Women’s March Madness Round 2 Recap: UConn Dominates, USC Crumbles, Iowa Upset Shocks & More

After a few days of mostly predictable results, the second round of March Madness finally delivered chaos. While UConn and South Carolina kept marching forward without trouble, Virginia stunned everyone, pulling off the biggest upset of the tournament so far. No. 10 seed Virginia emerged as a rare Cinderella in the women’s NCAA Tournament. But before we get into their stunning run, let’s rewind and take a look at the other games that lit up another entertaining day of women’s basketball.

UConn Reaches 32nd Straight Sweet 16

It was business as usual for Geno Auriemma, as his side put together one of those stretches that now feels routine, a 31-0 run, to blow past Syracuse 98-45 on Monday night and secure yet another Sweet 16 berth. The last time they failed to make it this far was back in 1993.

After a frustrating first-round outing that was disrupted by foul trouble, Azzi Fudd bounced back in style and reminded everyone why she’s projected to go No. 1 in the upcoming WNBA draft. She wasted no time taking control, dropping 26 of her 34 points in the first half in what was her final game at Gampel Pavilion. Some way to bid goodbye to the place you called home for the past five years.

Fudd matched her career highs in both points and three-pointers, while also adding five assists and four steals. Her eight threes left her just one short of the March Madness single-game record, a mark held by Courtney Moses, Kia Nurse, and a certain Caitlin Clark.

Sarah Strong also chipped in with 18 points as UConn now prepare to face the North Carolina Tar Heels, aiming to extend their streak to 53 consecutive wins.

South Carolina Emerges as Biggest Threat to UConn’s Back-to-Back Dream

For the second time this season, there was no doubt about who the real “USC” is, as the Gamecocks once again dominated the Trojans in a 101-61 blowout to punch their ticket to the Sweet 16.

Two days after sprinting out to a 15-0 lead against No. 16 seed Southern, South Carolina came out with that same intent against USC. The Gamecocks opened the game on a 13-0 run over the first 5:47, and it quickly became clear how this would unfold. For anyone who thought Jazzy Davidson could pull off the upset alone without JuJu Watkins got their answer very quickly.

South Carolina’s frontcourt duo of Madina Okot and Joyce Edwards set the tone early, scoring the first eight points of the game as the Gamecocks raced to a 26-8 lead after the first quarter. The dominance only grew from there, with Dawn Staley’s side stretching the margin to as much as 46 points at one stage.

Joyce Edwards finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds in just 27 minutes, shooting 8-of-12 from the field and 7-of-10 from the line, while Madina Okot finished with 15 points, 15 rebounds, and three assists, going 5-of-6 from the floor and a perfect 4-of-4 from the line. Jazzy Davidson, on the other hand, struggled to find the same rhythm, finishing with 15 points on 5-of-15 shooting, a noticeable dip just days after her 31-point first-round performance.

This is now a second straight 100-point game in the big dance for the Gamecocks, and they do look like a team determined to get their revenge on UConn for last year’s final.

No. 10 Virginia Shocks Iowa to Pull Off Stunning March Madness Upset

For all the hype around Iowa heading into this year’s NCAA Tournament, it ended in disappointment. A loss to a No. 10 seed wasn’t something you would expect from a Hawkeyes team that had beaten Michigan and Michigan State. But that’s exactly why we call it March Madness.

UVA IS THE FIRST WOMEN’S FIRST FOUR TEAM TO EVER MAKE THE SWEET 16 pic.twitter.com/G8ZvXGQ2fC

— ESPN (@espn) March 23, 2026

The Cavaliers are heading to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000 after an 83-75 double-overtime win at Iowa on Monday afternoon. In doing so, Virginia has become this year’s first Cinderella story. They became the first women’s team to go from the First Four all the way to the Sweet 16.

In just its second NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years, 10th-seeded Virginia has put together a gritty run that deserves praise. It began with a narrow 57-55 win over Arizona State in the First Four, followed by an 82-73 overtime victory against seventh-seeded Georgia. Facing No. 2 Iowa was always going to be their toughest test yet, and they rose to it.

Thanks to a 28-point performance from star guard Kymora Johnson, who logged all 50 minutes, Virginia had just enough to pull off their second straight overtime upset. They will now prepare to face No. 3 TCU, who also needed overtime to get past Washington.

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