There are 226 days until the 2026 NCAA Women’s Final Four comes to Phoenix, which means an official shot clock is up in the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport’s Terminal 4.
Arizona State head coach Molly Miller and NCAA vice president for women’s basketball Lynn Holzman were among those who witnessed as the curtain fell from the countdown clock. The women’s Final Four will take place on April 3 and April 5 at PHX Arena in Phoenix.
Advertisement
“We cannot be more excited to be hosting what’s going to be an iconic event,” Phoenix local organizing committee CEO Jay Parry said. “This is our first time hosting the NCAA Women’s Final Four, the pinnacle of women’s college basketball. And frankly, the timing could not be better. We’re seeing record-breaking attendance and crowds. We’re seeing soaring TV ratings and unprecedented engagement on social media. In fact, seven of 10 people say they watch women’s sports. We’re so excited about that.”
Phoenix has hosted almost every major event at every level, but the women’s Final Four is one of the last events to come to town.
The decision for the NCAA to move westward for the first time since Denver in 2012 needed some sway.
And Phoenix provided the right landscape as a first-time host. The city demonstrates support for women’s basketball, with the Phoenix Mercury as one of the first WNBA teams in 1997.
Advertisement
“Even those cities that have hosted more than once, they know this is not the women’s Final Four of 2018 or 2019,” Holzman said. “This isn’t going to be the women’s Final Four of 2025 either. When we talk about a new chapter and continuing our narrative around women’s basketball, there are expectations, and that bar is raised every single year. From the logistics, the operations, it’s because our fans expect more, and we expect more.”
A general overall view of the opening tipoff between UConn Huskies forward Sarah Strong (left) and South Carolina Gamecocks forward Chloe Kitts at midcourt on the Final Four logo during the national championship of the women’s 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay, Fla., on April 6, 2025.
Planning for each Final Four begins 24 months out, which means that the Phoenix committee has done a lot of work over the last 16 months. When the NCAA was in Tampa for the 2024 Final Four, it had multiple meetings with the leadership team in Phoenix. Since then, there have been weekly meetings and monthly visits to Phoenix.
“This time being a first-time host of the women’s Final Four, it’s not the Men’s Final Four — and I say that with respect,” Holzman said. “There’s so many learning opportunities and lessons to do NCAA events, but we also have to embrace the uniqueness around this event.
Advertisement
“We’re primarily in that downtown area, which is a little bit different from the men’s Final Four (at State Farm Stadium in Glendale). Everything has been great. We are on task and we are on schedule with all the preparations and the logistics.”
The 2024 Final Four saw fans from all 50 states and 23 countries travel to Tampa. The total tournament attendance reached 351,777, the third-highest all-time mark.
The continued interest in college basketball caused the NCAA to consider expanding to a 72- or 76-team bracket in both the men’s and women’s fields. But the NCAA confirmed that both tournaments will remain at 68 teams for 2026.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Women’s Final Four countdown clock unveiled at Phoenix Sky Harbor
