UConn, UCLA lead early reveal of NCAA women's top 16 seeds - ESPN

ESPN

by Michael Voepel

February 15, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

UConn, UCLA, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt have been projected as the No. 1 seeds in the women’s NCAA tournament, marking an early reveal of the top 16 seeds ahead of Selection Sunday on March 15. The announcement also detailed the regions for each team, with UConn heading to Fort Worth, Texas, while UCLA, South Carolina, and Vanderbilt are among the teams in Sacramento, California. This setup reflects a two-regional system introduced in 2023, where each regional will crown its own champion before advancing to the national final. The Fort Worth region features defending national champions UConn, who remain unbeaten at 26-0 this season and aim for their seventh perfect season. Joining them are No. 8 LSU, No. 9 Ohio State, and No. 16 Oklahoma. In Sacramento, UCLA leads a strong field that includes Texas, Duke, and Ole Miss. South Carolina, as the No. 3 seed, heads to Fort Worth with Louisville, Iowa, and Michigan State rounding out its region. Vanderbilt, fresh off a dominant win over Texas, is the top seed in the Sacramento 4 regional alongside Michigan, TCU, and Maryland. The reveal highlights the dominance of the SEC and Big Ten conferences, each contributing six teams to the top 16. The ACC and Big East have one team each, with Texas from the Big 12 rounding out the bracket. This year’s tournament will see a mix of powerhouse programs and rising contenders, with matchups like UConn vs. Texas in Fort Worth and UCLA facing Duke in Sacramento generating excitement among fans. The early reveal provides clarity but is not final; the next update on March 1 will further refine the brackets. For sports enthusiasts, this insight into regional pairings offers a preview of potential showdowns and storylines to follow. With key teams like UConn seeking a perfect season and Texas looking to rebound after missing out on top-four positioning, the tournament promises intense competition across all regions.

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Originally published on ESPN on 2/15/2026