March Madness predictions: Picking every women’s NCAA Tournament game

The women’s NCAA Tournament is here, and everyone will be filling out their brackets in the hope of winning their March Madness pools.

The women’s tournament begins with the First Four, with games beginning on Wednesday, March 18. The Final Four is scheduled to begin on Friday, April 3.

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Here are our round-by-round predictions for the 2026 NCAA Tournament:

Women’s March Madness bracket predictions

BOLD = Winner

Regional 1 – Fort Worth

• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA

• No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse

• No. 5 Mayland vs. No. 12 Murray State

• No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois

• No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield

• No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard

• No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado

• No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point

Regional 2 – Sacramento

• No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 16 Cal Baptist

• No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton

• No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga

• No. 4 Minnesota vs No. 13 Green Bay

• No. 6 Baylor vs No. 11 Richmond

• No. 3 Duke vs No. 14 College of Charleston

• No. 7 Texas Tech vs No. 10 Villanova

• No. 2 LSU over No. 15 Jacksonville

Regional 3 – Fort Worth

• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 16 Missouri State

• No 8 Oregon vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech

• No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison

• No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 13 Miami (Ohio)

• No. 6 Alabama vs. No. 11 Rhode Island

• No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 14 Vermont

• No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee

• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 15 Holy Cross

More: Iowa vs. FDU game time set for women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament opener

Regional 4 – Sacramento

• No. 1 South Carolina over No. 16 Samford

• No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC

• No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 12 Colorado State

• No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 13 Idaho

• No. 6 Washington vs. No. 11 South Dakota State

• No. 3 TCU vs. No. 14 UC San Diego

• No. 7 Georgia vs. No. 10 Virginia

• No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 15 FDU

More: Survivor Pool NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool Sweepstakes | USA TODAY Sports

Women’s March Madness second-round predictions

Regional 1

• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 9 Syracuse

• No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Maryland

• No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 6 Notre Dame

• No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 10 Colorado

Regional 2

• No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 8 Oklahoma State

• No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Ole Miss

• No. 3 Duke vs. No. 6 Baylor

• No. 2 LSU vs. No. 7 Texas Tech

Regional 3

• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech

• No. 4 West Virginia vs. No. 5 Kentucky

• No. 3 Louisville vs. No. 6 Alabama

• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 7 NC State

Regional 4

• No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 9 USC

• No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Michigan State.

• No. 3 TCU vs. No. 11 South Dakota State

• No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 10 Virginia

More: Bracket Challenge Bracket Challenge Sweepstakes | USA TODAY Sports

Women’s March Madness Sweet 16 predictions

Regional 1

• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 5 Maryland

• No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 6 Notre Dame

Regional 2

• No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Minnesota

Regional 3

• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 West Virginia

• No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Louisville

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Regional 4

• No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Oklahoma

• No. 2 Iowa vs. No. 11 South Dakota State

Women’s March Madness Elite 8 predictions

Regional 1

• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 2 Vanderbilt

Regional 2

Regional 3

• No. 1 Texas vs. No. 2 Michigan

Regional 4

• No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Iowa

Women’s March Madness Final Four predictions

• No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 2 Michigan

• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 1 South Carolina

National champion prediction

• No. 1 UConn vs. No. 1 UCLA

Iowa, Iowa State tickets for Women’s March Madness 2026

Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Women’s March Madness bracket predictions: Our best 2026 picks