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Women’s March Madness Elite Eight: UCLA, UConn Shake Slow Starts to Return to Final Four

The Elite Eight has arrived. Sports Illustrated followed along with live updates, scores and analysis during Sunday’s matchups from the women’s NCAA tournament.
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Lauren Betts and the Bruins completed a second-half comeback to take down the Blue Devils and return to the Final Four.
Lauren Betts and the Bruins completed a second-half comeback to take down the Blue Devils and return to the Final Four. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

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UConn HuskiesNotre Dame Fighting IrishUCLA BruinsDuke Blue Devils

The 2026 women’s NCAA tournament continued Sunday with the first two games of the Elite Eight. No. 1 overall seed UConn got things started against Notre Dame, the ninth time these programs have met in the tournament. The Fighting Irish kept up with the Huskies for quite a bit before UConn pulled away for its 25th Final Four appearance. Afterward, Duke came out strong against UCLA, taking an eight-point lead into halftime. But the Bruins came back with a new game plan and secured a spot for a second Final Four appearance in the Lauren Betts era.

Sports Illustrated had live updates throughout the games with analysis, highlights and more from around the bracket.

Sunday’s women’s Elite Eight matchups

Final: No. 1 UConn 70, No. 6 52

The Fighting Irish kept things close through three quarters, but UConn’s dynamic duo of Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd ultimately proved to be the difference in the fourth quarter. The Huskies are headed to their 25th Final Four.

Meanwhile, what a run for the Fighting Irish. It’s unfortunate that it came to an end in the way it did. Notre Dame was a bit sloppy on offense and never seemed to get into a rhythm on that end of the floor. It was the first time in 19 years that Notre Dame scored fewer than 53 points in an NCAA tournament game.

UConn clearly didn’t have their best fastball, particularly on the offensive end, but its depth and defensive intensity won the day. —Tim Capurso

Final: No. 1 UCLA 70, No. 3 Duke 58

UCLA took a few body blows from Duke and kept on getting back up. The Blue Devils’ length was giving the Bruins fits in the first half en route to an eight-point lead for Duke heading into halftime.

But the Bruins came out of the locker room looking like a different team, as they played a much cleaner game offensively and found better shots. And star center Lauren Betts was a force in the paint, scoring 23 points to go along with 10 rebounds and five blocked shots.

UCLA showed a ton of resilience in fighting back in this game, an experience that could prove especially valuable in the Final Four.

Live updates, analysis and highlights from Sunday’s games

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