The concluding day of the second stage of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament has commenced. We are closely monitoring every match as the regional semifinals begin to take form.
ESPN presents this compilation of all outcomes from Day 4, featuring commentary from correspondents on how each match was secured, alongside our specialists’ perspectives on every victor’s prospects of progressing to the Elite Eight.
Louisville’s Victory Path:The Cardinals incurred five home defeats this season, and Alabama nearly added a sixth on Monday. Louisville managed to barely fend off the Crimson Tide, even though they provided an opening: they only converted 8 of 16 free throws and sank 7 of 26 attempts from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, Alabama was perfect on 4 free throws and connected on 12 of 26 from three-point range. However, Louisville also dominated rebounding 41-24 and committed merely 10 infractions compared to Alabama’s 21. Conversely, Alabama attempted only four free throws—converting every single one—and hit 12 of 26 from behind the arc.
Louisville asserted dominance on the glass, securing 41 rebounds to Alabama’s 24, and incurred only 10 personal fouls compared to Alabama’s 21. Tajianna Roberts and Elif Istanbulluoglu each tallied 18 points, with Laura Ziegler contributing 12. The Cardinals have now progressed to the Sweet 16 for the thirteenth occasion, and will now proceed to the Fort Worth 3 Regional. In contrast, freshman Ace Austin amassed 17 points, spearheading Alabama’s effort, a team that was aiming for its program’s initial Sweet 16 appearance since 1998. Nevertheless, the Crimson Tide conclude their campaign with a 24-11 record.
Louisville’s Sweet 16 Rival:(2) Michigan
Louisville’s Path to the Elite Eight:The Cardinals will confront a Michigan squad that sailed through its initial two tournament matches, defeating Holy Cross by a margin of 35 points and NC State by 29. Second-year stars Olivia Olson (27 points against the Wolfpack) and Syla Swords (26) have presented difficulties for opponents throughout the season, and the Cardinals must devise a strategy to prevent them from dominating the contest. Louisville failed to adequately defend the three-point line against Alabama to its desired extent, and it cannot permit the Wolverines such open opportunities. Louisville aims for its ninth journey to the Elite Eight, whereas Michigan pursues its second.— Michael Voepel