Overview
- The national semifinals air on ESPN from Phoenix’s Mortgage Matchup Center, with UConn vs. South Carolina at 7 p.m. ET Friday and Texas vs. UCLA at 9:30 p.m. ET.
- UConn enters unbeaten at 38-0 as the defending champion and betting favorite, with sportsbooks posting a spread of about 6.5 to 7.5 points over South Carolina.
- Sophomore Sarah Strong was named the 2026 Naismith Player of the Year on Wednesday after leading UConn with 18.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.4 steals and 1.6 blocks per game.
- South Carolina makes a sixth straight Final Four under Dawn Staley and counters with frontcourt standouts Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot after last season’s title-game loss to UConn.
- Texas is back for a second straight year under Vic Schaefer, facing a UCLA team seeking its first NCAA women’s championship in a rematch the Longhorns won in November.