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The 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament has reached the Sweet 16, and Friday night’s slate features a high-stakes quadruple-header. With two regions taking center stage in Fort Worth and Sacramento, the matchups offer a mix of dominant No. 1 seeds and dangerous underdogs.
Here is your preview of the Friday, March 27, Sweet 16 games.
Fort Worth 1 Regional
Location: Dickies Arena | Fort Worth, TX
No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 2 Vanderbilt
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Time: 2:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
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The Vibe: A clash between a storied powerhouse and a program enjoying a historic resurgence.
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The Matchup: Vanderbilt is making its first Sweet 16 appearance in 17 years, led by sophomore superstar Mikayla Blakes, who leads the nation in scoring (27.1 PPG). They face a battle-tested Notre Dame squad that just upset No. 3 Ohio State on the road. The Irish rely on junior sensation Hannah Hidalgo, setting up a premier guard duel that could decide the game.
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Key Factor: Can Vanderbilt’s defense contain Hidalgo, or will the Irish’s tournament experience (their 5th straight Sweet 16) overwhelm the Commodores?
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 North Carolina
- Time: 5:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- The Vibe: The gold standard vs. a hungry ACC challenger.
- The Matchup: The Huskies entered the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed and have looked the part, dismantling Syracuse by 53 points in the second round. North Carolina, however, has the size and athleticism to disrupt UConn’s rhythm. The Tar Heels will need a career-best performance to keep pace with the Huskies’ elite offensive efficiency.
- Key Factor: Firepower. UConn has too many ways to score; UNC must turn this into a physical, low-scoring grind to pull the upset.
Sacramento 2 Regional
Location: Golden 1 Center | Sacramento, CA
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Minnesota
- Time: 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- The Vibe: A Big Ten rematch with “David vs. Goliath” energy.
- The Matchup: UCLA dominated the Big Ten all season, finishing 33-1 behind All-American center Lauren Betts (6’7″). Minnesota is the feel-good story of the bracket, reaching their first Sweet 16 since 2005 after a buzzer-beating win over Ole Miss. The Gophers lost to UCLA by 18 in January, so they’ll need to find an answer for Betts’ interior presence.
- Key Factor: The Paint. If Betts is allowed to establish deep post position, it’s a long night for the Gophers. Minnesota needs to hit high-volume threes to stay competitive.
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 2 LSU
- Time: 10:00 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- The Vibe: A heavyweight rematch of a December thriller.
- The Matchup: LSU beat Duke 93-77 earlier this season, but both teams have evolved into defensive juggernauts since then. LSU is coming off a 101-47 demolition of Texas Tech, led by Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams. Duke, meanwhile, is a defensive nightmare, recently holding Baylor to just 46 points.
- Key Factor: Pace. LSU wants to run and score 90+; Duke wants to lock the gates and keep the score in the 60s.
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