The 2026 Women’s Final Four is nearly here, and the most elite teams in the country are all waiting for their chance to win a national championship.
For the first time since the 1995-1996 NCAA Tournament, the teams that made the Final Four last season are back once again. On Friday, UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina will continue their push for more postseason glory. Will UConn win a 13th program championship? Will UCLA make history by winning its first title? Or will Texas or South Carolina add more hardware to their trophy cases?
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It’s hard to know which team will emerge victorious when the national title game ends on April 5, but it’s not as difficult to think about all the things that could happen during Final Four weekend.
Here are three bold predictions ahead of Friday and Sunday’s games:
Azzi Fudd wins Most Outstanding Player, again
Outside of a career-high 34 points and eight 3-pointers against Syracuse in the second round, the UConn guard has turned in a mixed bag of NCAA Tournament performances. She didn’t play well at all after getting into foul trouble against UTSA during the first round, and she struggled against North Carolina in the Sweet 16. Fudd’s stat line against Notre Dame was somewhat better with 13 points, four assists and three steals on 41% shooting, but she also uncharacteristically turned the ball over five times.
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However, the beautiful thing about Fudd is you can never count her out and she’s only one basket away from relentlessly torturing her opponents. Last year’s Final Four games were a prime example of what Fudd can do. She averaged 21 points and three steals over two games, becoming critical to UConn’s offense. Fudd’s production allowed the Huskies to make light work of UCLA and South Carolina.
The UConn guard can do it again. She shines bright when the pressure is high and the lights are at their brightest. She could walk away with tournament Most Outstanding Player honors for the second year in a row if she can average anything close to perhaps 19 points, four assists and three steals per game.
UCLA experiences heartbreak in Final Four, again
It’s hard to imagine a roster with six WNBA prospects not making it to the national championship game, but there’s a good chance that UCLA falters again. The Bruins have a date with Texas to open Final Four play, a rematch of a Nov. 26 game where UCLA lost 76-65. Both teams are different since then, but Texas has one thing that UCLA does not: Vic Schaefer and multiple Final Four appearances.
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Schaefer’s been to two Final Fours with Mississippi State and on Friday, it will be two more appearances with Texas. That sort of experience matters in high-stakes environments. While UCLA coach Cori Close has one of the best teams in the country, it may not matter if Close isn’t able to keep up with Schaefer coaching-wise.
Close didn’t have answers for Geno Auriemma’s game plan and UConn’s stifling defense last year. Outside of Lauren Betts, there wasn’t much else going right for UCLA. The Bruins lost 85-51 to the Huskies in the semifinals. While Texas likely won’t beat UCLA in the same way UConn did, it wouldn’t be shocking if the Longhorns get rolling early and UCLA never recovers. History tends to repeat itself.
Jordan Lee makes eight 3-pointers in a single game
In the Elite Eight, the Texas guard had a rough outing against the Michigan. Lee was 2-for-17 on field goals and 0-for-8 from deep. That’s not exactly ideal for the Elite Eight stage, but after a tough performance against the Wolverines, she’s primed for a breakout game. During Texas’ Final Four loss to South Carolina last season, Lee churned out 16 points on 50% shooting, including three triples.
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Lee could bring the same sort of gritty performance to the Final Four stage in Phoenix once again, but this time, she’ll need more baskets to fall. In her college career, the most 3-pointers the Texas guard has ever made were six against James Madison during her freshman season. However, Lee came close to tying her record twice this season. She ended the regular season with five made 3-pointers in two games. When the Final Four lights turn on, Lee could break her own record when the stakes are the highest.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women’s Final Four 2026: Three bold predictions for Phoenix
