March Madness 2026: Fort Worth Region 1 bracket Cinderella, players to watch, schedule, odds and more

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More region breakdowns: Sacramento 2 | Fort Worth 3 | Sacramento 4

The2026 NCAA women's tournament is just days away. Here’s everything you need to know about the Fort Worth Region 1.

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It's no surprise that defending champion UConn has the shortest odds to win it all. The Huskies have eviscerated most of their competition this season. They're a perfect 34-0, and their 38.4-point average scoring margin is by far the highest in the country. Only one of UConn's games this season was decided by single digits, and that was its three-point victory over Michigan in the Hall of Fame Women's Showcase on Nov. 21. What's interesting is that No. 5 seed Maryland has better odds to win the national title than the No. 4 and No. 3 seeds in its region, North Carolina and Ohio State, especially because the Terrapins will likely see UConn in the Sweet 16 — if UMD even gets to that point of the tourney.

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It probably won't! UConn is simply that good. The Huskies haven't authored an undefeated national championship season under head coach Geno Auriemma since 2015-16. It's been 10 years, and the Huskies seem poised to accomplish the breathtaking feat once again. They're second nationally in points per game (88.8) and first in the country in scoring defense (50.4 ppg allowed). As for their region, well, they've already clobbered No. 3 Ohio State 100-68 and No. 6 seed Notre Dame 85-47 this season.

Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd are UConn's top-two leading scorers this season. (Photo by Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)Joe Buglewicz via Getty Images

Don't overlook Fairfield. It's tough being stuck in a region with UConn, but the 11th-seeded Stags have the benefit of being on the bottom half of that quadrant. They get No. 6 seed Notre Dame in the first round. If head coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis' team can knock off the Fighting Irish, they'll face either No. 3 seed Ohio State or No. 14 seed Howard in the second round.

Led by junior guard Kaety L'Amoreaux (17.6 ppg) and junior forward Meghan Andersen (16 ppg), Fairfield is top 40 in both offensive rating (108.3) and defensive rating (82.6), per Her Hoop Stats. Plus, the Stags have made 14 or more 3-pointers in 10 games this season. They're back in the dance for the third straight year, hungry for the program's first NCAA tournament win.

Fairfield topping Notre Dame really isn't out of the question. The Irish have dropped 10 games this season. Three of those defeats came against teams who finished with fewer than 20 wins. Hannah Hidalgo is a back-to-back ACC Player of the Year, but only two other Notre Dame players are averaging double-digit scoring figures during the 2025-26 campaign. 

  • UConn F Sarah Strong

Strong hit the ground running as a freshman, and she's been even more impressive in Year 2. She earned both Big East Player of the Year and Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors. Strong leads top-seeded UConn with 18.5 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Her 4.1 assists per game are good for second on the team.

  • Iowa State C Audi Crooks

Crooks is the nation's second-leading scorer. Now a junior, the center is averaging 25.5 points per game. She's responsible for four 40-pieces this season, including a 47-point outburst against Indiana on Nov. 30. When she scores 27 or more points, the 2025-26 Cyclones are undefeated. They're 11-0 in those games.

  • Vanderbilt G Mikayla Blakes

This region is filled with stat sheet stuffers, including six of the top-10 scorers in Division I: Murray State's Halli Poock (22.4 ppg), Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge (22.8 ppg), Western Illinois' Mia Nicastro (24.2 ppg), Hidalgo (25.2 ppg), Crooks (25.5 ppg) and, of course, Vanderbilt's Mikayla Blakes (27 ppg). Blakes, a sophomore guard, is atop the nation's scoring leaderboard. She's shot north of 36% from 3 and averaged close to three steals per game, picking up SEC Player of the Year accolades along the way.

All times ET

No. 1 UConn vs. No. 16 UTSA
Where: Storrs, CT
When: Saturday | 3 p.m.
TV: ABC

No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse
Where: Storrs, CT
When: Saturday | 5:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2

No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 12 Murray State
Where: Chapel Hill, NC
When: Friday | 3 p.m.
TV: ESPNU

No. 4 North Carolina vs. No. 13 Western Illinois
Where: Chapel Hill, NC
When: Friday | 5:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN News

No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield
Where: Columbus, OH
When: Saturday | 2 p.m.
TV: ESPN

No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 14 Howard
Where: Columbus, OH
When: Saturday | 11:30 a.m.
TV: ESPN2

No. 7 Illinois vs. No. 10 Colorado
Where: Nashville, TN
When: Saturday | 9:30 p.m.
TV: ESPN2

No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 15 High Point
Where: Nashville, TN
When: Saturday | 7 p.m.
TV: ESPN News

UConn is the obvious pick here. This Huskies team has a chance to become the seventh Auriemma squad to go unbeaten. UConn hasn't skipped a beat since losing Paige Bueckers to the WNBA. Strong and Azzi Fudd have been lights out, and no opponent has scored 70 points on the Huskies all season.

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