Women's Final Four 2026: Live updates and analysis - ESPN

PHOENIX — The women's Final Four features the same collection of elite teams that played in the national semifinals a year ago. But this time, UConn and South Carolina (live on ESPN) are meeting a round earlier in a rematch of the 2025 national championship game.

In the nightcap, UCLA and Texas clash at 9:30 ET (ESPN).

Andrea Adelson, Kareem Copeland, Charlie Creme, Alexa Philippou and Michael Voepel are courtside and will provide live updates throughout both games. Come back after the games for analysis of how each team advanced to Sunday's title game.

Jump to: Final Four predictions

Which teams will prevail Friday? ESPN's Andrea Adelson, Kareem Copeland, Charlie Creme, Alexis Philippou and Michael Voepel break it all down and make their predictions.

Adelson: Lauren Betts. Let us be frank: Betts might have scored a lot of points against UConn in the 85-51 semifinal loss last year, but UCLA did not meet the moment and got blown out as the No. 1 overall seed. She is back in this situation, having learned and grown, and it is essentially now or never.

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For UCLA to have any shot to win the championship, Betts has to be at her best, on the floor and as a leader. In the first meeting with Texas in the regular season, Betts played 37 minutes and scored eight points and grabbed seven rebounds. UCLA needs much more to advance. «I think the biggest difference looking back at the film is just creating opportunities to get the ball as much as I can,» Betts said. «They're a really amazing defensive team. I think as the guards are getting pressured on the perimeter, just trying to become so open that they just can't,