3 takeaways from BYU’s WBIT semifinal win over Kansas
BYU guards Olivia Hamlin (7) and Sydney Benally (2) celebrate during the Cougars' WBIT semifinal victory over Kansas on March 30, 2026. | Jaren Wilkey/BYU BYU’s magical postseason run continues. The Cougars came back late to defeat Kansas 70-67 in Monday’s WBIT semifinal contest, moving to 4-0 in the tournament and punching their ticket to the title game.
BYU will face No. 4-seeded Columbia on Wednesday in Wichita, Kansas, with the winner claiming the WBIT championship. Put in the work and 𝗪𝗢𝗡👊 pic.
twitter. com/fj7oGc9oB3 — BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) March 30, 2026 3 takeaways BYU overcame its toughest WBIT challenge yet. The Cougars cruised in each of their three previous postseason victories, leading for a collective 82% of the matchups and winning by an average margin of nearly 20 points.
But BYU fell into an early 8-0 hole Monday against Kansas, being held scoreless for more than four minutes to open the afternoon. The Cougars trailed at halftime and ended the third quarter down by five points, only to win the final frame by a 24-16 margin largely thanks to crucial separate scoring runs of 8-0 and 9-0. BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK 3'S FOR THE LEAD pic.
twitter. com/eA7qB4Fv1F — BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) March 30, 2026 All of the drama BYU avoided in the WBIT’s first three rounds showed up all at once against Kansas, as the game featured 10 ties and 13 different lead changes. The battle-tested Cougars proved up for the turbulent task, beating a Big 12 foe they’d lost to by 21 points less than two months ago, and doing so in a true road environment in Kansas’ backyard and 1,000 miles from Provo.