Women's March Madness Day 1 takeaways: Scores, analysis, recaps

The first 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 Friday, from upsets, blowouts and big performances.

Here is ESPN’s guide to all the Day 1 results, with analysis from reporters of how each game was won, and our experts’ takes on each winner’s chances to advance to the Sweet 16.

How Maryland won: Brenda Frese has only lost in the first round once in her 21 NCAA tournament appearances as head coach at Maryland. And the only game this season in which the Terrapins scored more points was a double-overtime win over Minnesota.

The Terps made the most of their big size advantage over the Racers. They dominated on the glass, 51-21, and turned that into extra offense with 52 points in the paint as well as 33 second-chance points (Murray State’s had five). Those 33 second-chance points were the most for Maryland in 10 years.

Two different Terps had season highs: Freshman Kyndal Walker came off the bench for 20 points and senior Mir McLean scored 19. McLean also led the way with 14 rebounds.

How the Terps can advance to the Sweet 16: That one first-round loss came in 2023. Otherwise, Maryland has reached the Sweet 16 in every NCAA tournament dating to 2021. Frese has a successful history in the second round, too. The production from McLean and Walker is a good sign. So much had fallen on leading scorer Oluchi Okananwa and Isimenme Ozzy-Momodu, but the help wasn’t there. That was largely to blame for Maryland losing its two losses prior to the NCAA tournament — which cost the Terps the ability to host games this weekend. That duo combined for just 13 points on Friday, yet the Terps still won comfortably. — Charlie Creme

How Baylor won: Baylor won the first and fourth quarters, Nebraska won the second and third. But ultimately, the Bears’ 26-15 edge over the Huskers decided the game. Taliah Scott, Baylor’s leading scorer who entered the game averaging 20 PPG, was 3-of-12 from the field, including 0-of-8 from 3-point range. But she made 9 of 12 free throws and finished with 15 points. Darianna Littlepage-Buggs had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

A flagrant foul by Nebraska’s Jessica Petrie with 3:48 left — initially unobserved by the officials but then confirmed after a challenge from Baylor coach Nicki Collen — proved crucial. The score was tied 53-53, but Scott hit two throws after the flagrant, putting Baylor up for good, 55-53. Petrie then fouled out with 3:21 left with 10 points.

Huskers sophomore guard Britt Prince led all scorers with 27 points, but it wasn’t enough for Nebraska, which ended the season 19-13.

How the Bears can advance to the Sweet 16: The Bears will have to beat the No. 3 seed Blue Devils on their home court. Duke lost just once at Cameron Indoor Stadium this season: Dec. 4 to LSU. But the Bears have a win over the Blue Devils already this season: 58-52 in the opener on Nov. 3 in Paris. Expect these teams’ NCAA second-round game to be a similar defensive battle. Last year, Duke made the Elite Eight, while Baylor lost in the second round to Ole Miss. — Michael Voepel

How Washington won: After falling behind by 10 points in the first five minutes, the Huskies found their rhythm and never looked back. They led by as much as 24 in the fourth quarter.

Washington sophomore guard Avery Howell became the fifth player in program history to score 30 points in an NCAA tournament game. Finishing with 30 points (hitting seven 3-pointers) and 9 assists, Howell was one assist shy of recording her eighth double-double of the season. She’s the first Washington player with 30 points and no turnovers in any game since Kelsey Plum 2016.

The Huskies’ turnaround was historic; their 14-point halftime lead was their biggest in an NCAA tournament game since 2001. They outscored the Jackrabbits 35-8 over the final 15 minutes of the first half as their defense fueled their offense. South Dakota State’s Brooklyn Meyer finished with 29 points and 7 rebounds, and Emilee Fox — the nation’s top 3-pointer shooter — knocked down four 3s, but Washington kept everyone else quiet.

How the Huskies can advance to the Sweet 16: This was Washington’s first tournament win since 2017, the year the Huskies made it to the Sweet 16 behind Plum’s 30 points per game. Washington will face No. 3 seed TCU — and triple-double threat Olivia Miles — in the second round. The Huskies cannot fall into an early hole like they did against South Dakota State. Washington must make sure its defense is clicking early. — Kendra Andrews

How Oregon won: In the rare 8-9 seed mismatch, Oregon cruised over Virginia Tech in a game that was not as close as the final score suggests. The Ducks led by as many as 21 points in the fourth quarter. Katie Fiso, one of only nine players this season to average more than 15 points and five assists, almost hit that mark against the Hokies with 22 points and four assists.

In their first NCAA tournament game under Megan Duffy, the Hokies never looked comfortable and Oregon settled in quickly. After the Ducks grabbed an 11-9 lead midway through the first quarter, they played in front the rest of the way. A Virginia Tech spurt near the end of the second quarter was quickly washed away when Oregon went on an 18-0 run in the third quarter to effectively end the game. Fiso and Ehis Etute combined for 10 of those points. Etute had 11 points and 11 rebounds and Mia Jacobs had 13 points, making 3-of-4 3-pointers.

How the Ducks can advance to the Sweet 16: The Ducks, who beat Maryland in the second round of the Big Ten tournament, have now won three of their last four games, their best streak since winning four in a row in late-January. When Oregon beat Maryland in Indianapolis, Michigan was up next — and the Wolverines handed the Ducks a 22-point loss. Oregon’s likely next opponent, Texas, offers an even bigger challenge.

This was also the 23rd win of the season for the Ducks, making this their most successful campaign since Sabrina Ionescu’s senior year in 2020 when the NCAA tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. — Charlie Creme

How TCU won: Like most of the season, Olivia Miles fueled TCU’s win over UC San Diego. She was short of her 19.6 PPG average, but Miles still dominated and registered a triple-double with 12 points, 16 rebounds and 14 assists. She becomes the third player to record multiple triple-doubles in NCAA tournament play, joining Oregon’s Sabrina Ionescu and Stanford’s Nicole Powell. The Horned Frogs shot 14-of-20 for 36 points off Miles’ passes, the most points produced by one player’s passes in an NCAA tournament game since 2021.

TCU jumped out to a 15-4 early lead and was never threatened by the Tritons, who shot just 23.0% from the field.

With Miles doing most of the setting up, three other Horned Frogs finished in double figures, led by senior Taylor Bigby‘s 27 points on 7-of-9 3-point shooting. Clara Silva had 13 points and Marta Suarez had 11, all in the first half.

How the Horned Frogs can advance to the Sweet 16: The Horned Frogs scored just 53 points in the Big 12 tournament championship game against West Virginia. TCU scored 48 in the first half against UC San Diego, erasing the memory of their second-lowest offensive output of the season. The Tritons are certainly not the Mountaineers, but an offensive game like this helps restore TCU’s confidence. The pick-and-roll offense looked sharp again with the Horned Frogs registering 23 assists on their 32 field goals. The 13 3-pointers on 26 attempts were also the most for TCU since early December. Having that shooting stroke against either Georgia or South Dakota State in the second round will be important. — Charlie Creme

How Duke won: Duke set the tone early by making it difficult for Charleston to get into any rhythm offensively. The Cougars shot just 19% in the first half and trailed 45-26. But in the second half, Charleston outscored Duke 38-36. At one point, Duke coach Kara Lawson tossed her dry erase board in frustration because the Blue Devils weren’t playing with the precision she knows they will need for the rest of the tournament.

That said, a lot of credit should go to Charleston junior guard Taryn Barbot, the Coastal Athletic Association Player of the Year. She had 36 points, her fourth 30-plus game this season and 10th of her career. It’s the most points the Blue Devils have allowed to any player this season — and they have played a difficult schedule.

Ultimately, the ACC champion Blue Devils had too much offense of their own, led by sophomore forward Toby Fournier‘s 24 points on 11-of-18 shooting. Delaney Thomas had 19 points and Jordan Wood came off the bench for 17.

How the Blue Devils can advance to the Sweet 16: The Blue Devils have had one of the best defenses in the country, and that showed more in the first half Friday than the second. That’s something Duke needs to be more consistent about in the second round. The Blue Devils moved the ball well with 25 assists, but part of Lawson’s irritation was turnovers, as Duke had 20. The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle 47-39, but Lawson wants more dominance in that category as well. — Michael Voepel