When the 2026 women’s college basketball season began on Nov. 3, 363 teams had a shot at winning the national championship. Soon, that number will be down to four.
Yes, the Women’s Final Four is nearly upon us. This year’s event will be held in Phoenix at Mortgage Matchup Center—a first for the state of Arizona after four men’s Elite Eights. The sport’s usual suspects are expected to contend for berths, with the primary question being whether anyone can dethrone defending champion UConn.
Here’s a breakdown of what you need to know before the 44th Women’s Final Four under NCAA jurisdiction.
Women’s Final Four schedule
The Women’s Final Four will take place on Friday, April 3. The first game will tip off at 6 p.m. ET (4 p.m. MT), and the second will follow at 8:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. MT).
| TEAMS | TIME | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | 7 p.m. ET | Mortgage Matchup Center |
| Game 2 | 9:30 p.m. ET | Mortgage Matchup Center |
Location
Mortgage Markup Arena, the home of the NBA’s Suns and WNBA’s Mercury, will play host to the Women’s Final Four for the first time. Here is a look back at the last 10 scheduled Women’s Final Fours, their participants, and their locations.
| YEAR | PARTICIPANTS | CHAMPION | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Mississippi State, South Carolina, Stanford, UConn | South Carolina over Mississippi State | Dallas |
| 2018 | Louisville, Mississippi State, Notre Dame, UConn | Notre Dame over Mississippi State | Columbus |
| 2019 | Baylor, Notre Dame, Oregon, UConn | Baylor over Notre Dame | Tampa |
| 2020 | N/A (COVID-19 pandemic) | N/A (COVID-19 pandemic) | New Orleans |
| 2021 | Arizona, South Carolina, Stanford, UConn | Stanford over Arizona | San Antonio |
| 2022 | Louisville, South Carolina, Stanford, UConn | South Carolina over UConn | Minneapolis |
| 2023 | Iowa, LSU, South Carolina, Virginia Tech | LSU over Iowa | Dallas |
| 2024 | Iowa, NC State, South Carolina, UConn | South Carolina over Iowa | Cleveland |
| 2025 | South Carolina, Texas, UCLA, UConn | UConn over South Carolina | Tampa |
Contenders
For the duration of the 2026 season, one contender has stood head and shoulders above the rest. Even by the Huskies’ lofty standards, UConn’s `26 campaign has been dominant. The Huskies are averaging 88.8 points per game and allowing just 50.4, and only one team (Michigan on Nov. 21) has played them within single digits the entire season. UConn is paced by the formidable duo of guard Azzi Fudd (17.7 points per game) and forward Sarah Strong (18.5 points per game).
Outside of the Nutmeg State, UCLA may be the Huskies’ top challenger just a year after reaching their first NCAA Final Four as a program. The Bruins are 31-1 on the year, having lost only to Texas on Nov. 26; the two other squads to play them within single digits are the Wolverines and Ohio State. Leading the charge for UCLA are center Lauren Betts and guard Kiki Rice, the Big Ten’s leaders in win shares per 40 minutes and win shares, respectively.
Beyond the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the land, the SEC has a glut of potential Final Four players. South Carolina and Texas have forged an intriguing series this season, with the Longhorns taking two of the teams’ three matchups; both are 31-3 entering the NCAA tournament. Perennial threat LSU remains strong, and 27-4 Vanderbilt—which beat the Tigers earlier this year—is eyeing its first Final Four since 1993.
How to Watch
For the fourth consecutive year, the women’s national championship will air on ABC. ESPN has the rights to the Final Four, as it has since 1996.
| GAME | DATE | TIME | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Final Four Game 1 | Friday, April 3 | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| Final Four Game 2 | Friday, April 3 | 9:30 p.m. ET | ESPN |
| National Championship | Sunday, April 5 | 3:30 p.m. ET | ABC |
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- Men’s Basketball Bracket Watch: Auburn Slides Out, SMU and Texas Barely Hanging on
- Big 12 Swaps Out ‘Slippery’ Glass Court for Traditional Hardwood in Semifinals, Title Game
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NCAA Women's Final Four 2026: Schedule, Location, Contenders and How to Watch.
