As March Madness came to a close, both the men’s and women’s tournaments delivered dramatic endings to conclude the 2026 NCAA basketball season.
The women’s championship game was held on April 5 in Phoenix, Arizona, and featured a matchup between the University of South Carolina (USC) Gamecocks and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Bruins. USC advanced after defeating the University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies in a 14-point game to end the Huskies’ undefeated season. UCLA was able to advance after defeating the University of Texas Longhorns in a low-scoring 7-point game. The championship game highlighted the differences between the two teams with the Gamecocks relying on their defensive performance and the Bruins on their physical offensive style.
The women’s national championship saw UCLA dominantly defeat the Gamecocks with a final score of 79-51. UCLA built an early lead and shut out the Gamecocks defense to under 30% shooting. Despite this being USC’s second straight runner-up finish after having defeated UConn in the final four, they were unable to maintain their momentum in the final moments of the tournament. After the win, the Bruins finished their season with a 37-1 record for the season to secure the program’s first NCAA Championship title.
The Men’s Final Four was held April 4 in Indianapolis, Indiana and featured two competitive matchups between the UConn Huskies and the University of Illinois, and the University of Michigan Wolverines and the University of Arizona Wildcats. The Huskies were able to secure their spot in the championship game by defeating Illinois, using their strong interior scoring which limited Illinois’ offensive abilities. UConn took control early in the game and maintained a slower pace to close out the game with a 9-point lead. The Wolverines earned their spot in the title game by killing the Wildcats with a well-rounded scoring performance. Michigan held a maximum lead of 30 points over Arizona during the second half but ultimately ended up winning with an 18-point lead.
The men’s national championship game took place on April 6 and ended in a tight matchup between the Wolverines and the Huskies with the Wolverines ultimately coming out on top in a 6-point defeat. Although the game remained close, Michigan led by four at halftime and was able to maintain their rhythm until the clock ran out. Late in the game the Huskies cut down the lead but Michigan’s Trey McKenney hit a crucial three-pointer to solidify the game for the Wolverines. As a result, Michigan took home their second national championship title for the program and UConn ended their perfect 6-0 record in championship games.
With the conclusion of these championship games, the 2026 edition of March Madness has officially come to an end. Though the Cinderella stories that have defined many championships are becoming less frequent in the world of name, image and likeness deals and the transfer portal, the tournaments are still full of exciting games and tightly-contested matchups that are sure to break someone’s bracket.