2026 Women's Final Four: One reason why each team can win the NCAA Tournament title

There's a case to be made for each No. 1 seed as they meet in Phoenix this weekend

PHOENIX -- Only four teams remain in the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. UConn, the reigning champ, is looking for a record-extending 13th title, but the Huskies can't overlook their competitors, because each team competing in Phoenix is dangerous in its own way -- this is only the fifth time in history that all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the women's Final Four.

In the semifinals, Geno Auriemma's group will face South Carolina in a rematch of last year's championship game. On the other side of the bracket, UCLA and Texas will face each other. The Bruins will be trying to avenge their lone loss of the season, which happened against the Longhorns in November.

But which team will be the last one standing on Sunday afternoon? All four teams have shown championship-caliber play the majority of the season. Here's one reason why each team can win it all.

UConn: Depth 

Despite losing Paige Bueckers, the reigning national champions have been even more dominant this year and come into the Final Four undefeated on the season. Their stars get a lot of attention, and rightly so. Sarah Strong just won Naismith Player of the Year and even got Tara VanDerveer's stamp of approval, while senior Azzi Fudd is a projected top-three pick in the 2026 WNBA draft thanks to her impressive scoring ability and elite shooting. 

But what really sets this UConn team apart is its depth. The other three starters -- KK Arnold, Ashlynn Shade and Serah Williams -- all play their roles perfectly, especially their point guard, Arnold, who has one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the country and whom Hannah Hidalgo pointed to as the toughest defender she faced.

And this UConn bench is full of x-factors.

"I feel like no other team has a bench like us," Strong said after UConn's Elite Eight win over Michigan. "We can have kind of anyone off the bench step up and change the whole pace of the game."

Hannah Hidalgo didn’t have a specific answer for who has been the toughest player to guard. But who has been the toughest defender on her? “Definitely KK (Arnold). She was just so aggressive for 40 minutes.” pic.twitter.com/wy6shXRRmX

— Isabel Gonzalez (@cisabelg) April 2, 2026

Case in point: In last year's Elite Eight win over USC, UConn's bench scored two points. In this year's Elite Eight win over Notre Dame, UConn's bench scored 32 points. The key driver of the bench is freshman Blanca Quiñonez, who is having a breakout postseason, averaging 17.25 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.

Every team in this Final Four is better and more experienced than it was last year, and everyone has a strong starting lineup with superstars. If UConn defends its title, it's going to be because the supporting cast rose to the moment.

UCLA: Lauren Betts 

UCLA's only loss this season was to Texas during the Players Era tournament in November. During that game, Bruins star center Lauren Betts only scored eight points and shot 4 of 8 from the field, which is well below her season average of 13 attempts per game. 

While this is a deeper roster than they get credit for, if they win it all, it's going to be because Betts stepped up to the moment and showed why she is one of the top centers in the game and a projected lottery pick in the upcoming WNBA draft. When UCLA plays through her in the post, and she is aggressive offensively and defensively, the Bruins are almost unbeatable.

At 6-foot-7, Betts is a force to be reckoned with in the interior, but her basketball IQ also helps her make the right passes when the defense is focusing on her. Although sometimes passing the ball is the right move, the team might have to figure out how to get Betts more touches now that the stakes are higher. UCLA has multiple scoring options, but Betts scored in double figures in every win the Bruins had against ranked opponents.

The Bruins reached their first-ever NCAA Final Four last year before suffering an 85-51 loss to UConn. Lauren Betts rewatched the game about 10 times before finally letting go. She was mad, but now she and the rest of the team have used that motivation to earn a ticket back to the final weekend of the tournament. 

"Just coming out with a certain level of aggression is going to be really important," Betts said when asked about what she needs to do differently in this rematch against Texas. "I'm going to make sure I do that from the very beginning."

Texas: Mental toughness

No heart? Softest team Vic Schaefer has ever coached? Nope. Not anymore. The Longhorns' 12-game winning streak includes winning the SEC Tournament for the first time ever. The Longhorns have already beaten both UCLA and South Carolina this season and proven that they are an even stronger contender than when they reached the 2025 Final Four.

They have size, physicality and have been battle tested. Defense is a key part of their identity under Schaefer and their offense has improved significantly, particularly with Jordan Lee embracing a bigger role. But their mental toughness and leadership are what truly set them apart. Although Vic Schaefer has called Rori Harmon the best point guard in the nation, he also benched her the entire fourth quarter in the 70-65 loss to LSU on Jan. 11. She can handle tough love, and the same can be said for her co-star Madison Booker.

"I think for our players, especially (Harmon, Booker and Lee), they know exactly what they're getting into," Schaefer said. "I just think there's a maturity about them and a level of focus and concentration and confidence that they know what's at stake, they know what to do, what needs to be done. That's how they've kind of been the last two months really. It's probably the best team I've ever had that is able to take a scout and in one day go and execute it."

In Feb, Vic Schaefer publicly blasted his team for having "no heart." Was the rant a pre-planned tactic? How did players take it? What happened the next day? And while other teams broke after call-outs, why did Texas surge? My latest for CBS Sports:https://t.co/0VB04rUyjg

— Lindsay Gibbs (@linzsports) April 2, 2026

There are going to be many gut-check moments this Final Four. Thanks to the Texas toughness, the Longhorns are much better equipped to deal with them than they were last season. That could take the Longhorns all the way to the second title in program history and first in 40 years.

South Carolina: Length and defense

Although UConn won 82-59 when it faced South Carolina during last year's national championship game, the Gamecocks are better equipped to make it more competitive this time around. South Carolina's length could be a problem for UConn, and this will actually be the toughest defense the Huskies have faced all season. 

"I think they're a much better team than they were last year. Really hard to prepare for," Geno Auriemma said about his upcoming opponents. "...They've added the size that is hard to match up with."

The Gamecocks are holding opponents to an average of 34.7% shooting from the field, which is the lowest field goal percentage of any team UConn has faced all season. South Carolina has star sophomore Joyce Edwards, an athletic and versatile forward who leads the points but also steals. Another problem for the Huskies -- and either UCLA or Texas --  is 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot, who leads the team in rebounds and blocks.

Even 5-foot-8 guard Raven Johnson could cause some issues. She has never missed a Final Four during her five years with the Gamecocks. Johnson is a pass-first point guard, as well as an efficient shooter, but one of her most talked about talents is her ability to lock up stars such as former Iowa guard Caitlin Clark during the 2024 national championship game. Johnson had set off on a revenge tour after Clark had waved her off during the 2023 Final Four. Revenge-mode Raven could certainly help the Gamecocks against a very strong UConn offense.