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

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

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).