Pressure mounts as we venture deeper into March Madness. The round of 64 set the table for chaos to come. With Sweet 16 berths on the line, there’s far less margin for error now.
Sunday’s schedule is full of intriguing matchups. Not every game is expected to be close — No. 1 Texas and No. 2 LSU are heavily favored over their respective opponents — but if March teaches us anything, it’s that we should never assume.
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All times ET.
Women’s March Madness schedule for round of 32, Sunday
Date: March 22
Watching in person? Get tickets on StubHub.
|
Game |
Time (ET) |
TV |
Stream |
|---|---|---|---|
|
North Carolina vs. Maryland |
Noon |
ESPN |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
|
Michigan vs. NC State |
1 p.m. |
ABC |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
|
Minnesota vs. Ole Miss |
2 p.m. |
ESPN |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
|
LSU vs. Texas Tech |
3 p.m. |
ABC |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
|
Duke vs. Baylor |
4 p.m. |
ESPN |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
|
Texas vs. Oregon |
6 p.m. |
ESPN |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
|
Oklahoma vs. Michigan State |
8 p.m. |
ESPN |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
|
TCU vs. Washington |
10 p.m. |
ESPN |
Fubo (Watch Now) |
ABC is available for free over the air. All ESPN networks are available on ESPN Unlimited.
No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 5 Maryland
Fort Worth 1 Region
Nyla Harris led the way with a double-double in North Carolina’s first-round victory over Western Illinois. UNC’s stifling defense was on full display, limiting the Leathernecks to just 30.4 percent shooting while forcing 15 turnovers. The Tar Heels’ depth is the real story this season. Four players average double-digit scoring, and two more are at 8.8 per game and up.
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Maryland leaned on its efficient offense in a 99-67 win over Murray State, with three players scoring at least 18 points. All-Big Ten guard Oluchi Okananwa was able to take a rare back seat, logging 14 minutes as the Terps pulled away down the stretch. She’ll have fresh legs against a North Carolina team she’s all too familiar with: She previously spent two seasons at Duke and played a key role in defeating the Tar Heels in last year’s Sweet 16.
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 7 NC State
Fort Worth 3 Region
Michigan put away Holy Cross early in the first round, leading 27-6 at the end of the first quarter before going on to win 83-48. Mila Holloway and Syla Swords caught fire from 3-point range, sinking seven of their 13 combined attempts — the Wolverines as a whole went 8-for-18 from deep. The victory was expected, but it was a nice way to wash away the 17-point loss to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament.
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NC State bested Tennessee near the end of Friday’s slate, leaving the Lady Vols without a win in March for the first time in program history. The Wolfpack were in control from the opening tip thanks to Zamareya Jones’ career-high 30-point performance. Tennessee gave up 25 free-throw attempts (of which NC State made 21), a painful reminder that you can’t give up too many freebies this time of year.
No. 4 Minnesota vs. No. 5 Ole Miss
Sacramento 2 Region
Minnesota overcame Green Bay’s upset bid behind a massive fourth quarter, outscoring the Phoenix 30-9 en route to a 75-58 win. Tori McKinney led a 14-0 run to open the frame that put the Golden Gophers ahead for good, and third-team All-Big Ten guard Amaya Battle paced all scorers with 21. Surviving such a scare could be a turning point for Minnesota, which is playing in its first NCAA Tournament in nearly a decade.
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Ole Miss looked comfortable against Gonzaga, leading by as many as 33 points until the Bulldogs’ fourth-quarter surge cut the final margin to a more respectable 15. The Rebels were able to stay fresh — none of the starters surpassed 22 minutes — potentially putting them on track to score a 5-over-4 upset for the second year in a row. Ole Miss took down Baylor in the second round of the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
No. 2 LSU vs. No. 7 Texas Tech
Sacramento 2 Region
LSU could not have looked more dominant in its 116-58 rout of Jacksonville in the round of 64. Seven players reached double-digit scoring — Flau’jae Johnson had a game-high 20 — to help set a program record for most points in an NCAA Tournament game. Kim Mulkey’s squad won’t have it that easy again for the rest of March Madness, but the Tigers have made it known that they aren’t here to mess around.
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Texas Tech offers a drastically different style of play, ranking 18th in the nation in defensive rating. The Lady Raiders put that defense on display in their opening-round win over Villanova, winning 57-52 in a game that was decided in the final minutes. Keeping pace with LSU is a tall task, but Texas Tech has pulled off some big upsets this season, including wins over TCU, West Virginia and Baylor.
No. 3 Duke vs. No. 6 Baylor
Sacramento 2 Region
Despite giving up 36 points to Taryn Barbot, Duke cruised to a relatively easy win over the College of Charleston. Toby Fournier was unstoppable, delivering 24 points, seven rebounds and two blocks in just 24 minutes. Though she struggled with her outside shot, Ashlon Jackson dished a game-high nine assists. The Blue Devils have the opportunity to show some resolve here — they opened the 2025-26 season with a 58-52 loss to Baylor.
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The Bears were a popular upset pick in the round of 64, but a fourth-quarter rally led them to a 67-62 win over Nebraska. Baylor leaned on its defense and hit clutch free throws down the stretch, bouncing back from a nine-point deficit early in the final frame. Offensively, Nicki Collen’s team needs to be better to bring down Duke. Baylor shot a mere 4-for-21 from 3-point range against the Cornhuskers.
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 8 Oregon
Fort Worth 3 Region
Texas made light work of No. 16 Missouri State in its opener, jumping out to a 44-12 first-half lead over the Lady Bears and then relaxing into an 87-45 victory. The Longhorns held their opponent to 28.6 percent shooting from the field while connecting on half of their own shots, despite going 2-for-9 from 3-point range. Jordan Lee’s 19 points led the way, and Madison Booker cleaned up with a 14-point, 12-rebound double-double over 27 minutes.
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Oregon had a more difficult test in its opener, but it rode a strong second half to a 70-60 win over Virginia Tech that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates. Sophomore guard Katie Fiso picked up where she left off in the Big Ten tournament, contributing 22 points on 9-of-12 shooting, plus two blocks and a steal. The Ducks have the potential to compete in big games, as evidenced by their win over Maryland in the conference tourney and a double-overtime loss to Michigan in late December.
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Michigan State
Sacramento 4 Region
The Sooners’ high-powered offense showed out against Idaho. Oklahoma scored 57 points in the first half and eased off down the stretch, winning 89-59 in a game that was never all that close. Led by Raegan Beers and Aaliyah Chavez, the Sooners dominate the paint and rebound the ball better than virtually every other team in the nation.
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Michigan State went down to the wire with No. 12 Colorado State in the last round, trailing throughout the third quarter before rallying for a 65-62 victory. Grace VanSlooten was terrific, contributing 18 points and 10 rebounds on 8-for-14 shooting. As a whole, the Spartans had an uncharacteristic day from beyond the arc: Typically one of the nation’s most efficient teams, Michigan State made just four out of its 21 3-point attempts.
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 6 Washington
Sacramento 4 Region
Olivia Miles delivered in TCU’s rout of No. 14 UC San Diego, notching 12 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists over 32 minutes and becoming the first player to record a triple-double for two different teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Horned Frogs were surgical in their execution, shooting 49.2 percent from the field, 50 percent from beyond the arc and grabbing 56 boards to the Tritons’ 28.
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Washington used a big second quarter to pull away from upset-minded South Dakota State, outscoring the Jackrabbits 23-9 in the frame before rolling to a 72-54 victory. It was the Huskies’ first NCAA Tournament win since 2017, and they were powered by the reliable Avery Howell, who sank seven 3-point attempts in a 30-point showing. Washington must remain sharp to take down TCU.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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