Kentucky Women's Basketball Earns No. 5 Seed, Will Face James Madison

The Wildcats will open NCAA Tournament play in the West Virginia Regional.

Mar. 16, 2026 at 2:35am

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The Kentucky women's basketball team was selected as a No. 5 seed in the 2026 NCAA Tournament and will travel to Morgantown, West Virginia, for the opening rounds. The 5-seeded Wildcats will play 12-seeded James Madison on Saturday, March 21, at 2:30 PM ET on ESPNU.

Why it matters

This will be an emotional game for Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks, as he faces his former team James Madison, where he was the all-time winningest coach and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

The details

The other First Round game in Morgantown features 4-seeded West Virginia against 13-seeded Miami (Ohio), also on Saturday. The winner of each game will play on Monday, March 23, for a spot in the Sweet 16. Big Blue Nation interested in purchasing tickets will go through the host site at wvusports.com. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Monday, March 16, at 10 AM ET.

  • The 5-seeded Wildcats will play 12-seeded James Madison on Saturday, March 21, at 2:30 PM ET.
  • The other First Round game in Morgantown features 4-seeded West Virginia against 13-seeded Miami (Ohio), also on Saturday.
  • The winner of each game will play on Monday, March 23, for a spot in the Sweet 16.
  • Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Monday, March 16, at 10 AM ET.

The players

Kenny Brooks

The all-time winningest coach in James Madison women's basketball history and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2022.

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The takeaway

This matchup between Kentucky and James Madison will be an emotional one, as Kentucky head coach Kenny Brooks faces his former team where he had great success. The winner of this game will advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.