For college basketball fans, March Madness is the most exciting time of the season.
However, for the players and programs, the time can be stressful: All the hard work they have put into the 2025-26 college basketball season could be over with just one bad game in the women’s NCAA tournament. Every game requires a “win-or-go-home” mentality.
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REQUIRED READING: Women’s NCAA Tournament bracket: Who’s in, out and on March Madness bubble
Likely No. 1 overall seed UConn enters the tournament looking to defend its national championship, while No. 2 UCLA is looking to cash in on its best opportunity to win a national title in Lauren Betts’ final collegiate season.
Meanwhile, some coaches will enter the tournament seeking to win to continue to build momentum and foundation for a successful 2026-27 season.
Here’s a look at five teams under the most pressure heading into the 2026 women’s NCAA Tournament:
Tennessee
After reaching the Sweet 16 in Year 1 under coach Kim Caldwell, the Lady Vols have taken a step back this season. Tennessee heads to the women’s NCAA tournament with a 16-13 record, currently the lowest win total in program history.
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Tennessee was 14-3 on Jan. 22, but ended the season with just two wins in the final 12 games. The Vols were knocked out of the women’s SEC Tournament by 11-seed Alabama.
According to USA TODAY Sports’ Mitchell Northam, the Lady Vols are projected as a No. 8 seed in the Fort Worth 1 Regional. Tennessee gets a potential first-round draw vs. Virginia Tech, but then has a potential game against defending national champion UConn next on the docket.
The Lady Vols need to win their first-round game to have something positive heading into next season. It would also allow them to match the 17 wins they had during the during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
UConn, UCLA
UConn and UCLA have combined to lose just one game through their respective conference tournaments. Unfortunately, only one of these two teams can win the national championship this season, despite historically great seasons.
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The Huskies and Bruins finished ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in the March 10 2025-26 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll. UConn’s last loss came on Feb. 6, 2025, an 80-76 loss to Tennessee. The Huskies will likely avoid UCLA, Texas and South Carolina until the Final Four. Anything less than a trip to Phoenix should be seen as an upset for UConn.
Meanwhile, UCLA has won 25 in a row since a loss to then-No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26, 2025. The Bruins are coming off a 51-point win over Iowa in the women’s Big Ten Tournament championship game and have 18 Quad-1 wins this season.
In Lauren Betts’ final year, this is the best chance for UCLA to win its first title since 1978 (AIAW).
West Virginia
After knocking out TCU in the women’s Big 12 Tournament championship game, West Virginia is likely to host first- and second-round games at home this season. That opens the door for the program to reach its first Sweet 16 since 1992.
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For the Mountaineers, it’s simple: Don’t get upset at home, and the chance of a historic season is there for the taking. The 27 wins for WVU is the most since winning 30 games during the 2013-14 season, but that year the Mountaineers fell in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
West Virginia, of course, enters March Madness playing its best ball of the season. It has won six in a row and has a 10-1 record since Feb. 1. For the Mountaineers and third-year coach Mark Kellogg, this is the perfect chance to break through to the Sweet 16.
Virginia
The best season for Virginia since the 2016-17 season has hit a major roadblock. The Cavaliers have lost three games in a row and are squarely on the bubble for the 2026 women’s NCAA Tournament.
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However, if Virginia can get into the tournament, fourth-year coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton would achieve a first for the program since 2017-18: One tournament win would give the program its first 20-win season since 2016-17.
With Agugua-Hamilton entering the final year of her contract next season, even just one win in the NCAA Tournament could provide some positive momentum into what could be a very important year for her.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women’s March Madness teams under most pressure in NCAA tournament
