MARCH MADNESS at GOLDEN 1 CENTER in Sacramento, Calif.
- Mar 28
- 4 min read
2026 DIV. 1 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
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EDITORIALS🎙
UCLA advances to the Elite Eight with a 80-56 victory over Minnesota on Match 27. Shown left to right are UCLA players Kiki Rice, Lauren Betts, center, and head coach Cori Close. Publicity Agents photo by Tony Ray Harvey
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Photos, and Reported by Tony Ray Harvey | Public Information Officer
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KIM MULKEY IS NOT RETIRING FROM COACHING, she tells the press
THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Sacramento, Calif. — The 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Sweet 16 and Elite Eight (Regional 2) at the Golden 1 Center tipped off on March 27 and will continue until March 29, 2026.
After the first day of action, UCLA and Kara Lawson’s Duke will meet on Sunday, March 29, to see who will move on to the Final Four.
Sacramento was chosen as a venue to highlight its capability to host major NCAA events.
80 UCLA (#1),
56 MINNESOTA (#4)
Kiki Rice had 21 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals, and Lauren Betts added 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 blocks as UCLA advances to the Elite 8 by beating the Minnesota Gophers 80-56.
Angela Dugalić added 13 points and 10 rebounds from the bench. Gabriella scored 10 points, and Charlisse Leger-Walker had eight assists for the Lady Bruins, who improved to 34-1.
Grace Grocholski had 12 points and 6 rebounds, and Sophie Hart scored 11 points for the Gophers, who ended their season with a 24-9 record.
L. Betts’ layup put the Lady Bruins up 18-10 in the first quarter. The Gophers charged back to cut the lead 26-23 on a triple by McKinney with 4:41 left in the second quarter. UCLA led 34-29 at the break.
L. Betts and Dugalić combined for 20 points, shooting 10 of 13 from the field in the 1st half for UCLA. The Gophers ’ starters accounted for 25 of Minnesota’s 29 points.
Jaquez’s two free throws at the line gave UCLA a 49-32 edge late in the third quarter as the Lady Bruins’ defense leveled up by controlling the paint and forcing shot-clock violations.
UCLA built up a 19-point lead midway through the final frame on a 3-point play by Jaquez.
UCLA made 32 of 61 shots (52%) from the field in the first, while the Gophers shot 22 of 58 (38%). The Lady Bruins powered to 52 points in the paint to Minnesota’s 22. UCLA also had 13 fastbreak points while the Gophers failed to score statistically in the category.
87 Duke (#3),
85 LSU (#2)
After missing key free throws earlier in the contest, Ashlon Jackson bounced back to make a 25-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Duke an 87-85 victory in the second game of the Sweet 16 to advance to the Elite 8.
MiLaysia Fulwiley had a career-high 28 points, four rebounds, and four assists off the bench for LSU (29-6). Mikaylah Williams had 22 points, five rebounds, and 1 block.
Taina Mair’s 24-foot 3-pointer gave Duke a 34-23 lead at the 6:59 mark of the 2nd quarter. The Lady Tigers cut the lead to 44-40, but the Blue Devils held on to lead by seven points at halftime.
Toby Fournier led the Blue Devils with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals in the first half. MiLaysia Fulwiley made 7 of 9 shots from the floor for 18 points in 18 minutes off the bench for LSU.
LSU took over the driver’s seat when Mikayla Williams converted a 3-point play to make the score 54-53 in the third quarter. The game was tied 65-all until Mair’s 10-foot jumper was the last bucket scored in the frame.
While Duke led, 84-83, Jackson missed two free throws with 19.8 seconds remaining. Williams would later make both of her shots at the charity stripe to put LSU up by one point. Mair missed on a triple from the corner, but the Blue Devils were able to get the rebound with 2.6 seconds left to set up a play for Jackson.
After the game, LSU head coach Kim Mulkey made it clear that she was not retiring after social media posts surfaced stating that the 63-year old woman would step down.
Kara Lawson, who played with the Sacramento Monarchs and won a title with the WNBA team in 2005, was elated to win a game in the city as a collegiate coach.
“I’ve been wanting to coach since I was seven,” Lawson said. “You asked if I was made for this (coaching). Yes, I am made for this.”
#UCLA #NCAA #MarchMadness #NCAAWBB #Minnesota #Duke #TexasChristian #TCU #LSU #SacramentoState #HornetsAthletic #Sacramento #KaraLawson #KimMulkey #LaurenBetts
Tony Ray Harvey | Public Information Officer
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