The third day of theWomen's NCAA Tournamentgets underway Sunday with matchups across the country. Eight games will be held across eight sites as we get down to the round of 32. The winners of Sunday's games will advance to the Sweet 16.
Odds say we'll see a repeat Final Fourwith UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina. There are now 28 other teams remaining who want to have a say in that.
The opening day of the tournament didn't see any upsets, butNo. 6 Baylor did have a close call with No. 11 Nebraska, while No. 5 Michigan State narrowly defeated No. 12 Colorado State.
The times listed can vary slightly if preceding contests run long, but there should always be something happening throughout the afternoon and evening hours. Here's the ranking of all the games and everything you need to know about how to watch Sunday's contests.
Players to watch in 2026 women's NCAA basketball tournament
1. No. 5 Maryland vs. No. 4 North Carolina
Time/TV:12 p.m. ET, ESPN
An old ACC rivalry will be renewed when the Terps take on the Tar Heels in the first game of the day on Sunday. It will mark the first meeting between the two teams since the 2014 ACC Tournament, where UNC handed Maryland a 73-70 loss in the Terps' final game in the league before bolting for the Big Ten. Maryland coach Brenda Frese beat UNC in the 2006 Final Four en route to winning her only national championship. UNC coach Courtney Banghart twice lost to Frese and the Terps in the NCAA Tournament when she was the head coach at Princeton.
2. No. 6 Baylor vs. No. 3 Duke
Time/TV:4 p.m. ET, ESPN
This is a rematch of the season-opener for both teams, as Baylor took a 58-52 win over Duke in November in Paris, France. The Blue Devils are a little bit different now. That loss was one of six they endured in non-conference play before breaking off a 17-game winning streak. One significant change to Duke's lineup was inserting Riley Nelson for Jadyn Donovan. For Baylor, Taliah Scott led them in scoring with 24 points in that win over Duke while Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had a double-double. They'll need similar production from their two stars to upset the Blue Devils.
3. No. 5Ole Missvs. No. 4 Minnesota
Time/TV:2 p.m. ET, ESPN
Minnesota avoided an upset on Friday as the Gophers trailed Green Bay by four points entering the fourth quarter before breaking off a 30-9 run to win by 17. Meanwhile, Ole Miss nearly led wire-to-wire in a comfortable double-digit win over Gonzaga where the Rebels flexed their athleticism, scoring 23 points off turnovers and 40 points in the paint. Under Yolett McPhee-McCuin, Ole Miss has been to the Sweet 16 twice in the past three years by winning their second-round game as the lower-seeded team.
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4. No. 7 NC State vs. No. 2 Michigan
Time/TV:1 p.m. ET, ABC
Zam Jones powered Wes Moore's Wolfpack over Tennessee on Friday with 30 points and five steals. There's a possibility that NC State will have to play without starting guard Zoe Brooks, who suffered a foot injury in the Wolfpack's first-round win. Michigan will be the favorite here with homecourt advantage, and the Wolverines' trio of star sophomores combined for 45 points, 20 rebounds and eight assists in a first-round win over Holy Cross.
5. No. 6 Washington vs. No. 3 TCU
Time/TV:10 p.m. ET, ESPN
Choosing South Dakota State over Washington in the first round was a trendy upset pick for many heading into the NCAA Tournament, but Tina Langley's Huskies coasted to a comfortable 18-point win behind 30 points from Avery Howell, who did her best Kelsey Plum impersonation by swishing seven 3-pointers. Now, Washington will be tasked with pulling off an upset over Olivia Miles and the Horned Frogs on their home floor.
6. No. 5 Michigan State vs. No. 4 Oklahoma
Time/TV:8 p.m. ET, ESPN
Michigan State had a close call with its first round opponent as the Spartans narrowly beat No. 12 Colorado State by three points on Friday. Oklahoma, which trounced Idaho by 30 points behind double-doubles from Raegan Beers and Sahara Williams, will be a much tougher opponent for the Spartans.
7. No. 7 Texas Tech vs. No. 2 LSU
Time/TV:3 p.m. ET, ABC
Texas Tech won an NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 2005 on Friday by outlasting Villanova by five points. Now, the Red Raiders face an LSU team eyeing its fourth straight trip to the second weekend of March Madness under Kim Mulkey. The Tigers topped 100 points for the 15th time this season in their first-round win over Jacksonville.
8. No. 8 Oregon vs. No. 1 Texas
Time/TV:6 p.m. ET, ESPN
Kate Fiso powered the Ducks with 22 points in its first-round victory over Virginia Tech. They'll now face No. 1 Texas for the chance to go to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2021. A No. 1 seed hasn't failed to advance to the second weekend of the tournament since 2023, when Indiana and Stanford both lost on their home floors in the second round.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:March Madness games today: Ranking the 8-game Women's NCAA Tournament schedule for Sunday
