Free Press staff writer Arpan Lobo breaks down the Elite Eight matchup between 1-seed Texas and 2-seed Michigan in the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament.
Fast facts
- Matchup: 1-seed Texas (34-3, 13-3, SEC) vs. 2-seed Michigan (28-6, 15-3 Big Ten); 2026 NCAA Tournament Fort Worth-3 regional final.
- Tipoff: 7 p.m., March 30; Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, Texas.
- TV: ESPN.
- Series: 1-0 Texas. The only other meeting between the two programs was in 2018, when Texas won, 69-52.
At stake: Winner advances to the Final Four in Phoenix on April 3-5.
Michigan women’s basketball: Meet the Wolverines
- Location: Ann Arbor.
- Coach: Kim Barnes Arico (311-150 over 14 seasons at U-M, 487-284 career).
- School tournament record: 15-13 in 13 appearances.
- Past 10 games: 9-1
- Scoring leaders: Olivia Olson, 19.2 points per game; Syla Swords 14.8; Mila Holloway, 12.4.
- Rebounding leaders: Olson, 6.2; Brooke Quarles Daniels, 5.2; Te’yala Delfosse, 4.6.
- Assist leaders: Holloway, 4.8; Quarles Daniels, 2.9; Olson, 2.5.
- 3-point leaders: McKenzie Mathurin, 40%; Macy Brown*, 36.1%; Holloway, 34.9%.
*Out for season.
The buzz: Michigan is back to the Elite Eight for only the second time in program history, with its only other appearance being a loss to Louisville in 2022. They’ve outclassed and outworked their first three opponents in the tournament, most recently overcoming an early deficit against Louisville to run away late in a 71-52 victory in the Sweet 16.
Even after slow shooting starts from stars Olson and Swords in their past two contests, the Wolverines have been able to break down their opponents by deploying constant pressure, picking up ballhandlers deep in their own backcourts. They force turnovers and create easy looks in transition. Olson, a third-team AP All-American, was big in the second half against both North Carolina State and Louisville, and has been Michigan’s leading scorer in the tournament.
Another factor aiding Michigan’s run? Outworking their opponents on the glass. Guard Brooke Quarles Daniels, at all of 5-foot-7, had a whopping seven offensive boards against Louisville. Michigan has won the rebounding battle in all three of its tournament games so far.
The Wolverines haven’t met an opponent like Texas yet, and particularly an individual force like Madison Booker.
Texas women’s basketball: Meet the Longhorns
- Location: Austin, Texas.
- Coach: Vic Schaefer (177-29 at Texas, 478-211 career).
- School tournament record: 58-36 in 38 appearances.
- Past 10 games: 10-0.
- Scoring leaders: Madison Booker, 19.3 points per game; Jordan Lee, 13.5; Kyla Oldacre, 10.4
- Rebounding leaders: Booker, 6.7; Oldacre, 6.1; Breya Cunningham, 5.6.
- Assist leaders: Rori Harmon, 6.1; Booker, 3.8; Lee, 2.5.
- 3-point leaders: Harmon, 45.8%; Bryanna Preston, 44.4%; 43.8%.
The buzz: After a dominating season, the Longhorns find themselves a win away from a second consecutive Final Four appearance. And the team’s biggest star is three-time All-American forward Madison Booker, who’s led the Longhorns in scoring on the way to another deep tournament run.
Booker is more than just a scorer, however, and is able to facilitate in half court. Although her 3-point field goal percentage has dipped compared to her sophomore season, she’s still able to provide spacing for Texas. Against Kentucky in the Elite Eight, she totaled 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists on the way to a 76-54 win for Texas that was never really in doubt.
Although the Longhorns have others with better percentages from deep, guard Jordan Lee is the team’s most willing outside shooter, hitting nearly 36% from range on more than three attempts a game.
Against Kentucky, Texas forced 24 Wildcat turnovers. The Longhorns boasted the third-best turnover margin in the country this season. Against a Michigan team that likes to bring pressure as well, the turnover battle could play a sizeable role in determining which program heads to Phoenix. The matchup represents a styles clash as well — the Wolverines are the eighth-best scoring offense in the country at 83.9 points per game, but Texas owns a top-15 scoring defense, limiting opponents to 56.4 points per game.
The contest is also taking place in Fort Worth, a much shorter trip from Austin than from Ann Arbor. The crowd is likely to be behind the Longhorns.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com
