Final Four: Possible women’s NCAA D-I championship matchups and predicted results
The stage is set for UConn, South Carolina, UCLA, and Texas.
The Final Four is here and all four No. 1 seeds are still alive.
Here are NCAA Division I women’s college basketball championship possible matchups and predictions of who will win this year’s national title.
South Carolina vs. Texas
The Gamecocks have had a challenging but dominant season, and flew into the tournament with only three losses. Texas has the exact same overall record as the Gamecocks.
The Longhorns have played the entirety of the NCAA tournament close to home, with the first two rounds being played on their home court and the next two rounds played in Fort Worth.
With the Final Four being played in Arizona, the Longhorns will have to adjust to the loss of home-court advantage, which might give the Gamecocks momentum.
If this is the championship, Texas would win, celebrating under orange-and-white confetti. The Longhorns’ fast, powerful offense could unsettle South Carolina, and their defense would stifle the Gamecocks’ post play.
UConn vs. UCLA:
UConn has been deemed the unbeatable team this season, and even FAN’s championship pick at the beginning of the postseason might not be able to knock them off their throne.
UCLA has one of the deepest benches in the tournament with so many talented players ready to back up the starters. But, they might not have enough dominant offensive players to offset UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong.
Fudd has been one of the most talked about players this season, and is one of the top picks for the 2026 WNBA draft.
If the Huskies beat South Carolina in the Final Four and advance to play UCLA in the championship, they will bring home the trophy for the 13th time in UConn women’s basketball history.
South Carolina vs. UCLA
Though UCLA would suffer a National Championship loss should they face UConn, if South Carolina makes it through the Final Four, the Bruins will be heading back to California with shiny new bragging rights.
South Carolina dominated the season, but facing a Big Ten team is tougher despite their SEC top spot.
The Gamecocks did defeat USC in the first round of the tournament, but UCLA is the much stronger Californian counterpart in the Big Ten.
UConn vs. Texas
These two teams have faced each other many times throughout recent NCAA tournament matchups. UConn has largely dominated with the exception of a home win for Texas in 2023.
If this matchup occurs, it would be one of the most competitive title games in years. The last close national final was Stanford's 54-53 win over Arizona in 2021; this could be another down-to-the-wire contest.
UConn was seen as nearly invincible, but Texas’ steamroller could push them hardest all year. The outcome hinges on which team’s center performs better.
Kyla Oldacre, 6'6", has dominated the paint for the Longhorns, setting hard screens to free Texas’ quick guards.
Jana El Alfy has had a strong season for UConn, grabbing a season-high of 16 rebounds in February against Providence. But at 6'5", she's just an inch taller than Oldacre — a small edge Oldacre could exploit to help the Longhorns win the trophy.
Where to watch:
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN
No. 1 UCLA vs No. 1 Texas, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN
Thank you for reading Female Athlete News. Clara Romae Slowinski is a student-intern at Penn State University.