The second round of the 2026 women’s NCAA tournament is underway as teams look to advance in the bracket.
We’re tracking how every team won Sunday, booking their tickets to the Sweet 16.
Here is ESPN’s guide to all the Day 3 results, with analysis from reporters of how each game was won, and our experts’ takes on each winner’s chances to advance.
How Michigan won: After NC State took an early lead in the first quarter, Michigan dominated for the rest of the game. The Wolverines were at their best when they played a press defense and forced multiple turnovers. Michigan led 28-25 at halftime but started the third quarter by dominating in the paint and pushed the lead to double digits with four minutes left in the period. Michigan’s Olivia Olson, who went scoreless in the first half, found her rhythm in the third and ended up with 27 points. Building off their double-digit lead, the Wolverines locked in with one quarter left and continued to play a stifling press defense. When NC State got into foul trouble, the Wolverines capitalized on the frustration ran away with the game.
How the Wolverines can advance to the Elite Eight: One word: press. Well, actually, three-word hyphenate: Full-court press. Michigan played its best ball Sunday when it pressed on NC State. NC State made 22 turnovers and seemed to crumble under the relentless defense. Scoring leaders like Mila Holloway and Olson will look to continue to to capitalize on opportunities in the paint. The home crowd Sunday seemed to infuse energy into the Wolverines; they need to carry that into Fort Worth. — Charlotte Gibson
How North Carolina won: The Tar Heels’ win was a true survive-and-advance affair. Far from an artistic success, North Carolina’s win was built on aggressive driving to the rim, opportunistic shooting and physical defense. A pair of sophomores led the way. Elina Aarnisalo scored 21 points and Lanie Grant had 20; the two combined to score or assist on 51 of North Carolina’s 74 points. But the biggest shot of the game came from freshman Nyla Brooks. Her 3-pointer with 1:43 left pushed the lead to 68-62 and out of reach for a Maryland team that struggled for the entire game to make shots. The Terps made just 3 of 23 3-point attempts and will regret a 17-of-31 performance at the free throw line. Maryland shot 32.4% from the field.
Playing in their last game in Maryland uniform, Saylor Poffenbarger and Yarden Garzon combined to shoot 3-of-23 from the field and 0-of-16 from 3-point range.
How the Tar Heels can advance to the Elite Eight: Back in the Sweet 16 for the second year in row, the Tar Heels will have much to improve upon if their first trip to Elite Eight since 2008 is possible. They allowed 21 Maryland offensive rebounds and turned over the ball 16 times. North Carolina will not be able to count on UConn or Syracuse missing the kind of open shots Maryland did.
One thing that worked: reversing the strategy of shooting 40 3-pointers in the first round against Western Illinois. North Carolina launched 11 3s against Maryland, making four, and instead routinely took the ball to the basket, scoring 44 points in the paint. Moving the ball better and getting more open looks from the perimeter will be an area to focus on. — Charlie Creme
