March Madness Sweet 16: Women's NCAA Tournament Continues Saturday

Four matchups will determine the Elite 8 teams in the women's NCAA basketball tournament

Mar. 28, 2026 at 9:30am

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The 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament continues on Saturday with the Sweet 16 round. Four games will be played, with the winners advancing to the Elite 8. The matchups include (3) Louisville vs. (2) Michigan, (5) Kentucky vs. (1) Texas, (4) Oklahoma vs. (1) South Carolina, and (10) Virginia vs. (3) TCU.

Why it matters

The Sweet 16 round is a crucial step in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, as teams fight to keep their championship dreams alive. These games will showcase some of the top talent in the sport and determine which programs will advance to the Elite 8 and move one step closer to the national title.

The details

The four Sweet 16 games on Saturday will take place in Louisville, Kentucky. The action tips off at 12:30 p.m. Eastern with a matchup between the (3) Louisville Cardinals and the (2) Michigan Wolverines. This will be followed by (5) Kentucky vs. (1) Texas at 3:00 p.m., (4) Oklahoma vs. (1) South Carolina at 5:00 p.m., and (10) Virginia vs. (3) TCU at 7:30 p.m.

  • The Sweet 16 round of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament takes place on Saturday, March 28, 2026.

The players

Louisville Cardinals

The (3) seed in the tournament, the Louisville Cardinals are making their 10th Sweet 16 appearance in program history.

Michigan Wolverines

The (2) seed Michigan Wolverines are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2013 as they look to advance to the Elite 8.

Kentucky Wildcats

The (5) seed Kentucky Wildcats are making their 15th Sweet 16 appearance and hope to upset (1) seed Texas to keep their tournament run alive.

Texas Longhorns

The (1) seed Texas Longhorns are the top-ranked team remaining in the Midwest Region and are aiming to reach the Elite 8 for the first time since 2016.

Oklahoma Sooners

The (4) seed Oklahoma Sooners are in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2021 as they take on the tournament's overall #1 seed, South Carolina.

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What they’re saying

“Our team is peaking at the right time and we're ready to make a deep tournament run. The Sweet 16 is just the start of what we hope to accomplish.”

— Aliyah Boston, Junior Forward, South Carolina Gamecocks

“This is a dream come true for our program. We've worked hard all season to get to this point, and we're not satisfied yet.”

— Caitlin Clark, Sophomore Guard, Iowa Hawkeyes

What’s next

The winners of Saturday's Sweet 16 games will advance to the Elite 8 round, which will take place on Monday, March 30th. The Final Four is scheduled for April 4th, with the national championship game on April 6th.

The takeaway

The 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament has reached a critical juncture, as the Sweet 16 round will determine which teams have the best chance of cutting down the nets as national champions. With several top seeds still in contention, the next few days of action promise to be thrilling for fans of the sport.