Women's March Madness Final Four, NCAA champion predictions

"UConn was selected as the Fort Worth 1 Region champion by all 22 voters. No other team was a unanimous Final Four pick, but the 1-seeds received a clear majority. South Carolina received 21 votes, Texas had 19 and UCLA 15."

"With LSU, the top No. 2 seed, and Duke, the best of the No. 3 seeds, together with UCLA, the No. 2 overall seed, simple math says it's Sacramento 2. But as loaded as this region is, it doesn't make the Bruins' path any more difficult. They can play either the Tigers or Blue Devils, not both."

"UConn was picked to win the national title on 13 ballots. Fellow 1-seeds UCLA (four), Texas (four) and South Carolina (one) were the only teams picked to win the championship."

UConn enters the 2026 women's NCAA tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, six wins away from their 13th national title and seventh perfect season. ESPN's 22 college basketball analysts made championship predictions before the first round. UConn received unanimous selection as the Fort Worth 1 Region champion, with all 22 voters picking them to advance to the Final Four. The No. 1 seeds dominated predictions overall, with South Carolina receiving 21 votes, Texas 19, and UCLA 15 for their respective regions. Half the voters selected all four No. 1 seeds for the national semifinals. UConn was picked to win the national championship on 13 ballots, while UCLA, Texas, and South Carolina each received votes to win the title. The Sacramento 2 Region emerged as the tournament's most competitive bracket.

Read at ESPN.com