Women's March Madness scores: What we learned as UConn, UCLA make it back to the Final Four

UConn took out Notre Dame on Sunday before UCLA rallied against Duke

One half of the 2026 Women's NCAA Final Four is set. As expected No. 1 seeds UConn and UCLA booked their tickets to Phoenix on Sunday with victories over Notre Dame and Duke, respectively, in the Elite Eight. But while they both eventually won by double digits, neither the Huskies nor the Bruins had the easiest time. 

Let's break down Sunday's action.

Sunday's women's March Madness scores

• No. 1 UConn 70, No. 6 Notre Dame 52
• No. 1 UCLA 70, No. 3 Duke 58

UConn's defense leads the way

UConn has been the best defensive team in the country all season long, and the Huskies relied on their defense on Sunday to overcome yet another shaky offensive performance. Azzi Fudd scored just 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting from the field, the Huskies shot 44% as a team and they turned the ball over 14 times. But it didn't matter because their defense prevented Notre Dame from doing much of anything. 

The defending champs: How UConn's defense disrupted Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame en route to another Final Four

Shehan Jeyarajah

Hannah Hidalgo needed 19 shots to get to 22 points, and no other Irish player scored more than eight. As a team, the Irish shot 39% from the floor, committed a whopping 18 turnovers and didn't manage more than 16 points in any quarter. This was the 10th consecutive game that UConn has held its opponent under 55 points, and the Huskies are allowing an average of 47.8 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. 

UConn is now 38-0 this season and has won 54 consecutive games dating back to last season. They are now two wins away from another perfect season and back-to-back national championships. 

Betts puts the Bruins on her back

After a dominant regular season that included a Division-I leading 18 Quad 1 wins and a 34-1 record, UCLA has not been at its best in the NCAA Tournament. That trend continued Sunday when the Bruins looked all out of sorts in the first half and fell behind Duke by double digits. 

Everything changed after the break, however, thanks in large part to Lauren Betts, who was incredible in the second half and showed why she was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. She had 15 points and eight rebounds in the second half alone, and finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks on 9-of-14 shooting from the field. 

Betts is just the sixth player ever to have a 20-point, 10-rebound, five-block performance in the Elite Eight, joining legends Brittney Griner, Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie and Anne Donovan. 

UCLA is now 35-1 and has set a new program record for wins in a season. Additionally, the Bruins are back in the Final Four for the second year in a row, and need just two more wins to secure the first NCAA championship in program history. (The Bruins won an AIAW title in 1978).

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[Mar 29, 2026 at 5:18 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

FINAL: UCLA 70 -- Duke 58

No. 1 UCLA is on to the Final Four for the second year in a row after a gritty win over No. 3 Duke in their Elite Eight matchup in Sacramento on Sunday afternoon. The Bruins, who set a school record with their 35th win of the season, will play the winner of No. 1 Texas and No. 2 Michigan next week in Phoenix. 

UCLA won an AIAW championship in 1978, but has never won an NCAA championship, or even reached the title game. 

Duke controlled the first half and led by as many as 10, but UCLA came out of the break on a mission. The Bruins dominated the third quarter to turn an eight-point halftime deficit into a four-point lead heading into the fourth and never trailed again. Duke shot just 3 of 17 from the field in the third quarter and was unable to recover from a nearly six-minute scoreless stretch. 

UCLA went 34-1 this season and had a case for the No. 1 overall seed, but have not been at their best throughout this tournament. They've done enough to get by, though, and that was the case again against Duke. Lauren Betts had a monster second half and finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and five blocks. She is the sixth player ever to have a 20-point, 10-rebound, five-block game in the Elite Eight, joining Brittney Griner, Sylvia Fowles, Candace Parker, Lisa Leslie and Anne Donovan. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 5:04 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Senior center Lauren Betts has officially set a new UCLA record for career blocks. She has four blocks today so far, which helped her surpass the previous record of 228. It's important to note that this is only Betts' third season with the Bruins, as she played her freshman year at Stanford.

[Mar 29, 2026 at 4:47 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

It was all UCLA in the third quarter. The Bruins outscored the Blue Devils 20-8 in the frame to turn an eight-point deficit into a four-point lead heading into the fourth. 

UCLA's defense was incredible in the frame. Duke shot just 3 of 17 from the field, turned it over four times and went scoreless for nearly six minutes. Notably, the Blue Devils are 0 of 10 from 3-point range for the game. You imagine that they'll have to hit a 3 at some point if they want to pull off this upset.  

[Mar 29, 2026 at 4:40 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Duke has made things difficult for the Bruins, but a 3-pointer by Gianna Kneepkens makes the crowd go wild as UCLA takes a 47-45 lead with 2:37 remaining in the third quarter.

[Mar 29, 2026 at 4:30 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Duke star Toby Fournier, a third-team All-American this season, just got called for her third foul and will head to the bench in the middle of the third quarter. That's a tough break for the Blue Devils, especially with how much UCLA likes to play through the post. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 4:26 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

Duke lost to UCLA 89-59 when they met in November at the Champions Era tournament. The Blue Devils were counted out early in the season but they have been on a revenge tour proving people wrong. They didn't allow the Bruins to get any momentum in the first half. If they can hold on for two more quarters, the Blue Devils can make their first Final Four appearance since 2006.

[Mar 29, 2026 at 4:08 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Duke continues to control this game and will enter the half with an eight-point lead. This is only the second time all season that UCLA has trailed at halftime. 

Taina Mair and Riley Nelson have led the way for the Blue Devils. They've combined for 23 points on 10 of 15 from the field. Defensively, Duke's defense has caused all sorts of havoc. They've forced the Bruins into 12 turnovers already and have limited them to just four free throw attempts. UCLA has also not made a 3-pointer. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 3:52 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

UCLA is shooting 53% from the field, but is trailing by six at the media timeout in the second quarter. That's largely because they've turned the ball over 10 times already and have taken seven fewer shots than Duke. The Bruins were 10th in the country in turnover rate this season at just 14.9%, so this is unlike them. If they can take care of the ball, they should be able to get back in this game

[Mar 29, 2026 at 3:40 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

What a start for Duke, which is looking to avenge a 30-point defeat to UCLA earlier this season. The Blue Devils are shooting 59% from the field and have jumped out to a four-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Taina Mair and Riley Nelson have combined for 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting to power Duke's offense. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 3:36 pm ET · Lindsay Gibbs]

This team is is having a good time, even if they have been there before.

[Mar 29, 2026 at 3:30 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

UCLA beat Duke by 30 back in December, and in that game the Bruins jumped out to a 30-7 lead in the first quarter. The Blue Devils have already scored more points in the first quarter today and are in front 12-7 at the first media timeout. Taina Mair has been taking advantage of the Bruins' drop coverage with Lauren Betts to score a quick six points. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 3:18 pm ET · Isabel Gonzalez]

We got in-game adjustments before the first Elite Eight game in Sacramento even begins. The microphone was not working properly during the national anthem, so the crowd at Golden 1 Center jumped in to help sing it. The singer finished off strong when she got a new microphone and the crowd cheered her on loudly. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 3:10 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

FINAL: UConn 70 -- Notre Dame 52

No. 1 overall seed UConn is on to the Final Four after an 18-point win over No. 6 Notre Dame in the Elite Eight on Sunday afternoon. This is the third consecutive Final Four appearance for the Huskies and their 25th overall, which extends their all-time record. UConn is now 38-0 and has won 54 consecutive games dating back to last season. They will play the winner of No. 1 South Carolina and No. 3 TCU in Phoenix. 

This was an ugly game for both teams, but UConn's defense and depth proved the difference, particularly in the second half. Hannah Hidalgo got to 22 points, but needed 19 shots to get there, and overall the Huskies held the Irish to 39% shooting and forced 18 turnovers. Meanwhile, UConn's bench, led by star freshman Blanca Quiñonez outscored the Notre Dame bench 32-7. 

Quiñonez showed why she was the Big East Freshman of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year with a 20-point, eight-rebound, three-assist performance. Sarah Strong added 21 points, seven rebounds, five steals and three blocks. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 2:50 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

UConn has started the fourth quarter on a 13-6 run to build an 18-point lead with 6:10 to play. Gonna be really tough for Notre Dame to come back at this point considering they've only scored 42 points all day

[Mar 29, 2026 at 2:39 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

UConn shot 2 of 13 to start the third quarter, but made 3 of 4 to close the frame and will take an 11-point lead into the fourth. Really ugly game all around, but the Huskies' depth is proving too much for the Irish. Jana El Alfy didn't play in the first half and came off the bench to put up four points, four rebounds and an assist in seven minutes in the third. UConn's bench is outscoring Notre Dame's bench 26-3. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 2:15 pm ET · Lindsay Gibbs]

Early in the third quarter, Geno Auriemma is going hard at the refs for not calling fouls on Hannah Hidalgo. "Every time she reaches in it's a foul and you never call it on her!"

Hidalgo has 12 points, 7 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 foul on the day.

[Mar 29, 2026 at 1:59 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

UConn will take a seven-point lead into halftime after Kayleigh Heckel beat the buzzer with a wild scoop shot. This has not been an offensive clinic from either team, but the Huskies have done enough to keep the Irish at an arm's length for most of the afternoon. 

Freshman Blanca Quiñonez has been the best player on the floor, and leads the Huskies with a game-high 14 points on 5 of 8 from the field. Every other UConn player has combined for 18 points on 8 of 18. At some point, the Huskies will need Sarah Strong or Azzi Fudd to step up. Those two have just 10 combined points. 

Hannah Hidalgo went scoreless in the first quarter, but got loose in the middle of the second and is up to nine points, seven rebounds and two assists, but is still just 4 of 12 from the field. No one else on Notre Dame has more than five points. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 1:45 pm ET · Lindsay Gibbs]

UConn 24, Notre Dame 20 (Q2, 4:28)

Per our research team, including our favorite bracketologist Connor Groel, here are some jaw-dropping stats about UConn compiled before the game:

• UCONN: 9 straight games allowing fewer than 55 pts (46.3 opp PPG in 2026 NCAAT)
• UCONN: Won 33 of 37 games this season by 20+ pts
• UCONN: Scored 15+ unanswered points in each game of 2026 NCAA Tournament

Of course, none of those stats are helping them find answers to Hidalgo right now, but they are amazing! 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 1:41 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Hannah Hidalgo didn't score in the first quarter, but she's made her presence felt here in the first few minutes of the second. She just drained a moonball from 3-point range to cut the deficit to four and force a timeout from Geno Auriemma. Hidalgo is up to nine points, six rebounds and two assists and is single-handedly keeping Notre Dame in this game. No one else on the Irish has scored in the second quarter.

[Mar 29, 2026 at 1:29 pm ET · Shehan Jeyarajah]

Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo is coming off only the second 30-point triple-double in women's NCAA Tournament history, but UConn has come out aggressive. The All-American was held scoreless in the period on 0-for-4 shooting and a turnover as UConn used a team defense approach to keep the ball out of her hands. 

Perhaps as significantly, the Huskies have not surrendered a steal to Hidalgo. While they've turned the ball over four times, Hidalgo is electric at turning steals into fast-break offense. As long as the Huskies avoid live-ball turnovers, Notre Dame has had no answer on offense in the halfcourt game. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 1:27 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

UConn got off to another slow start offensively on Sunday, but started to find a rhythm toward the end of the first quarter and has built a nine-point lead over Notre Dame. Already, the Irish are in a hole that's going to be hard to climb out of against this Huskies defense. Notably, UConn has held Hannah Hidalgo scoreless, and the Irish are shooting just 5 of 13 with five turnovers. 

Big East Freshman of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year Blanca Quiñonez has come off the bench to put up 12 points on 4 of 5 shooting for the Huskies and outscore the Irish by herself. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 1:17 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

Neither team has been able to get anything going offensively this afternoon. UConn is 3 of 8 from the field and Notre Dame is 2 of 7. Both teams also have two turnovers. 

The first few minutes of this game and the Sweet 16 game against North Carolina both highlight the biggest reason it's going to be so hard for anyone to beat UConn this season: their defense. Opponents can't take advantage when they have slow offensive starts. 

[Mar 29, 2026 at 12:33 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

Geno Auriemma attacks the rims in March Madness rant -- and the NCAA should listen to him

Lindsay Gibbs

[Mar 29, 2026 at 12:10 pm ET · Stephen Pianovich]

A lot of people predicted a familiar Final Four this year. UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina were the last four teams standing last season. They're all No. 1 seeds this year. Three games in, none of them have really even been tested. But perhaps that changes in the Elite Eight. 

So out of Notre Dame, Duke, Michigan and TCU, which lower seed has the best chance at toppling a WBB titan? Here are our rankings:

Women's March Madness 2026: Which underdog has the best chance of upsetting a No. 1 seed in the Elite Eight?

Isabel Gonzalez