Notre Dame Faces Tough Road in 2026 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament

The Fighting Irish will have to battle through several tough opponents to claim the ACC title.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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The ACC Women's Basketball Tournament bracket was released on Sunday, and Notre Dame won't have an easy path to the championship. The Fighting Irish received a first-round bye as the 5-seed, but they'll have to face tough opponents like Miami, Stanford, NC State, and potentially top-seeded Duke if they want to reclaim the ACC title they last won in 2024.

Why it matters

Notre Dame is looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after missing out on a double-bye in the ACC Tournament. The Fighting Irish will need to navigate a challenging bracket filled with several teams they've struggled against this season if they want to secure an automatic bid to the Big Dance.

The details

After their first-round bye, Notre Dame will face either Miami or Stanford in the second round. If they win that game, they'll likely face 4-seed NC State, a team the Fighting Irish upset earlier this season. Things get even tougher after that, as Notre Dame is in the top half of the bracket, meaning they could face 1-seed Duke, a team they struggled against in ACC play. If Duke were to be upset, Notre Dame would face either Virginia or Clemson, two other teams the Irish couldn't take down this year.

  • The ACC Women's Basketball Tournament bracket was released on Sunday, March 2, 2026.
  • The Fighting Irish won the ACC Tournament the last time they claimed the title in 2024.

The players

Hannah Hidalgo

The star guard for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's basketball team.

Duke

The 1-seed in the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament, a team the Fighting Irish struggled against earlier in the season.

NC State

The 4-seed in the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament, a team Notre Dame upset earlier this season.

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What’s next

The ACC Women's Basketball Tournament begins on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, with the championship game scheduled for Sunday, March 8, 2026.

The takeaway

Notre Dame faces a challenging path to the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament title, but the Fighting Irish's strong finish to the regular season has them confident they can navigate the tough bracket and secure an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.