Women’s March Madness 2026 watch guide: 16-game schedule for Friday’s round of 64
· Yahoo Sports
Day 1 of the NCAA Tournament is a rush to the senses, a four-paneled split-screen opening act. There’s nothing quite like elimination basketball, let alone 12+ hours of it.
The Friday slate introduces some splashy favorites, including the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns. We also meet the unsung chaos agents — for rising programs like South Dakota State, it’s time to shock the system and throw red across our brackets. Let’s see how it all plays out on one of live sports’ singular days.
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All times ET.
Women’s March Madness schedule for round of 64, Day 1
Date: Friday, March 20
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GameTimeTVStreamDuke vs. Charleston11:30 a.m.ESPN2Fubo (Watch Now)TCU vs. UC San DiegoNoonESPNFubo (Watch Now)Oregon vs. Virginia Tech1:30 p.m.ESPN2Fubo (Watch Now)Baylor vs. Nebraska2 p.m. ESPNFubo (Watch Now)Washington vs. South Dakota St.2:30 p.m. ESPNEWSFubo (Watch Now)Maryland vs. Murray St.3 p.m.ESPNUFubo (Watch Now)Ole Miss vs. Gonzaga3:30 p.m.ESPN2Fubo (Watch Now)Texas vs. Missouri St.4 p.m.ESPNFubo (Watch Now)Michigan vs. Holy Cross5:30 p.m.ESPN2Fubo (Watch Now)UNC vs. Western Illinois5:30 p.m.ESPNEWSFubo (Watch Now)LSU vs. Jacksonville6 p.m.ESPNFubo (Watch Now)Minnesota vs. Green Bay6 p.m.ESPNUFubo (Watch Now)Michigan St. vs. Colorado St.7:30 p.m.ESPNEWSFubo (Watch Now)NC State vs. Tennessee8 p.m. ESPNFubo (Watch Now)Texas Tech vs. Villanova8:30 p.m.ESPNUFubo (Watch Now)Oklahoma vs. Idaho10 p.m.ESPNFubo (Watch Now)All ESPN networks are available on ESPN Unlimited.
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 14 Charleston
Sacramento 2 Region
Toby Fournier is a force for the Blue Devils. The Canadian sophomore averages north of 17 points, eight rebounds and two blocks per game. Under coach Kara Lawson, Duke won the ACC’s regular-season and tournament titles. All-conference senior guards Ashlon Jackson and Taina Mair try to graduate with emphasis.
Charleston makes its dancing debut. The Cougars are led by twin sisters Taryn and Taylor Barbot.
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego
Sacramento 4 Region
TCU has truly maximized the transfer portal. Last season’s addition of Hailey Van Lith lifted the Horned Frogs to their first Elite Eight berth. This year’s fifth-year leader is Olivia Miles, two-way point guard with a deep playmaking bag. She averages 19.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game.
This is only the second year that UC San Diego has had postseason eligibility after reclassifying to Division I; the Tritons have made the NCAA Tournament both years. The Big West champs are trending up around program architect Heidi VanDerveer, sister of legendary coach Tara VanDerveer.
No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech
Fort Worth 3 Region
Katie Fiso took the leap for Oregon, a school known for developing star point guards. The sophomore Fiso averages more than 15 points and six dimes on high volume. Virginia Tech likes to muddy games around strident defense and inside action. Let’s see which style prevails.
No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska
Sacramento 2 Region
Baylor was ranked No. 12 in the Feb. 9 AP poll. From there, the Bears lost all three of their ranked matchups by double figures, then dropped their one and only game in the Big 12 tournament. The team still has a strong duo in Taliah Scott and Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, but there’s upset potential on Nebraska’s sideline.
The Cornhuskers dropped six straight games in February. The ledger is wiped clean for March Madness, though, and Nebraska comes in ranking 14th in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency, per Bart Torvik. The Huskers looked good in Wednesday’s First Four defeat of Richmond.
No. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota State
Sacramento 4 Region
So let there be rain. Washington has sophomore Avery Howell, who shoots 41.9 percent on 3s. South Dakota State counters with sophomore Emilee Fox, national 3-point shooting leader at a 47.7 percent clip. The Jackrabbits tout a well-balanced offense behind senior paint presence Brooklyn Meyer, but the Huskies have been tested by a far tougher strength of schedule.
No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray State
Fort Worth 1 Region
Brenda Frese knows how to win in March. Maryland’s head coach has held her position since 2002. Last year’s Terrapins made a Sweet 16 run and lost to formidable South Carolina by just four points. Junior Duke transfer Oluchi Okananwa adds extra punch to this season’s bid.
The Racers live up to their name with fast pace and gaudy point totals. Now to see if the offense can hang with power-conference pressure.
No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga
Sacramento 2 Region
Rebels senior Cotie McMahon can wear teams down in the paint or decelerate a game at the foul line. After three seasons at Ohio State, the 6-foot forward is averaging nearly 20 points per contest and has put herself on the WNBA radar.
For the Zags, Lauren Whittaker is just a freshman, but her versatility is remarkable — in the WCC tournament title game versus Oregon State, she finished with 26 points, nine boards, three assists, three made 3s and two steals.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri State
Fort Worth 3 Region
The region runs burnt orange. Texas is an overwhelming favorite after dominating a stacked SEC tournament. In the finale, the Longhorns shot 54 percent against South Carolina’s vaunted defense. They took just seven 3s and still racked up 78 points.
All-American Madison Booker thrives in the midrange, while senior Rori Harmon pesters along the perimeter and Jordan Lee spots up for buckets. Vic Schaefer coaches up top-10 rankings in offensive and defensive rating. Godspeed, Missouri State, which beat Stephen F. Austin in Wednesday’s First Four.
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross
Fort Worth 3 Region
Michigan’s sophomore trio of Olivia Olson, Mila Holloway and Syla Swords can hang with the best cores in the field. Olson has third-team All-American honors for her efficient scoring. Holloway tallies assists and makes space off the dribble. Swords stretches the court with her limitless range. Holy Cross allows just 56.8 points per game … but yeah, it probably needs a miracle.
No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois
Fort Worth 1 Region
UNC topped the ACC in 3-point efficiency during the regular season, and it plays aggressive defense under coach Courtney Banghart. Nyla Harris joined the Tar Heels from Louisville in the transfer portal. The senior big is surrounded by reliable shooters. For Western Illinois, senior Mia Nicastro is the nation’s fourth-leading scorer at 24.2 points per game.
No. 2 LSU vs. No. 15 Jacksonville
Sacramento 2 Region
The Tigers have the No. 1 scoring offense … and the best per-game average in Division I since the 1990-91 Providence Friars. They’re also second to mighty UConn in scoring differential. When fully locked in, LSU offers must-see hooping with unmatched swagger. Senior Flau’jae Johnson is the face of the collective, but MiLaysia Fulwiley and Mikaylah Williams are game-breaking stars on their own.
Jacksonville goes for its first NCAA Tournament win ever. Does coach Special Jennings have something special in the works?
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 13 Green Bay
Sacramento 2 Region
The Golden Gophers are in the tourney for the first time since 2018, cutting their teeth in a crowded Big Ten. Grace Grocholski can be a heat-checker off the looks generated by senior distributor Amaya Battle. The Horizon-winning Phoenix rally around senior stretch center Jenna Guyer.
Minnesota versus Green Bay sounds like a Lambeau Field classic, but it teases some upset potential on the hardwood.
No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado State
Sacramento 4 Region
Consistent senior Grace VanSlooten has put up between 15 and 15.5 points per game across her last three seasons, split between the Spartans and Oregon. She’s a great offensive rebounder and has nine stocks (steals + blocks) in her last two outings.
Colorado State comes in hot on a nine-game win streak. The Rams’ last NCAA Tournament W was in 2001, but maybe Ryun Williams’ side is due for disruption.
No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee
Fort Worth 3 Region
Wes Moore’s Wolfpack made a Sweet 16 run in 2025. Then they added two intriguing juniors — Khamil Pierre from Vanderbilt and Qadence Samuels from defending champ UConn. The team hasn’t quite jelled as expected, from ninth in the preseason AP poll to unranked since December.
The same can be said for Tennessee, the orange-colored blue blood with eight national titles (second to UConn). The Lady Vols have made every women’s NCAA Tournament; this is just their second time as a double-digit seed. Kim Caldwell’s crew has lost its last seven contests, but no one will wholly discount Tennessee in March.
No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 10 Villanova
Sacramento 2 Region
Texas Tech is a defense-first, defense-second kind of team. Villanova plays slow, small, effective offense. For the Red Raiders, junior Jalynn Bristow just led the Big 12 in blocks per game. For the Wildcats, sophomore Jasmine Bascoe finished the regular season as the Big East leader in points and assists per game. We’ve got a true style clash in Friday’s penultimate matchup.
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Idaho
Sacramento 4 Region
This iteration of Oklahoma puts the “soon” in Sooners, zipping through sets with quick pace. The buckets are layered. Breakout freshman Aaliyah Chavez is there as an outside option, while senior Raegan Beers is elite at the rim. The brisk pace does open the door for extra turnovers and momentum swings, which the Big Sky champions will try to manipulate.
Idaho has seven international players on its roster, representing countries from Brazil to Estonia. The Vandals have a chance to put the whole world on notice.
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