South Carolina Gamecocks Reach Final Four as All No. 1 Seeds Advance

For only the fifth time in the history of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, all four No. 1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. South Carolina and Texas clinched the final two spots on the evening of March 30, 2026, joining UConn and UCLA in what marked only the second time the same four schools had reached the Final Four in back-to-back years - a feat previously accomplished only in 1995 and 1996, according to ESPN and NCAA.com.

South Carolina defeated No. 3 seed TCU 78-52 in the Elite Eight, held in Sacramento. Texas eliminated No. 2 Michigan 77-41 in Fort Worth. The four teams entered the Final Four with a combined record of 143-7, and each won their Elite Eight game by at least 12 points - an average margin of victory of 23 points across the four games, according to ESPN.

South Carolina’s Six Consecutive Final Fours

The Gamecocks’ appearance in Phoenix marked their sixth consecutive Final Four under head coach Dawn Staley - the second-longest active streak in women’s college basketball history, behind only UConn’s 14 consecutive appearances from 2008 to 2022, according to ESPN. South Carolina won the Elite Eight behind a dominant performance from sophomore Joyce Edwards, who finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds - her 22nd 20-point game of the season, tying a program record - and 18 points off the bench from freshman Agot Makeer, according to ESPN and CBS Sports.

South Carolina entered the tournament having won its prior four games in the NCAA tournament by a combined margin of 161 points. The Gamecocks had reached the Final Four having not trailed in any game until facing TCU, who opened with an early run before South Carolina closed the first quarter with a 12-2 surge to take the lead, according to ESPN.

The Field in Phoenix

The four teams heading to the Final Four in Phoenix reflected a season of sustained dominance at the top of the sport. UConn entered at 38-0, with the Huskies’ unbeaten run extending more than 50 games, according to ESPN. UCLA had finished undefeated in Big Ten conference play and was led by Lauren Betts. Texas had lost just three games all season. South Carolina carried a loss total of three as well, entering as the only team in the group to have faced early-season adversity.

The Final Four matchups were: South Carolina vs. UConn, a rematch of the 2025 national championship game which UConn won, and Texas vs. UCLA. Championship weekend was held in Phoenix and scheduled to conclude on Sunday, April 5, 2026, according to CBS Sports.

What Made This Bracket Unusual

All-No. 1-seed Final Fours had previously occurred in 1989, 2012, 2015, and 2018 - years spread across more than three decades. The back-to-back occurrence in 2025 and 2026 reflected what analysts described as an unusually concentrated level of dominance at the top of the sport. The combined four teams had held the top four spots in the AP Top 25 rankings throughout the season, and their margin of victory in the NCAA tournament was the largest average ever recorded for an all-No. 1-seed Final Four, according to ESPN.

References: Photos of the Week: March 26 - April 2 | Women’s March Madness 2026: Ranking the Final Four