It’s almost NCAA Tournament time for women’s college basketball, with the regular season in the books, which means the women’s Final Four in Phoenix isn’t that far away.
The champions are heavily favored to repeat.
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UConn has established itself as a clear favorite, proving itself early on to be a legit contender against other top programs in nonconference play. Since conference play began, the Huskies haven’t missed a step and have steamrolled Big East opponents en route to an undefeated regular season.
It’s going to be tough to top the Huskies, who, as of March 3, were odds-on favorites at -285, leaving UCLA (+700) and South Carolina (+850) as distant second and third choices, per DraftKings.
But there’s a good chance that last year’s Final Four of UConn, South Carolina, UCLA and Texas, will return to the marquee event. Those schools were the top four in the NCAA’s second reveal of the tournament’s top 16 seeds.
It’s the NCAA Tournament, though, so there are plenty of teams that can shake things up.
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The SEC has had more than half its schools ranked, so conference members South Carolina and Texas have played challenging schedules. UCLA has been dominant in the Big Ten, but other schools, such as Iowa and Michigan, push to represent the conference in Phoenix.
Here’s our breakdown of the four teams at the top and more that deserve strong consideration.
UConn
Top player: Sarah Strong
While Strong is a daughter of former WNBA forward Allison Feaster and former North Carolina State forward Danny Strong, she’s made her own path.
The sophomore came into the season with high expectations after an impressive first season. Strong’s role in guiding UConn to the national championship helped her earn 2025 Freshman of the Year honors.
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The Huskies didn’t have a championship hangover, and Strong is one of the main reasons. Strong has a fully formed skill set and makes it all look effortless. Her 3-point shooting is smooth, her passing ability is off the charts, and she’s one of the top-rated defensive players in the country.
What coach Geno Auriemma has to say
“When you have a lot of players, you hope that they’re different from each other and they’re not the same. And we’ve been fortunate to have both. We’ve had national championship teams where we had 10 players and they were all first-round draft picks. It was fun to coach them, but it was also really hard to play that many players. … This team at the beginning has started out like we have a lot (of first-round picks), and you’re trying to figure out because there’s only 200 minutes… As much as it’s a challenge trying to get everyone minutes, it’s worse when you’re looking and saying, I wish I had a couple more guys to put in.”
UCLA
Top player: Lauren Betts
UCLA is a deep team, but it’s Betts who stands out on the court.
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The 6-foot-7-inch center led UCLA to its first Final Four appearance in the past season and has continued to be one of the best centers in the nation.
Betts has undergone some bumps in her final season, including single-digit scoring against SEC opponents Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. But she’s shown how much she can impact the game for the Bruins. In one of her best games, Betts helped UCLA with 16 points, 16 rebounds and five assists in a 69-66 win over Michigan.
When she’s not scoring, she’s freeing up space for other shooters including Kiki Rice, Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens. Betts is averaging the most assists for UCLA’s front court with 3.1 per game.
What coach Cori Close has to say
“It’s my great joy because I believe in them as people, I believe in their work ethic. I believe in what they’ve earned. I believe in the kind of teammates they’ve chosen to be ― to be able to talk to these agents and these (general managers) and to these head coaches and say you want them on your roster. This program is not about us. It’s about serving them. For me to facilitate a transition they’ve dreamt of their whole life, how lucky am I?”
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South Carolina
Top player: Joyce Edwards
The Gamecocks have consistently produced stars and become very familiar with the Final Four.
But South Carolina’s roster is relatively new together. Only three of the 12 players have won the national championship, but one is out for the season with an ACL injury. Four others, including Edwards, were on last year’s national runner-up team.
Edwards has improved greatly since the Gamecocks lost to the Huskies in the title game. The sophomore is on pace to be the first Gamecocks player to average more than 20 points per game since A’ja Wilson in 2018. She’s had more responsibility in her second year, but has one of the most efficient shot selections in the country.
Defensively, the Gamecocks are led by fifth-year senior Raven Johnson, who earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year. The guard is key in disrupting opponents’ rhythms and averaged 1.6 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in the regular season.
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What coach Dawn Staley has to say
“This year’s team is a lot different than our previous championship teams. One, the previous championship teams had a core that had been together for at least an entire season or two. We don’t have the luxury of that. We may have one or two pieces that have been part of a championship, but 90 percent, 80 percent of our team hasn’t experienced a championship. Not even a national championship (or) a conference championship.”
Texas
Top player: Madison Booker
The Longhorns fought hard in their first season in the SEC in 2025, and had a successful campaign with their first Final Four appearance since 2003.
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Booker took home the coveted SEC Player of the Year award, beating out other talented peers such as LSU’s Flau’Jae Johnson, Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes and Oklahoma’s Raegan Beers.
In the second season in the SEC, Texas has taken some lumps with back-to-back road losses to LSU and South Carolina.
But Booker is consistently the Longhorns’ best playmaker with career highs in scoring, rebounding, steals and field goal percentage. The attention on her has allowed guard Rori Harmon to play her game and add more to Texas’ attack. The two have been crucial to their team’s crushing defense.
What coach Vic Schaefer has to say
“I’ve had some really good players in my career, but I haven’t had anybody like (Rori Harmon). The statistics demand that people give her credit. That’s it. At the end of the day, the stats are the stats. Give me a break.”
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Teams that can crack the top four
Vanderbilt
If it weren’t for Strong or Booker, Mikayla Blakes would be an even bigger name. But the sophomore has done incredible things for the Commodores, including playing a big role in an upset of No. 5 LSU.
The Commodores are in the SEC, a conference that is well-represented in Final Four projections, and the conference’s strength has helped Vanderbilt’s chances. With the tournament favoring teams with tough schedules, the Commodores might go further than other teams.
LSU
The Tigers often have a strong team, but have been on the bubble for the Final Four in the past few seasons.
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A weaker nonconference didn’t prepare LSU well enough for SEC play as the Tigers have taken a few knocks from potential Final Four teams Vanderbilt, Texas and South Carolina. But veteran guards Flau’jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams have held it down for the Tigers, who have produced the nation’s highest-scoring offense.
Michigan
Sophomore guard Olivia Olson has led Michigan into being one of the surprise teams in the country. Olson led Michigan in scoring in 2025 when she won Big Ten co-freshman of the year. She’ll be an awards front-runner this campaign with several big performances.
The Wolverines weren’t able to beat UConn, UCLA or Vanderbilt during the regular season, which affects their ability to make the Final Four. However, some things can still change.
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Oklahoma
The Sooners have taken down ranked teams in the SEC, including Georgia and Tennessee, and have proved they can hang with tough opponents.
National Freshman of the Year candidate Aaliyah Chavez has been stellar in her first season, averaging over 18.0 points this season. Alongside Chavez, junior forward Sahara Williams has helped the Sooners become one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation with over 87 points per game.
Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Is Phoenix looking at a UConn coronation at the NCAA Final Four?
