UCLA Advances to Second Straight NCAA Tournament Final Four
No. 1 seed UCLA women’s basketball advanced to the Final Four of the 2026 NCAA Tournament after defeating No. 3 seed Duke in the Elite Eight on Sunday.
The Bruins trailed the Blue Devils for the entire first half and part of the third quarter. But the veteran-heavy UCLA squad immediately set a new tone at the start of the second half, outscoring Duke 20-8 in the third quarter. In the fourth, UCLA outscored Duke again 19-11 to win the game by a score of 70-58.
In addition to making it to their second Final Four in two seasons, the Bruins set a new program record with 35 total wins this season. The Elite Eight victory also marked UCLA’s 29th consecutive win this season. Mar 29, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Toby Fournier (35) defends against UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts (51) during the second quarter in the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament at the Golden 1 Center.
Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images Which Other Teams Are in the Final Four? UCLA will join No. 1 seed UConn as the second team to punch its ticket to the Final Four.
Both programs were part of the Final Four last season and could be rejoined by No. 1 seeds South Carolina and Texas for the second year in a row. The Bruins’ only loss of the season was against the Longhorns on Nov.