The 2026 NCAA DI Women’s Basketball March Madness bracket will be released during the Selection Show on Sunday, March 15, at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The 2026 championship will include 68 teams in the field. The first four games will take place on Wednesday and Thursday, March 18-19. The first and second round games will take played between Friday and Monday, March 20-23. The Sweet 16 and Elite Eight rounds take place Friday through Monday, March 27-30.
The 2026 Women’s Final Four takes place on Friday, April 3 in Phoenix, Arizona. On Sunday, April 5, at 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC will air the national championship game.
NCAA women’s basketball tournament: Champions, history
| Year | Champion (Record) | Coach | Score | Runner-Up | Site | Title game replay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Connecticut (37-3) | Geno Auriemma | 82-59 | South Carolina | Tampa, Fla. | Watch the full game |
| 2024 | South Carolina (38-0) | Dawn Staley | 87-75 | Iowa | Cleveland, Ohio | Watch the full game |
| 2023 | LSU (34-2) | Kim Mulkey | 102-85 | Iowa | Dallas, Texas | Watch the full game |
| 2022 | South Carolina (35-2) | Dawn Staley | 64-49 | UConn | Minneapolis, Minn. | Watch the full game |
| 2021 | Stanford (31-2) | Tara VanDerveer | 54-53 | Arizona | San Antonio, Texas | Watch the full game |
| 2020 | Canceled due to COVID-19 | — | — | — | — | |
| 2019 | Baylor (37-1) | Kim Mulkey | 82-81 | Notre Dame | Tampa, Fla. | Watch the full game |
| 2018 | Notre Dame (34-3) | Muffet McGraw | 61-58 | Mississippi State | Columbus, Ohio | Watch the full game |
| 2017 | South Carolina (33-4) | Dawn Staley | 67-55 | Mississippi State | Dallas, Texas | Watch the full game |
| 2016 | Connecticut (38-0) | Geno Auriemma | 82-51 | Syracuse | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 2015 | Connecticut (38-1) | Geno Auriemma | 63-53 | Notre Dame | Tampa, Fla. | |
| 2014 | Connecticut (40-0) | Geno Auriemma | 79-58 | Notre Dame | Nashville, Tenn. | |
| 2013 | Connecticut (35-4) | Geno Auriemma | 93-60 | Louisville | New Orleans, La. | |
| 2012 | Baylor (40-0) | Kim Mulkey | 80-61 | Notre Dame | Denver, Colo. | |
| 2011 | Texas A&M (33-5) | Gary Blair | 76-70 | Notre Dame | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 2010 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 53-47 | Stanford | San Antonio, Texas | Watch the full game |
| 2009 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 76-54 | Louisville | St. Louis, Mo. | |
| 2008 | Tennessee (36-2) | Pat Summitt | 64-48 | Stanford | Tampa, Fla. | Watch the full game |
| 2007 | Tennessee (34-3) | Pat Summitt | 59-46 | Rutgers | Cleveland, Ohio | |
| 2006 | Maryland (34-4) | Brenda Frese | 78-75 (OT) | Duke | Boston, Mass. | |
| 2005 | Baylor (33-3) | Kim Mulkey | 84-62 | Michigan State | Indianapolis, Ind. | |
| 2004 | Connecticut (31-4) | Geno Auriemma | 70-61 | Tennessee | New Orleans, La. | |
| 2003 | Connecticut (37-1) | Geno Auriemma | 73-68 | Tennessee | Atlanta, Ga. | Watch the full game |
| 2002 | Connecticut (39-0) | Geno Auriemma | 82-70 | Oklahoma | San Antonio, Texas | Watch the full game |
| 2001 | Notre Dame (34-2) | Muffet McGraw | 68-66 | Purdue | St. Louis, Mo. | Watch the full game |
| 2000 | Connecticut (36-1) | Geno Auriemma | 71-52 | Tennessee | Philadelphia, Pa. | |
| 1999 | Purdue (34-1) | Carolyn Peck | 62-45 | Duke | San Jose, Calif. | |
| 1998 | Tennessee (39-0) | Pat Summitt | 93-75 | Louisiana Tech | Kansas City, Mo. | |
| 1997 | Tennessee (29-10) | Pat Summitt | 68-59 | Old Dominion | Cincinnati, Ohio | |
| 1996 | Tennessee (32-4) | Pat Summitt | 83-65 | Georgia | Charlotte, N.C. | |
| 1995 | Connecticut (35-0) | Geno Auriemma | 70-64 | Tennessee | Minneapolis, Minn. | Watch the full game |
| 1994 | North Carolina (33-2) | Sylvia Hatchell | 60-59 | Louisiana Tech | Richmond, Va. | Watch the full game |
| 1993 | Texas Tech (31-3) | Marsha Sharp | 84-82 | Ohio State | Atlanta, Ga. | Watch the full game |
| 1992 | Stanford (30-3) | Tara VanDerveer | 78-62 | Western Kentucky | Los Angeles, Calif. | |
| 1991 | Tennessee (30-5) | Pat Summitt | 70-67 (OT) | Virginia | New Orleans, La. | Watch the full game |
| 1990 | Stanford (32-1) | Tara VanDerveer | 88-81 | Auburn | Knoxville, Tenn. | |
| 1989 | Tennessee (35-2) | Pat Summitt | 76-60 | Auburn | Tacoma, Wash. | |
| 1988 | Louisiana Tech (32-2) | Leon Barmore | 56-54 | Auburn | Tacoma, Wash. | |
| 1987 | Tennessee (28-6) | Pat Summitt | 67-44 | Louisiana Tech | Austin, Texas | |
| 1986 | Texas (34-0) | Jody Conradt | 97-81 | Southern California | Lexington, Ky. | |
| 1985 | Old Dominion (31-3) | Marianne Stanley | 70-65 | Georgia | Austin, Texas | |
| 1984 | Southern California (29-4) | Linda Sharp | 72-61 | Tennessee | Los Angeles, Calif. | |
| 1983 | Southern California (31-2) | Linda Sharp | 69-67 | Louisiana Tech | Norfolk, Va. | Watch the full game |
| 1982 | Louisiana Tech (35-1) | Sonja Hogg | 76-62 | Cheyney | Norfolk, Va. |
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