SAN JOSE, Calif. — For the first time since 2001, the Arizona Wildcats are headed to the Final Four.

The top-seeded Wildcats punched their ticket with a 79-64 win against No. 2 Purdue, setting the school record for wins in a season (36) in the process. The previous wins record had stood since 1988, when Arizona reached the first of its four Final Fours — including the national title in 1997 — under legendary coach Lute Olson.

Shortly after the game ended, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd held a microphone and spoke to the jubilant, heavily pro-Arizona crowd at the SAP Center.

“I know this,” he said. “There’s a good-looking guy with white hair looking down on us right that happy.”

The reference to Olson, who died in 2020, brought even more cheers from Arizona fans.

“Lute’s given me a great life,” Lloyd said. “He and I shook hands only a few times, kind of in a handshake line or something at a game. … His legacy in Tucson is so powerful that he’s the guy, there’s others before him, but he’s the main catalyst to make our program the center of the community.”

But this year’s team, in Lloyd’s fifth season in Tucson, has a chance to surpass all its predecessors as the best in school history. The Wildcats will take a 13-game winning streak to Indianapolis, where they will play the winner of Sunday’s game between Michigan and Tennessee.

Lloyd’s impact at Arizona has been historic. The longtime Gonzaga assistant’s 148 wins over the past five seasons are an NCAA record for most wins by a coach in their first five seasons, eclipsing the record set by Brad Stevens at Butler. He guided the Wildcats to 33 wins in his first year and had three trips to the Sweet 16 in his first four seasons. But the Final Four had remained elusive — until Saturday.

Against a veteran Purdue team, Arizona was led by its talented freshmen. The Wildcats’ three freshmen starters — Brayden Burries (14), Ivan Kharchenkov (18) and Koa Peat (20) — combined for 52 points and were unphased by the biggest stage of their young careers. Senior guard Jaden Bradley added 14 points.

Arizona jumped out to a 19-12 lead at the 12:37 mark of the first half and looked like it might be ready to put the Boilermakers to bed early. But even after Purdue star Trey Kaufman-Renn picked up an early second foul, Purdue started to claw its way back.

One key change came when coach Matt Painter inserted sophomore big man Daniel Jacobsen into the game just as Arizona’s lead stretched to seven. The 7-foot-4 Jacobsen had played just four combined minutes in the previous two games and had mostly been out of the rotation this month, but his size was needed against Arizona, and his presence helped shift the tide. But it didn’t last.

Inside the locker room at halftime, Lloyd addressed the team before leaving them with a parting message.

“I said, ‘Guys, the coaching staff and I are going to leave right now. You guys got a few minutes to talk amongst yourselves and kind of figure this deal out and let’s go kick their ass in the second half,”‘ Lloyd said.

Arizona needed just over five minutes in the second half to reclaim the lead and slowly pulled away.

“I was literally a spectator just like you guys were in that second half,” Lloyd said. “That’s what it felt like.”

Purdue (30-9) falls short of its second Final Four in three seasons, and the loss spells the end of one of the great careers in college basketball history in Braden Smith, who broke Bobby Hurley’s career assist record earlier this season and finishes with 1,103. Smith led Purdue with 13 points but was just 4-of-15 from the field.

During Purdue’s last possession, with the game’s outcome having long been decided, Smith looked at Painter as if to ask whether to dribble it out or keep playing. Painter told him to play and what followed was a final assist to Fletcher Loyer, who added to his Purdue record with one final 3.

“Braden was [a great player] for us for four years,” Painter said. “Very, very consistent, very competitive, good guy.”

With less than a month until the 2026 NFL draft, teams are working on their prospect boards. It’s tough for each of them to come to a consensus because there are always a lot of opinions across front offices, coaching staffs and scouting departments. Everyone has their guys — the players they’re standing on the table for and arguing must be in the team’s plans.

These spirited debates were always fun when I was the general manager and executive vice president of the Jets (2006-12) and then executive vice president of football operations for the Dolphins (2015-18). I remember a lot of back-and-forth in predraft meetings in my first year running the Jets about what to do at pick No. 4. We talked about defensive end Mario Williams before it was clear he was going to Houston at No. 1. Running back Reggie Bush had some fans in the room, and a lot of folks wanted tight end Vernon Davis.

I was one of the people pounding the table for offensive tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. Our pass protection needed to improve, and Ferguson had the size and traits to be a foundational player. With Williams and Bush off the board quickly (along with Vince Young), we went with Ferguson over Davis.

Those kinds of discussions will play out in team facilities around the league in the coming weeks. And it goes beyond Round 1; when teams are about 15-20 picks away from their Day 2 and Day 3 selections, everyone starts to look at who is still on the board and outline a handful of players they believe could be available at the slot, before zeroing in on the final target.

With all that in mind, I decided to do a similar exercise, going back to my GM roots and picking out my guys for this 2026 class. But rather than cater to any particular team, I built a mini board across all seven rounds for a hypothetical Team X. No specific roster needs in mind. No championship or rebuilding windows to consider. No schemes or personnel preferences to factor into decision-making. Just the players I’d want in my lineup. I outlined a few names in Rounds 1-4 and then picked out one sleeper in each of the final three rounds. (I went outside the top 10 in Round 1 to avoid the obvious prospects.)

Let’s get up on the table and start arguing for some future stars.

Jump to a round:
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7

First-rounders I’d target outside the top 10

Makai Lemon, WR, USC

I love his style of play — he’s relentless and physical. Sure, Lemon might start off in the slot, where he played most of the time for USC. But I think he’s big enough at 5-foot-11 and 192 pounds to play outside in the pros. Lemon thrived in contested-catch situations in college, with 11 of them in 12 games last season. He finished with 11 touchdowns and was third in the nation in receiving yards per game at 96.3. With Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and/or Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson leading most WR rankings, Lemon should be there outside the top 10.

Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon

His athleticism is terrific, as he ran 4.35 in the 40-yard dash and had a 41-inch vertical jump at the combine. His 6-foot, 201-pound size is great. And I love his versatility; he lines up in the slot, deep and close to the line of scrimmage. Thieneman is the epitome of a modern NFL safety, and he can come in and start right away. The Purdue transfer has great film, and that great combine workout should be the extra push to make him a top-20 pick. He had 86 tackles and two interceptions last season. Sign me up.

Kenyon Sadiq, TE, Oregon

If I’m the general manager of a team in that middle part of Round 1, I’m making the case to my creative playcaller that Sadiq could open things up for the offense. He is explosive, with a blazing 4.39-second run in the 40 and incredible jumps of 43½ inches (vertical) and 11-foot-1 (broad). The production also matched the skill set. Sadiq caught 51 passes for 560 yards and eight touchdowns last season. At 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, he can be flexed out to create mismatches one-on-one with safeties.

The players I’d be targeting in Round 2

Peter Woods, DT, Clemson

There is a definite chance that Woods goes in Round 1. He was getting early-pick buzz last summer, but a lack of big-time production (only 33 tackles and two sacks last season) caused a lot of evaluators to cool on him. If there’s any shot I can get him in Round 2, I’m making it happen. Woods has explosive traits and could make a real difference on the interior. He might be a little undersized at 6-foot-3 and 298 pounds (with sub-32-inch arms), but I’m banking on the potential, upside and value on Day 2. Now, I’m just crossing my fingers that he’s still there.

Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State

I like this player a lot. I think Johnson will start in the NFL and could be an effective man-to-man corner on the outside at 6-foot and 193 pounds. He played in 48 games at the same school, which is a rarity in this transfer-heavy era of college football. And he has good production. Over the past two seasons, he had five interceptions, 13 pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Toss in 4.4 speed, and I see him as a day one starter.

D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana

Though I’d be pushing to get Johnson to play on the outside, I’d be equally persistent in landing Ponds to play in the slot. Even though he’s 5-foot-9 and 182 pounds, Indiana often had him on the outside. In the pros, he’s an ideal nickel. And given that most NFL teams play a lot of 11 personnel (three wide receivers), he probably will get on the field for more than 80% of defensive snaps. Ponds is tenacious, and his skill set should translate well to the next level. He had a tremendous pick-six on the first play of the CFP game against Oregon — one of seven career picks.

play

Indiana starts off Peach Bowl with an electric pick-six

Oregon QB Dante Moore goes to pass but is picked off by Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds, who takes it to the crib for a touchdown.

The players I’d be targeting in Round 3

Malachi Lawrence, Edge, UCF

A four-year player at UCF, Lawrence has a really good motor and posted solid production with 20 career sacks. Plus, he had a fantastic workout in Indianapolis, running a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-4 and 253 pounds. Anytime I can add a productive, high-motor pass rusher with production, I’m in.

Eli Stowers, TE, Vanderbilt

Quarterbacks love a tight end with a big catch radius, and that’s exactly what Stowers brings to the table. We have to get this guy. He’s 6-foot-4 and 239 pounds, and he jumped 45½ inches in the vertical. That’s wild. I know Stowers has to improve as a blocker, but he caught 146 balls and hauled in 11 touchdowns over the past three seasons (one of which was at New Mexico State). He can get down the seam and make big plays.

Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech

Rodriguez reminds me so much of Hall of Famer Zach Thomas. He has an incredible knack for forcing fumbles (seven last season, 13 over his career), and he picked off four passes in 2025. Typically when someone is that productive and instinctive, it carries over to the next level. I’d want him on my team, even though he’s slightly undersized at 6-foot-1 and 231 pounds. It’s sort of impossible to think he won’t make it as a starter in the NFL.

The players I’d be trying to steal in Round 4

Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas

I’m highlighting two quarterbacks in the Round 4 range, and I’d be happy getting either of them. I just can’t miss out on both of them. The first is Green, who of course dominated the combine. At 6-foot-6 and 227 pounds, Green had a 4.36 in the 40, 43½ inches in the vertical and 11-foot-2 in the broad jump. But he actually started to get my attention weeks earlier at the Senior Bowl. The accuracy needs to improve, but getting him in the building and working with him could pay off in a big way because of all those plus traits.

Drew Allar, QB, Penn State

The other quarteback is Allar, who started 35 games in college before a season-ending ankle injury last year against Northwestern. There’s a tremendous amount of intrigue with Allar because of his resiliency, and he’s the kind of player I’d love to bring in and chase that potential. At 6-foot-5 and 228 pounds, he completed nearly 65% of his passes over his career. There is enough of a foundation to work from and to try to develop for the future.

The player I’d be trying to steal in Round 5

Marlin Klein, TE, Michigan

There’s something special about Klein, who grew up playing mainly soccer in Germany, went to a boarding school in Georgia to play high school football and eventually became a captain his senior year at Michigan. I see great physical attributes at 6-foot-6 and 248 pounds. Even with 248 yards and one score last season, I believe Klein can make it over the long term. He’s the kind of developmental prospect I’d be looking for in this range.

The player I’d be trying to steal in Round 6

Bryce Boettcher, LB, Oregon

I guess I watched a lot of Oregon football last season — here’s my third Ducks player on the list. An undersized linebacker at 6-foot-1 and 233 pounds, Boettcher had a good week at the Senior Bowl, where he showed toughness and instincts. Over the past two seasons, he had 12 tackles for a loss, but I’m thinking he could be a core special teams player (at a minimum).

The player I’d be trying to steal in Round 7

Jaffer Murphy, K, UTSA

OK, I’m closing it out with an interesting kicker prospect. Murphy transferred to UTSA from Lake Erie College, where he hit 13 field goals in 2024 — including a 60-yarder. But he handled only kickoffs for the Roadrunners last season, with one extra-point attempt outside of those duties (which he made). At his pro day earlier this week, he booted a 70-yard field goal. Why not take a flier?

The Elite Eight is almost complete. Duke held on against St. John’s while Michigan pulled away from Alabama to join the winners of Thursday’s Sweet 16 games.

ESPN reporters are on-site to track all the action in UConn-Michigan State and Iowa State-Tennessee.

Jump to: How each game was decided

SWEET 16 LIVE TRACKER

SWEET 16 RECAPS

How Duke won: Duke heads to its third straight Elite Eight after a huge second half from three key players: Cameron Boozer, Isaiah Evans and Caleb Foster. Boozer started slowly, but he had 13 points and nine rebounds after halftime. Evans was terrific all game, scoring 25 points and hitting a massive step-back 3 to give Duke a 70-69 lead with 3:54 to go. Foster, who suffered a fracture in his foot just 20 days ago, was a game-changer in the second half, coming off the bench to go for 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting after halftime.

St. John’s took a 10-point lead early in the second half after a flurry of Duke turnovers, but Foster settled down the Blue Devils, and the Red Storm’s incredible 3-point shooting from the first half predictably cooled off. They went just 4-for-14 from 3 after making nine in the first half. — Jeff Borzello

How Michigan won: The Wolverines had the best overall player on the floor in Yaxel Lendeborg, and their overall backcourt depth leaned on Alabama after halftime. Lendeborg did it all, including catching and throwing lengthy outlet passes, finishing just three assists shy of a triple-double (23 points, 12 rebounds).

The Wolverines also received an early boost from freshman guard Trey McKenney, who had 12 of his 17 points in the first half, and benefitted from second-half surges from guards Elliot Cadeau (17 points) and Rodney Gayle Jr. (14). Michigan was much more efficient than Alabama from 3-point range, connecting on 13 of 27 attempts, and improved defensively as the game went along — that helped offset mostly shaky offensive performances from big men Morez Johnson Jr. and Aday Mara.

When the Wolverines are hitting from range and Lendeborg is filling the stat sheet, they are almost impossible to beat. — Adam Rittenberg

Sarah Strong makes picking the No. 1 player on this list pretty simple.

But even with the field narrowed to 16 teams, ranking the top 25 players in the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament is as difficult as ever.

With five players who were ranked on our pre-March Madness list now eliminated with their teams, there were new considerations. Our rankings take into account the players’ seasonlong statistics but also weigh their early-round NCAA tournament performances.

While several teams had multiple players make the cut, teams such as Louisville and North Carolina are so balanced that it was difficult to single out one player for the top 25. That isn’t a knock on the Cardinals and the Tar Heels. In fact, it has worked well for both, as they are among five ACC schools in the Sweet 16.

The regional semifinals start Friday (2:30 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Fort Worth and Sacramento, with star power in every game. Here are 25 of the best to keep an eye on.

Forward | 6-foot-2 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: 1

2025-26 stats: 18.4 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 4.1 APG

Strong continues to rake in the national player of the year awards, and though she hasn’t been otherworldly so far in the NCAA tournament, she has done what the Huskies have needed her to do to: lead them in scoring in their first-round win and be the rebounding and two-way force that makes her one of the most exciting prospects we’ve seen in some time. She has a knack for playing her best basketball when it counts — she was arguably their best player in the Final Four last year when UConn won its first title since 2016 — which should serve the Huskies well as the road gets tougher in Fort Worth, Texas, and ultimately Phoenix. — Alexa Philippou

MORE: Why Strong and the undefeated Huskies are so hard to beat

Guard | 5-8 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: 2

2025-26 stats: 27.0 PPG, 4.6 APG, 2.9 SPG

The best scorer in the country is so much more than that. That’s what the first two games of the NCAA tournament have proved. Blakes was one assist shy of a triple-double and had four steals in Round 2 against Illinois (30 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists). Equally if not more notable, the Fighting Illini starting backcourt of Aaliyah Guyton and Destiny Jackson going up against Blakes and Aubrey Galvan was a combined 1-of-13 from the field. In the first round, Blakes scored 30 points in just 29 minutes, but also had five assists. — Charlie Creme

play

Ralph on Vandy’s Blakes: ‘She’s the best player in the country’

As the Commodores prepare to face Notre Dame in the Sweet 16, Ralph joins “The Paul Finebaum Show” and speaks on why she feels Mikayla Blakes is the best player in the NCAA.

Guard | 5-6 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: 3

2025-26 stats: 25.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 5.6 SPG

The third-best scorer in the nation and one of the best two-way players in Division I, Hidalgo combined for 49 points through the first two games of the NCAA tournament. Hidalgo tallied eight steals in each of the first two rounds of the tournament, pestering opponents on defense and displaying her knack for swiping the ball when her opponent puts their guard down for just a second. Notre Dame will need every bit of her offensive fire and defensive prowess against Vanderbilt’s Mikayla Blakes, who leads the nation in scoring. — Kendra Andrews

Guard | 5-11 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 4

2025-26 stats: 17.8 PPG, 3.0 APG, 45.4% 3FG

Fudd was limited in the Huskies’ first-round game against UTSA, picking up three early fouls and finishing with seven points. But her next outing showed why she was named an AP first-team All-American. She tied her career high of 34 points, with 26 in the first half alone, exploding for 8-of-11 shooting on 3-pointers. Her well-rounded outing — she also finished with five assists and four steals — might have been her best performance as a Husky. If that version of Fudd — or close to it — shows up the rest of the tournament, UConn should have no problem cutting down the nets. — Philippou

MORE: The ‘imperfectly perfect’ family behind Azzi Fudd

Forward | 6-1 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: 5

2025-26 stats: 19.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.8 APG

The Longhorns’ leading scorer and rebounder, Booker is coming off a career-high 40 points in a 100-58 victory over Oregon in the second round. She was 14-of-21 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw line while also having eight rebounds, five assists and no turnovers — not technically a “perfect” game, but close. In Texas’ first-round win over Missouri State, she had 14 points and 12 rebounds. The Longhorns face familiar SEC foe Kentucky in the regional semifinals Saturday in the Fort Worth 3 Regional; in their 64-53 win over the Wildcats on Feb. 9, Booker had a season-low eight points. It was one of just two games this season where she did not reach double figures in scoring. So this might be a game she is personally hyped up to play, along with it being the next step in what Texas hopes is a journey back to the Final Four. — Michael Voepel

Center | 6-7 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 6

2025-26 stats: 17.1 PPG, 8.7 RPG, 3.2 APG

Betts scored a career-best 35 points on 15-of-19 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds in the Bruins’ win over Oklahoma State in the round of 32. She scored all of her points on two-pointers, displaying utter dominance in the paint. Her presence down low is critical to UCLA’s success in the tournament. This Bruins team is one of the best the program has had, and Betts is the engine that makes UCLA go. — Andrews

Guard | 5-10 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 7

2025-26 stats: 19.4 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 6.6 APG

It’s difficult to determine what was more special in TCU’s first two NCAA tournament games: Miles’ 12th career triple-double in the first round or her second-half turnaround that saved the Horned Frogs from elimination against Washington. The 16 rebounds and 14 assists (plus 12 points) against UC San Diego made Miles the third player with multiple triple-doubles in the NCAA tournament, and the first to do it with two different teams (TCU and Notre Dame). Her 14 points and six assists in the second half and overtime in the round of 32 led TCU in overcoming an eight-point halftime deficit to Washington to get to a second straight Sweet 16. It’s her third appearance in the regional semifinals. — Creme

Forward | 6-3 | Sophomore

Midseason ranking: 9

2025-26 stats: 19.9 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 59.5% FG

Edwards, coming off a 27-point first-round performance, added 23 points and 10 rebounds in the second round. Edwards is a player who thrives in the paint, making most of her shots from down low. When South Carolina faces Oklahoma, which was the only team to beat the Gamecocks in conference play, it needs this version of Edwards. When they played in January, she struggled. She scored just 12 points and didn’t have the same free-flowing, easy way of playing that she has shown in the tournament so far. — Andrews

Guard | 6-1 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: 10

2025-26 stats: 19.2 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 47.8% FG

After a pedestrian performance in the first-round blowout of Holy Cross, Olson was shut out in the first half two days later against NC State, and Michigan led by only three at the break. But after halftime, the All-American in Olson awoke, and 27 points and three steals later, the Wolverines had a 92-63 win. In 18 minutes, Olson produced more points than she had in any of her previous eight postseason games. — Creme

Guard | 5-7 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 19.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 5.8 APG

Johnson was included in our preseason top 25 player rankings, but not at midseason or pre-tournament. She proved she belonged with a brilliant performance in Iowa City to lead Virginia to the program’s first Sweet 16 since 2000. Virginia came into the NCAA tournament having lost its last three games in a row and four of its last six. But then things changed dramatically.

The Cavaliers are the first First Four team to reach the regional semifinals since the women’s field expanded to 68 in 2022. Johnson had 17 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a 57-55 First Four victory over Arizona State. In the first round, the Cavaliers beat Georgia 82-73 in overtime behind Johnson’s 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Then in Virginia’s biggest win in many years, she had 28 points and four assists in an 83-75 double-overtime victory over host and No. 2 seed Iowa. The No. 10 seed Cavaliers are the only double-digit seed in the Sweet 16 and face No. 3 seed TCU on Saturday in the Sacramento 4 Regional. — Voepel

Center | 6-4 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 13

2025-26 stats: 15.8 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 61.7% FG

Oklahoma wants to run. No team in the country plays faster. But the Sooners can’t run without the ball. That is why Beers is their ultimate X factor. Her rebounding and outlet passing are the foundation of the fourth-highest-scoring team in the country. So far in the NCAA tournament she has 16 defensive rebounds and 24 total to go with 18 points each in the wins over Idaho and Michigan State. Coincidentally, the 18 points and 14 rebounds Beers had against the Spartans is the same stat line she produced when the Sooners upset South Carolina, their next opponent, earlier this year. — Creme

MORE: 15 Beers, booming NIL sales, not a sip of alcohol: Raegan Beers’ viral jersey

Guard | 6-0 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: 21

2025-26 stats: 14.0 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 3.7 APG

LSU was unstoppable in the first two rounds, and Williams was a big reason why. She had 18 points, five rebounds and 10 assists in a 116-58 first-round win over Jacksonville. In the 101-47 second-round win over Texas Tech, she had 24 points, seven rebounds and four assists. She shot a combined 62.5% in those games. No. 2 seed LSU will take on No. 3 seed Duke in the Sacramento 2 Regional on Friday, a rematch of the Tigers’ 93-77 win at Duke on Dec. 4. Williams had 14 points and seven assists in that game. — Voepel

Forward | 6-2 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: 14

2025-26 stats: 17.4 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 2.3 BPG

Fournier’s rim protection is the cornerstone of Duke’s defense — and defense is the cornerstone of Duke’s success. She has had only three blocks in the NCAA tournament but helped shut down Baylor’s frontcourt. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, a 51.9% shooter on the season and the Bears’ second-leading scorer, was 3-of-11 from the field and had seven points. Baylor scored just 46 points over 40 minutes. Fournier also averaged 19.5 points per game, two above her season average, in the opening two games. — Creme

Guard | 5-10 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 15

2025-26 stats: 14.3 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.6 APG

Johnson put on a show for her final home game with 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting, along with four rebounds and three assists, as the Tigers beat Texas Tech 101-47 in the second round. In LSU’s 116-58 first-round victory over Jacksonville, she had 20 points and five rebounds. Johnson, who was a freshman on LSU’s 2023 national championship team, played well earlier this season against Duke, the Tigers’ Sweet 16 opponent in the Sacramento 2 Regional. She had 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting, five rebounds and three assists on Dec. 4 in LSU’s 93-77 win at Duke. — Voepel

Center | 6-5 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: 16

2025-26 stats: 16.9 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 2.6 BPG

As good as Tonie Morgan and Teonni Key have been for the Wildcats, this team’s success runs through Strack. To win, Kentucky needs her to be good. Through two games in the NCAA tournament, she has been very good. Her stat line against West Virginia — 18 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and four blocks — translated into winning. Strack led the team in those final three categories. A West Virginia team that averaged 12.5 offensive rebounds per game had just six against Kentucky. Strack’s 31.6% defensive rebound rate was the reason why. — Creme

Guard | 5-10 | Freshman

Pre-tournament ranking: 19

2025-26 stats: 18.3 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.2 APG

Oklahoma is in the Sweet 16 in back-to-back years for the first time since making three in a row from 2009 to 2011. Chavez leads the Sooners, the No. 4 seed in the Sacramento 4 Regional, in scoring and assists, and is second in Division I in free throw shooting (92.8%). She has not been afraid to take big shots in key moments. She had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists in the Sooners’ first-round victory over Idaho. She did not shoot well from the field (5-of-17, 29.4%) in Oklahoma’s 77-71 second-round win over Michigan State, but still finished with 18 points, five rebounds and six assists. She was a key factor in Oklahoma’s 94-82 overtime victory over South Carolina on Jan. 22 with 26 points, so we’ll see how she and the Sooners fare in the rematch in the regional semifinals. — Voepel

Guard | 6-0 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 12.9 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 44.5% 3FG

Johnson has been a steady contributor for the Gamecocks through the first two rounds of the tournament and all season long. Her style of play, including 2.6 assists per game, is what helps make South Carolina so dangerous and unrelenting. In the first round, she recorded her first career double-double, finishing with 10 points and 10 rebounds (also a career-best mark). Her height usually gives her an advantage, but she’s usually on the break when the Gamecocks run in transition, which is often. Heading into the tournament, Johnson was leading the SEC in 3-point shooting at 44.1%, which also ranked 10th in the nation. — Andrews

Guard | 6-0 | Sophomore

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 14.8 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.6 SPG

Swords’ overall production might have dipped a bit from her freshman season, but her importance to the Wolverines has not. That was evident in Sunday’s second-round win over NC State. Swords’ nine points led the way in a first half while the Wolfpack were still putting up a fight and Olson was struggling to score. In the second half, both Swords and Olson exploded, combining for 44 points in the runaway win. — Creme

Forward | 6-2 | Freshman

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 10.4 PPG, 53.4% FG, 2.1 APG

Quiñonez was more of an unknown on the national scene entering her freshman year at UConn, having grown up in Ecuador and played in a professional league in Italy. But when healthy, she has been a revelation for the Huskies — she missed eight games earlier this season due to a shoulder injury — and is arguably their X factor for the NCAA tournament. The freshman has looked plenty comfortable in her first March Madness, so far averaging 16.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.5 steals and 2.0 blocks through two games. — Philippou

Forward | 6-3 | Junior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 11.1 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 1.8 SPG

Thomas has played well this postseason, helping Duke win the ACC tournament for the second year in a row and advance to a third straight Sweet 16. She had 19 points and nine rebounds in the Blue Devils’ 81-64 first-round win over Charleston, then 17 and seven in their 69-46 second-round win over Baylor. She shot a combined 13-of-18 (72.2%) in those games, and her defense inside along with teammate Toby Fournier has been crucial for Duke. In the Blue Devils’ 93-77 loss to LSU on Dec. 4, she had 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting but just three rebounds. Thomas and Duke will be looking for a better performance on the boards in the upcoming rematch with LSU. — Voepel

Guard | 5-8 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 22

2025-26 stats: 14.2 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 3.5 APG

Fulwiley, a transfer from South Carolina, where she won the 2024 NCAA title, hopes to lead LSU back to the Final Four in her first season with the Tigers. She has had both hot and not-so-hot stretches this season. She was on fire, averaging 21.3 PPG in the six-game stretch before the NCAA tournament. However, she had a quiet opening weekend, with 13 points in the first round and two in the second round. Considering the Tigers routed Jacksonville by 58 points and Texas Tech by 54 in those games, they didn’t need much from Fulwiley. That will change in the Sweet 16 against Duke. Earlier this season, Fulwiley had 16 points and five rebounds in a 93-77 victory over Duke on Dec. 4. — Voepel

Center | 6-6 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 25

2025-26 stats: 13.5 PPG, 10.9 RPG, 1.5 BPG

Okot’s size makes her feel inevitable in the paint: An opponent will either have to go through her when she’s defending, or they will have to find a way to stop her when she’s trying to score. She finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds in South Carolina’s second-round win over USC, dominating when the other team didn’t have anyone to match her size. When the Gamecocks face Oklahoma, Okot will have to go against Raegan Beers. In their first matchup of the season, Okot lost the battle, totaling her second-fewest rebounds (four) and third-fewest points (six) of the season. Since that Jan. 22 loss, she has found a more comfortable role and more confidence in her game. — Andrews

Guard | 5-11 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: 17

2025-26 stats: 15.2 PPG, 4.5 APG, 49.7% FG

Rice has provided the Bruins with steady scoring through the first two rounds of the tournament, but she hasn’t done it nearly as efficiently as she did in the regular season. But her playmaking has stayed sharp, which is crucial for UCLA. Rice is in the midst of one of the best seasons of her career. The last time the Bruins played Minnesota, Rice tied her career high with 25 points. — Andrews

Guard | 6-0 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 13.2 PPG, 3.0 APG, 43.7% 3PT

The next two weeks will reveal whether Kneepkens, who transferred to UCLA from Utah last offseason, was the missing piece to get the Bruins from a Final Four team to a national champion, but there is no question she has made them better. Kneepkens’ 43.7% shooting from 3-point range on the season and 15 points on 3-of-6 shooting from deep in the second round against Oklahoma State were exactly what UCLA needed to take the next step. The Bruins shot 36.7% on 3-pointers in last year’s regionals and Final Four loss to UConn. — Creme

Guard | 5-11 | Senior

Pre-tournament ranking: Unranked

2025-26 stats: 11.3 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 3.6 APG

It’s hard to single out one player with the balanced Gophers, whose top five scorers average between 12.9 and 11.1 points. But Battle gets the nod as their leader in rebounds and assists, and she made the shot that sent Minnesota to its first Sweet 16 since 2005. She had 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists in a 75-58 first-round victory over Green Bay, and then 14, 11 and five in the 65-63 second-round win over Ole Miss. Battle’s baseline jump shot with under a second remaining against the Rebels sent the 4-seed Gophers to next try to tackle Goliath: No. 1 seed UCLA. In their Big Ten matchup — a 76-58 Bruins victory on Jan. 14 — Battle led the way for Minnesota with 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. — Voepel