four Matchups (Friday, April 3)

The “Heavyweights” are headed to the Footprint Center in Phoenix for two of the most anticipated semifinals in years:

(1) South Carolina vs. (1) UConn — A rematch of the 2024 & 2025 National Championship games.
(1) Texas vs. (1) UCLA — A battle between the 35–3 Longhorns and the 35–1 Bruins.