Women’s Final Four 2026: Schedule, Teams & Odds

Picking the No. 1 seed in each regional on your NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four bracket was a good bet. The top seeds all advanced and for the second year in a row the same teams will compete for the national championship. The unbeaten Connecticut Huskies are the Final Four odds favorite to repeat and add to their record 12 national titles.

UCLA, Texas and South Carolina join UConn in the Women’s Basketball Final Four with the four squads boasting a combined record of 143-7. After the Huskies beat South Carolina to win last year’s title, the four teams were considered the best entering this season. And they lived up to their billing.

Overview of the NCAA Women's Final Four

The four best teams meet for the second straight season in the Women’s Final Four setting the stage for another momentous event. Attendance and interest in the women’s game have grown over the years. In 2022 the tournament followed the men’s game expanding to 68 teams using the “March Madness” branding.

According to Nielsen ratings, the 2024 championship game between Iowa and South Carolina was the second most watched non-Olympic women’s sporting event ever televised in the U.S. The presence of Caitlin Clark played a large role, but the game has continued to attract strong viewership. The growth and increased popularity of the women’s game has also opened up new betting opportunities, which were rarely available just several years ago.

Women's Final Four Schedule, Format and Host Location

For the first time the Women’s Final Four will take place in Phoenix, Ariz. at the home of the NBA’s Suns, now known as the Mortgage Matchup Center. National semifinal games are on Friday, April 3 with a rematch of last year’s national championship game between UConn and South Carolina starting at 7 p.m. ET.

The second semifinal between UCLA and Texas will start 30 minutes following the conclusion of the first matchup at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET. Friday’s winners will meet for the national championship on Sunday, April 5, with tip off scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET. All games will be televised on ESPN.

Betting Odds for the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four

UConn is a negative odds favorite to repeat and extend its record of national championships to 13. They bring a 54-game winning streak into the Final Four outscoring opponents by an average of 32.5 points in the first two rounds.

Connecticut vs. South Carolina (first semifinal)

• Point Spread: UConn -6.5
• Moneyline: UConn -278, South Carolina +225
• Total (Over/Under): 136.5

The Huskies have rarely been tested with only one game during their current winning streak decided by a single digit. In their fifth game this season they beat Michigan 72-69. UConn has won its games this season by an average margin of 37.7 points and handed South Carolina a pair of defeats last year by a combined total of 52 points.

UCLA vs. Texas (second semifinal)

• Point Spread: Texas -1.5
• Moneyline: Texas -135, UCLA +114
• Total (Over/Under): 134.5

Texas played a difficult schedule this season with their 3 losses to nationally ranked opponents. They had 14 wins over ranked foes, including takedowns of South Carolina and UCLA to win the Players Era Championship at the end of November.

Women’s Final Four National Championship Odds

• UConn -160
• South Carolina +550
• Texas +550
• UCLA +600

Key players Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong return to the Women’s Final Four for UConn. They each scored 24 points in last year’s championship game win over South Carolina with Strong adding 15 rebounds. The Gamecocks are in their sixth straight Final Four and this group is as impressive as any of the other five. They won their first four tournament games by a total of 161 points.

Key Factors That Influence Women's Final Four Outcomes

One thing every Final Four team has exhibited this season is depth along with star power. Those factors have allowed teams to dominate opponents leading to a combined record among the clubs of 143-7. Defense has also been a strong suit with all four teams allowing fewer than 58 points per game. UConn led the nation in scoring defense allowing only 50.1 points.

During the tournament when the competition is supposedly stronger, UConn and Texas didn’t allow an opponent to reach 60 points. The closest game among the four teams was UCLA’s 12-point win over Duke in the Elite Eight.

The players have a direct impact on the outcome and the Women’s Final Four has the best in the sport. UCLA’s Lauren Betts is a train wreck inside and has played some of her best basketball in the tournament. She personally lifted the Bruins to a comeback win over Duke in the Elite Eight with 15 points and 8 rebounds in the second half to overcome an 8-point halftime deficit. For the tournament Betts is averaging 24 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 70 percent from the field.

Betts and the Bruins learned from their early season setback to Texas and will avenge their only loss setting the stage for a matchup with UConn in the national championship tilt.

Teams to Watch in the Women's Final Four

The obvious team to watch in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four is UConn. Dominant throughout the season, the Huskies are on the verge of completing a perfect season behind the 1-2 punch of Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, and a smothering defense. But the Huskies are a complete team with depth that makes other coaches cry. Bench players Blanca Quinonez, Kayleigh Heckel, Jana El Alfy and Allie Ziebell combined for nearly half the team’s points in a 70-52 win over Notre Dame in the Elite Eight.

Led by Betts, UCLA has an advantage over teams down low. The Bruins are one of the tallest teams and they’re good, too, scoring at least 40 points in the paint 26 times this season. The Bruins got a taste of the Final Four last season and will seek the school’s first women’s title.

Why the NCAA Women's Final Four Draws Major Betting Interest

With viewership across the country increasing, the women’s game is surging in popularity. And as a result sportsbooks are taking notice and investing more in the game. That’s good news for fans, who just years ago had few opportunities to wager on games. The gap is closing, but powerhouse programs like those in the Final Four continue to drive the market with top-tier matchups, brand recognition and star power.

Four of the five finalists for the Wooden Award, given to the best player in the country, will be on the court in the Women’s Final Four. UConn’s Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Texas’ Madison Booker all made the list along with Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes.

What to Expect From the NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four

With the four best teams competing for a second straight season you can expect three action-packed games. And storylines beyond the Final Four add intrigue to the matchups. The UConn vs. South Carolina semifinal is a rematch of last year’s title game that the Huskies won 82-59 in one of the most lopsided title games in tournament history.

UCLA enters the Final Four having lost only one game. That was to their semifinal opponent Texas, 76-65, in late November when the Horns used their physicality to overwhelm the Bruins taking a 20-point lead at one point.