The first day of the Women’s NCAA Tournament saw high drama and historic moments as the field of 68 teams kicked off their bids in the 2026 Women’s March Madness. The action began Friday with eight first-round games, including a pair of upsets and a dominant display by a top seed.
In a tightly contested matchup in the Greensboro Region, No. 10 seed Syracuse staged a late surge to knock off No. 7 seed Mississippi State 73-70 in front of a raucous home crowd. The Orange, led by All-American guard Jada Carter, overcame a 10-point deficit in the final six minutes, including a go-ahead three-pointer with 22 seconds remaining. Carter finished with 24 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Mississippi State’s leading scorer, guard Taylor Rogers, struggled from the field, scoring just 12 points on 4-of-15 shooting.
Upset fever continued in the Seattle Region, where No. 11 seed Florida Gulf Coast stunned No. 6 seed Iowa State 68-62. The Eagles, making their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2019, shot 48% from the field and forced 18 turnovers to stifle the Cyclones’ offense. Florida Gulf Coast guard Mia Reynolds poured in 20 points, including four three-pointers, while Iowa State’s senior forward, Emma Brooks, managed just eight points in what was a disappointing end to her collegiate career.
Meanwhile, top-seeded South Carolina lived up to expectations with a commanding 92-55 victory over Howard in the Albany Region. The Gamecocks, ranked No. 1 in both the AP and Coaches polls, shot 56% from the field and held Howard scoreless for nearly nine minutes in the second quarter. South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso dominated inside with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while the Bison managed just 32% shooting for the game.
Elsewhere, Baylor, the No. 2 overall seed, rolled past Montana State 84-57 behind 22 points from standout NaLyssa Smith. The Lady Bears’ defense forced 20 turnovers and held the Bobcats to 34% shooting from the field. The remaining first-round games of the day saw No. 3 seed Stanford, No. 4 seed UConn, and No. 5 seed LSU advance with comfortable victories, setting up a slate of intriguing second-round matchups for Saturday.
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