Which teams make it out of the first weekend? Which ones advance to the Final Four, and who will win it all?
The field of 68 is set, we know which teams will play in the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and which region of the Big Dance they will be playing in. What you might need some help with still, though, is knowing just who these teams are.
Here is one key thing to know about all 68 teams, from the ones facing off in the First Four to the mid-major conference champions to the top-line seeds that dominate college basketball.
Alabama: The Crimson Tide use their size to average 4.67 blocks per game — nine of the players to pick up minutes this year are at least six feet tall, and five of those players are 6-foot-3 and up. Senior guard Jessica Timmons led the way in a breakout campaign with 16.4 points.
Arizona State: The Sun Devils are another top-25 Big 12 defense that struggles to score, especially from beyond the arc — if they can keep opponents from hitting 3s, they can be dangerous.
Baylor: Like so many Big 12 teams, Baylor’s defense is its strength. The Bears rank 14th in the nation in defensive rating (72.87 points allowed per 100 possessions), with senior guard Bella Fontleroy the standout defender: She’s sixth in the Big 12 in defensive rating and second in Defensive Plus/Minus.
California Baptist: The Lancers have five players averaging between 10.0 and 15.1 points per game, but they might find it tougher to score against tournament competition — California Baptist’s adjusted offensive rating ranks 118th.
The Big 12 was all about big defense in 2025-2026. (Photo by Carolina Escobedo/Baylor Athletics)
Clemson: In her second year with Clemson, senior guard Mia Moore saw significant boosts to scoring and assists and a rebound to her shooting percentage. The Tigers will need her at her best.
Charleston: Junior guards — and twins — Taryn Barbot and Taylor Barbot are the heart of the offense: Taryn averaged 19.5 points with 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists, while Taylor is at 11.2, 4.1 and a 6.0.
Colorado: The Buffaloes cannot get into a battle from deep and come out ahead — Colorado ranked 337th in made 3-pointers. It was 25th in defensive rating, however, so it hasn’t had that problem much.
Colorado State: A trio of guards, 5-foot-9 and under, powers the Rams: Lexus Bargesser, Brooke Carlson and Kloe Froebe are all double-digit scorers who pick up rebounds and drop dimes.
Duke: The Blue Devils found their footing in conference play, going 16-2 in a tough ACC while finishing seventh in the nation in College Basketball Reference’s adjusted Net Rating.
Fairfield: No one in D-I sank more 3-pointers than the Stags, which tore through the MAAC with 364 treys on 37% shooting. Juniors Kaety L’Amoreaux (17.6 points) and Meghan Andersen (16.0) are the heart of the offense.
Fairleigh Dickinson: FDU sophomore guard is second on the team in points per game at 12.1, behind another sophomore guard, Ava Renninger (12.7). McDonald, though, tied for fifth in D-I with 96 3-pointers.
Georgia: What the Lady Bulldogs lack in depth they make up for by being top-heavy: Forward Mia Woolfolk scores 13.4 per game, while guards Trinity Turner (11.1), Rylie Theuerkauf (11.5) and Dani Carnegie (18.1 points) power the entire offensive attack. And well, too: Georgia is 33rd in offensive rating.
Gonzaga: Freshman forward Lauren Whittaker is a game-changing monster, averaging a double-double for the season (19.4 points and 10.2 rebounds) while leading the West Coast Conference in FG% (55.3%), 2P% (60.2%) and effective FG% (59.2%).
Freshman Lauren Whittaker was a force to be reckoned with in WCC play. (Photo by Oliver McKenna/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Green Bay: The Phoenix have posted a winning season in 47-straight campaigns, behind only Tennessee; junior forward-center Jenna Guyer (15.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, fourth in Horizon in PER) is the primary driver of that streak in the present.
High Point: Junior forward Macy Spencer led the Big South with 18.4 points per game, and she’s tied for fifth in D-I with 96 3-pointers this season.
Holy Cross: Just one Holy Cross player managed double-digit scoring this year — senior forward Meg Calahan, at 15.3 points. The Crusaders are another tourney team with a negative Net Rating.
Howard: Senior forward Zennia Thomas led the MEAC with 15.2 points per game and 8.0 rebounds; even with her around, the Bison have a negative Net Rating (-3.24).
Idaho: The Vandals are dancing for the first time since 2019; they are 25th in points per game, and third among tourney teams in rebounds per game (46.9).
Illinois: The Fighting Illini do a lot right, but rebounds are a problem — they are in the bottom-110 teams in rebounds per game, but luckily are also 26th in shooting percentage as a team.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes were routed by UCLA, sure, but the trio of sophomore center Ava Heiden, senior forward Hannah Stuelke and sophomore guard Chazadi Wright — 43.1 points, 18.7 rebounds and 9.0 assists combined per game — make them dangerous against anyone on the right night.
Iowa State: Losing Addy Brown caused the Cyclones to collapse for an extended period, but the junior forward is back — she’s a triple-threat that opens up the floor for junior guard Jada Williams, pulls down rebounds and feeds one of the best scorers in the nation, Audi Crooks, in the paint.
Jacksonville: Only one team in this year’s field relies more on free throws than the Dolphins, which average 18.8 on 25.8 trips to the stripe per game.
JMU: Seniors Peyton McDaniel and Ashanti Barnes-Williams are a dangerous duo. Both 6-footers, McDaniel averages 18.9 points and 7.5 rebounds, while Barnes-Williams is at 14.9 points and 9.1 boards.
Kentucky: Junior center Clara Strack is a star. She’s 6-foot-5 and averaging 17.1 points per game and 10.0 rebounds for a double-double, and over the last month of the season (11 games), she bumped that to 20.3 points.
Clara Strack turned it on during the last month of the season. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
LSU: The Lady Tigers were one of two teams to score more than 3,000 points this season, and first in the country. At the start, it was from beating up on Quad 4 teams, but LSU more than proved itself in SEC play.
Louisville: The Cardinals were overshadowed by elite teams and sharing the ACC with Duke, but Louisville still finished 10th in Net Rating with the eighth-ranked offensive rating. While there is no single elite scorer, the Cardinals boast depth with seven players with between 8.3 and 11.4 points per game.
Maryland: The Terps are one of the better rebounding teams in the tournament, and rank 12th in the nation in offensive boards. It’s not because Maryland is constantly missing, either: the Terrapins are 25th in FG%, but attack for second-chance points, anyway.
Miami (Ohio): The RedHawks are led by their defense, which ranks 62nd in defensive rating at 84.12 points per 100 possessions. Junior forward Amber Tretter leads with 14.5 points per game and 8.2 rebounds.
Michigan: Michigan plays hard and elevates its games against its toughest opponents, like UCLA and UConn. The Wolverines also tend to lose control of the ball and go ice cold beyond the arc too regularly, but its collection of talented sophomores makes it a tough out.
Michigan State: The Spartans have a dangerous offense, led by senior forward Grace VanSlooten and sophomore guard Kennedy Blair. VanSlooten is 6-foot-3, so 6.6 rebounds and 15.0 points doesn’t surprise, but Blair is just 5-9 and leads the team with 7.1 boards per game, with 14.4 points and 5.4 assists, too.
Minnesota: The Golden Gophers have looked like a different team since consecutive losses to UCLA and then-ranked Washington. Minnesota went 10-2 over its last 12, scoring Ws against a number of tourney teams and ending up in the top 16 in seeds.
Missouri State: Kaemyn Bekemeier took the leap this year — the junior guard added nearly six points per game, to a Conference USA-leading 17.4, and added 2.5 more rebounds (8.2) as well.
Murray State: The Racers have the 45th-best adjusted offensive rating, and junior guard Halli Poock is at its center. While just 5-foot-4, Poock averaged 22.1 points per game — just outside the D-I top 10 — and set the Missouri Valley record for total points in a season.
NC State: Junior forward Khamil Pierre ranks fourth in D-I with 12 rebounds per game, powering the Wolfpack to sixth in the nation as a team and top-five among tourney teams.
Nebraska: The Huskers scored 117.05 points per 100 possessions, good for the 11th-best adjusted Offensive Rating in the nation. Sophomore guard Britt Prince is the star, with 17.4 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Notre Dame: With Olivia Miles transferring to TCU and three other players moving on to the WNBA, the Fighting Irish became junior guard Hannah Hidalgo’s, and she responded with 25.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, 5.3 assists and a league-leading 5.4 steals per game.
Hannah Hidalgo helped turn Notre Dame around after a tough mid-season slump. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Ohio State: Sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge reached that next level in 2025-2026, scoring 22.8 points per game (seventh in D-I) with 5.6 rebounds and 4.6 assists. Sophomore center Elsa Lemmila turned up her game in mid-January, averaging 11.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 2.6 blocks over her final 16 games.
Oklahoma: Senior forward Raegan Beers is 6-foot-2 and a menace in the paint, averaging a double-double with 15.7 points and 10.4 rebounds. It’s freshman guard Aaliyah Chavez that elevates the Sooners, however, with 18.4 points, 4.2 assists and D-I-best 93.9% on free throws.
Oklahoma State: The Cowgirls had the second-best offense in the Big 12, scoring 116.19 points per 100 possessions, thanks to a level of scoring depth that most of the rest of the conference just can’t lean on.
Ole Miss: Senior forward Cotie McMahon transferred from Ohio State to the Rebels for this season, and had her best-ever season: a team-leading and career-high 19.9 points with 5.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
Oregon: The Ducks had a better season than their record suggests — the Big Ten is just that tough. Oregon finished the conference season 24th in NET, and was hovering around there all season long despite never appearing in the poll.
Princeton: The Tigers are more than “just” the team that came out of the Ivy, as they are 51st in adjusted Net Rating, at +22.69. Five players averaged at least 10.0 points per game, led by senior guard Madison St. Rose (15.7).
Rhode Island: The Rams lack a dominant scorer or rebounder, but instead have six players averaging between 7.7 and 12.5 points, four between 5.3 and 7.0 rebounds (and three with 2.4 to 3.6 assists).
Richmond: The Spiders have a potential WNBA player in senior forward Maggie Doogan, who scored 21 points with 7.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists this year, and Richmond is here thanks to a 3-heavy offense: Only Fairfield made more 3s per game than the Spiders, but both shot 37% from deep.
Richmond is in a mid-major hiding a potential WNBA player in Maggie Doogan. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
Samford: The Bulldogs can hit from deep. Samford is 32nd in made 3s and 26th in attempts. The Bulldogs love to let it fly, especially sophomore guard Briana Rivera, who hit a Division I-leading 109 3s.
SFA: The Ladyjacks pulled now-senior guard Harmanie Dominguez out of a lower division last season, and this year were rewarded with 97 3-pointers, the third-most in D-I.
South Carolina: Just UConn and UCLA have higher Net Rating than the Gamecocks’ 62.28 — this is a terrifying basketball team with three likely first-round WNBA picks in its starting lineup: Ta’Niya Latson, Raven Johnson and Madina Okot.
South Dakota State: The Jackrabbits’ offense is legit, with the 37th-best adjusted Offensive Rating (108.56 points per 100 possessions). Senior forward Brooklyn Meyer deserves credit for that, with 22.4 points, 8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game — she ranks second among tourney players in PER.
Southern: No Jaguars averaged double-digit scoring this season, but sophomore forward Demya Porter got the closest with 9.7 points per game, as well as 5.1 rebounds.
Syracuse: If the Orange get to keep on dancing, it will be because of their defense: they are 36th in Defensive Rating, but their best scorers can hurt you, too: freshman center Uche Izoje nearly averaged a double-double with 15.5 points and 9.4 rebounds.
TCU: TCU’s defense is usually the game, but fifth-year guard Olivia Miles is a threat for a triple-double at any time. She ranks third in D-I women’s history overall, and has five alone in 2025-2026.
Tennessee: Tennessee fell apart down the stretch and was one-and-done in the SEC tournament, but Talaysia Cooper and Janiah Barker are dangerous enough to reverse that trend in March, especially with the Lady Vols getting a break to reset.
Texas: The Longhorns are known for their defense (second in Defensive Rating), but Texas is also fifth in Offensive Rating. The problem is if it falls behind early, as the Longhorns are 327th in made 3-pointers per game.
Texas Tech: This is a defense-first team, to the point that four of the Big 12’s top-20 in Defensive Rating play for the Lady Raiders. Junior forward Jalynn Bristow is the conference leader at 77.5.
UCLA: The Bruins played in 20 Quad 1 games this year, and went 19-1; that loss came way back in November against Texas. They might have four starters selected in the first round of the 2026 WNBA Draft for a reason.
UCLA did not lose to a Big Ten team in the regular season or conference tournament. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
UC San Diego: Junior forward Erin Condron led the Tritons in points (15.7 per game) and rebounds (8.6), and her 53.6% shooting percentage topped the Big West.
UConn: Sophomore forward Sarah Strong led the Big East in steals (3.4) and shooting percentage (60.1%) while averaging 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.6 blocks. She’s first in D-I in PER.
UNC: North Carolina’s offense is a good one, but the defense is the star — the Tar Heels rank 15th in defensive rating. In addition to scoring 10.3 points per game, senior guard Indya Nivar led the ACC in defensive rating (77.9).
USC: No JuJu Watkins means the Trojans aren’t a top seed, but they still made it out of a tough Big Ten thanks to freshman guard Jazzy Davidson complementing a still-strong core of veterans. Davidson led USC in points, rebounds and assists.
UTSA: The Roadrunners’ defense got them to The Big Dance: It’s 59th in adjusted defensive rating, at 83.11 points per 100 possessions.
Vanderbilt: If the Commodores hit hard and early, as they did against Texas and Michigan, they are tough to beat. Sophomore guard Mikayla Blakes led the nation in scoring, but don’t sleep on freshman guard Aubrey Galvan: 13.1 points and 5.9 assists per game to feed Blakes & Co.
Villanova: The Big East was down this year, outside of two teams: UConn, and a 3-point-heavy Villanova squad led by sophomore guard Jasmine Bascoe — 18.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Virginia: A top-30 offense wasn’t enough to escape a First Four slot, but junior guard Kymora Johnson is dangerous enough to bring the Cavaliers beyond that initial game. She led the ACC in assists per game (5.9) and averaged 19 points per game.
Virginia Tech: The Hokies had a quiet, high-quality season, but a tough ACC hid some of that. Virginia Tech ranked 28th in Defensive Rating, and finished 41st in rebounds per game.
Mikayla Blakes has turned Vanderbilt into a serious threat in the SEC and nationally. (Photo by Bryan Lynn/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Vermont: Senior center Nikola Priede is the Catamounts’ leading scorer (17.7), rebounder (7.7) and blocker (1.5), and shooting just under 60% overall.
Washington: The Huskies are a balanced squad, about equal in offensive and defensive results, but were overshadowed by other Big Ten squads. Junior guard Sayvia Sellers is their star: 18.5 points and an effective FG% of 56.3%.
Western Illinois: Senior combo forward-guard Mia Nicastro is one of the best players representing the mid-majors, as she’s ahead of the likes of Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes and UCLA’s Lauren Betts in PER (38.0), is fourth in D-I in scoring (24.2) and pulled down 9.9 rebounds per game.
West Virginia: The Mountaineers rank 11th in defensive rating (71.30 points per 100 possessions), and despite having five six-footers — and seven players standing at least 5-foot-10 — managed that while ranking 306th in blocks per game.
