The First Four is underway. And on Friday, the first round of the 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament officially tips off.
With 16 games on Friday and another 16 on Saturday, it can be hard to figure out where to put your attention.
1. No. 7 NC State vs. No. 10 Tennessee
Friday, 8 p.m. ET, ESPN
When the Wolfpack and Lady Vols faced off in the very first game of the season at the Ro Greensboro Invitational, both teams were ranked in the top 10 and had dreams of conference championships and deep NCAA Tournament runs. Now, one of them will be going home winless in March.
NC State won that November game 80-77, but that would be its only win over a ranked team all season. Despite standout seasons from Zoe Brooks and Khamil Pierre, both All-ACC first team selections, this young Wolfpack squad spent the season marred by a lack of chemistry and leadership.
Tennessee (16-13) is the only team to appear in every NCAA Tournament, but it enters this edition on a seven-game losing streak, the longest by the Lady Vols in the NCAA Tournament era. With just 16 wins, they tie the fewest wins by any at-large team in the past 40 years, excluding the shortened 2020-21 season. And as bad as all of that sounds, Tennessee's last month has felt even worse, leaving many wondering about the future of coach Kim Caldwell.
2. No. 8 Clemson vs. No. 9 USC
Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2
This has been an expected down year for USC with superstar JuJu Watkins sidelined with an ACL tear, but the Trojans are still a tournament team thanks to freshman phenom Jazzy Davidson, who is leading the team in points (17.6), rebounds (5.7), assists (4.2), steals (2.0) and blocks (2.0) per game.
Clemson, meanwhile, is one of the best stories in college basketball this year. With a top 10 recruiting class joining the program this summer, coach Shawn Poppie has the Tigers back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2019 and the second time since 2002. Clemson notched impressive wins over four of the other eight ACC teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament, including conference champions Duke.
While the future is bright for both programs, both want to prove that they belong now.
3. No. 8 Iowa State vs. No. 9 Syracuse
Saturday, 5:30 p.m., ESPN2
These teams have had very different journeys this season. Iowa State opened the season ranked No. 14 and spent the first 10 weeks ranked in the AP top 25 before going on a five-game losing streak while grappling with an injury to forward Addy Brown. Syracuse, meanwhile, bounced back from a 12-18 season last year to return to the Big Dance thanks in large part to ACC Freshman of the Year Uche Izoje, a 21-year-old center from Nigeria.
Izoje will have her hands full on Saturday with Audi Crooks, the junior center who is second in the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per game. Crooks scored 40 points in the NCAA Tournament as a freshman, and with another big game could join Caitlin Clark and Candace Wiggins as the only players with multiple 40-point games in the NCAA Tournament.
4. No. 5 Ole Miss vs. No. 12 Gonzaga
Saturday, 3:30 pm ET, ESPN2
This is a pretty lopsided game seed-wise, but that's because Gonzaga has one of the main X-factors that helps teams get upsets in March: 3-point shooting. Gonzaga has the second-best 3-point percentage in the nation behind UConn, led by Allie Turner, who shoots 46.7% from outside.
Ole Miss can beat the best teams in the game -- it upset No. 2 seed Vanderbilt twice this season and only lost to No. 1 seed Texas by three points. But the Rebels are inconsistent -- they lost to three teams that didn't make the NCAA Tournament in Kansas State, Florida and Texas A&M.
Last year, No. 12 seeds went 0-4 for the second straight season after going 2-2 in 2022 and 2023, so one might say the No. 12s are due for a win. If nothing else, it's worth it to tune in and watch Ole Miss's Cotie McMahon compete on the biggest stage.
5. No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 11 Nebraska
Friday, 2 p.m., ESPN
Speaking of being due, in 2025, No. 11 seeds went 0-4 in the first round for the first time since 2017. I wouldn't expect that to happen again this year. One No. 11 seed to watch out for is Nebraska, which won its First Four game 75-56 against Richmond on Wednesday night. The Huskers shook off their nerves early and came out after halftime on fire, going on a 17-0 run and winning the third quarter 27-6. Britt Prince was particularly impressive, with 22 points, five assists and three boards.
None of the Huskers played more than 30 minutes on Wednesday, so they should be plenty fresh when facing Baylor on Friday. The Bears lost four of their last seven games, and even though all of those losses came to NCAA Tournament teams, it's concerning how much they have struggled offensively down the stretch, scoring just 53 points in their two most recent games.
6. No. 6 Notre Dame vs. No. 11 Fairfield
Saturday, 2 p.m., ESPN
I'll be honest: this game could easily be a blowout. Notre Dame finished the season strong and has one of the most electric players in the country, Hannah Hidalgo. But I'm including it because the Irish have also been inconsistent during this rebuilding year and Fairfield coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis has turned the Stags into a MAAC powerhouse in her four seasons at the helm.
The Stags are on an 11-game winning streak heading into their third straight NCAA Tournament, and a No. 11 seed is their highest since 1988. Plus, Fairfield leads the nation in 3-pointers made with 11.4 per game. It's doubtful the Stags will be able to stop Hidalgo, but if they get hot from beyond the arc, they just might be able to keep up with her.
7. No. 8 Oklahoma State vs. No. 9 Princeton
Saturday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
You never know quite what to expect from this Oklahoma State team. Case in point: In late February, the Cowgirls fell 72-40 to West Virginia and then beat Iowa State 88-77. The Cowgirls impressively finished fourth in the competitive Big 12 and are searching for their first NCAA Tournament win in the Jacie Hoyt era.
Princeton went 26-3 this season and won the Ivy League championship to make its fifth straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Tigers haven't won a game in the Big Dance since upsetting NC State in 2023, but this year's squad is ranked No. 23 in the nation and looks primed to get a win for the mid-majors.
8. No. 5 Kentucky vs. No. 12 James Madison
Saturday, 2:30 p.m., ESPNU
This match-up is notable mainly for narrative reasons. Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks played for James Madison and then coached there from 1998 to 2016, first as a men's assistant, but most notably as the head coach of the women's team starting in 2003. Brooks led the Dukes to four CAA regular-season championships, five conference tournament championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances and is in the James Madison Athletics Hall of Fame.
This is the Dukes' best season since Brooks left for Virginia Tech in 2016, but Kentucky is a tough draw for sure. Pay attention to the battle in the post -- JMU ranks in the top 15 nationally in both rebounds and rebounding margin, thanks in big part to Ashanti Barnes. But the Wildcats have 6-foot-5 center Clara Strack, who averages 17.1 points and 10 rebounds a game.