2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament: Updated bracket, results, schedule, TV

The 2026 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament is here! It’s time to dive into the bracket, results, schedule, where to watch and more!

UCLA, which made a run to the Final Four last season, is the No. 1 seed and gets the double-bye, as do seeds No. 2 through four. The top 15 teams out of 18 make the tournament and the first round features three games with No. 10 through 15 competing.

“All 14 games of this year’s tournament will be broadcast live to a national audience, starting with the opening round being streamed on Peacock,” the release read. “The Big Ten Network (and the FOX Sports app) will broadcast the second round through semifinal games from Thursday to Saturday. The championship game on Sunday, March 8, will tip off at 2:15 p.m. ET on CBS, the third time the network has carried the title game.”

It’s another loaded slate at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. The championship game is set for March 8th, so let’s dive into the latest bracket!

All times Eastern

First Round (March 4)

Game 1: No. 13 Indiana 72, No. 12 Nebraska 69 [Nebraska eliminated]

Nebraska came out of the gates swinging in Indianapolis, outscoring the Hoosiers 29-15 in a dominant first quarter. This led to a 45-28 Nebraska lead at halftime, which led many to assume this would parlay into an easy second half for the Huskers. This was not the case, as Indiana led a furious comeback and took a one-point lead with 1:03 remaining, thanks to a Lenée Beaumont three-pointer. The teams traded clutch layups, but late free throws helped Indiana hold on for the improbable win.

Game 2: No. 10 Illinois 82, No. 15 Wisconsin 70 [Wisconsin eliminated]

Illinois won three of four quarters in Wednesday night’s First Round matchup against Wisconsin, which resulted in a 82-70 win over the Badgers. Illini forward Berry Wallace led the way for her team, scoring a team-leading 22 points in 39 minutes of play. They will clash against No. 7 Michigan State on Thursday in a rematch of Jan. 4’s contest, which the Spartans won 81-75 in East Lansing.

Game 3: No. 11 Oregon 82, No. 14 Purdue 64 [Purdue eliminated]

A strong second quarter, in which Oregon outscored Purdue 26-12, propelled the Ducks to a 82-64 win over the Boilermakers in the First Round of the Big Ten Tournament. Oregon had three players in double figures, led by guard Katie Fiso‘s 18 points on 6-13 shooting. Purdue‘s season likely comes to an end, while the Ducks keep on marching in their second Big Ten Tournament since joining the conference.

Second Round (March 5)

Game 4: No. 8 Washington 76, No. 9 USC 64 [USC eliminated]

Elle Ladine led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting as four different Washington players reached double figures to power the eighth-seeded Huskies over USC in the first game of second day of action at the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis. Washington outscored the Trojans 48-30 between the second and third quarters to pull away for good. Avery Howell, a former USC transfer, added 18 points and nine rebounds, while Hannah Stines and Brynn McGaughy had 12 and 10 points, respectively. Londynn Jones led the Trojans with 19 points but USC shot just 18-of-58 overall in the game.

Game 5: No. 5 Ohio State 83, No. 13 Indiana 59 [Indiana eliminated]

The Buckeyes outscored the Hoosiers 49-28 in the second and third quarters combined to advance to the Big Ten quarterfinals Friday. Jaloni Cambridge and Chance Gray led Ohio State with 19 and 18 points, respectively, while Kennedy Cambridge added 13 points and Elsa Lemmila had a team-high 13 rebounds. Indiana was led with a game-high 21 points from Maya Makalusky.

Game 6: No. 10 Illinois 71, No. 7 Michigan State 69 [Michigan State eliminated]

For the second time in as many days, Illinois is advancing in the Big Ten Tournament. This time, the Fighting Illini played the upset role, taking down the higher-seeded Michigan State. An all-around team effort took place in Indianapolis. Five different Illinois players were in double-figure scoring, four of whom were starters.

Game 7: No. 11 Oregon 73, No. 6 Maryland 68 [Maryland eliminated]

In maybe the most exciting game of the day, Maryland and Oregon put together a classic. The Ducks entered the fourth quarter down five points, only to put 21 on the board in the final frame. An offensive explosion to once again advance in the Big Ten Tournament. Friday will bring another chapter of the journey, hoping to punch a spot in the semifinals.

Quarterfinals (March 6)

Game 8: No. 1 UCLA 78, No. 8 Washington 60 [Washington eliminated]

The top-seeded Bruins bounced back from a slow start with a strong 21-9 second-quarter effort to pull ahead and advance to Saturday’s Big Ten Tournament semifinals. UCLA’s Lauren Betts led all scorers with 26 points on 13-of-20 shooting and eight rebounds, while teammates Kiki Rice, Gianna Kneepkens and Charlisse Leger-Walker added 18, 13, and 10 points respectively. Washington’s Avery Howell led four Huskies players in double figures with 18 points on Friday.

Game 9: No. 5 Ohio State 60, No. 4 Minnesota 55 [Minnesota eliminated]

Jaloni Cambride and Elsa Lemmila each had 17 points apiece combining to shoot 16-of-35 from the floor to power the Buckeyes to a semifinal matchup against top-seeded UCLA on Saturday. Lemmila also added a team-high 11 rebounds while Cambridge contributed a team-high six assists, five rebounds and three steals. Meanwhile, Minnesota was led by a team-high 18 points and seven rebounds from Grace Grochoiski.

Game 10: No. 2 Iowa 64, No. 10 Illinois 58 [Illinois eliminated]

Iowa held onto its lead despite a massive fourth quarter effort by Illinois to secure a 64-58 victory. In the win, four of Iowa’s five starters scored double figures. Alas, nobody outshined Hawkeyes center Ava Heiden, who racked up a team-high 16 points, while shooting an efficient 6-7 from the floor. Heiden got it done on the other end of the hardwood as well, notching five blocks.

Game 11: No. 3 Michigan 80 No. 11 Oregon 58 [Oregon eliminated]

Michigan cruised to a comfortable 80-58 win over Oregon on Friday. The Wolverines dominated down low, reeling in 19 offensive rebounds, compared to Oregon’s mere 11. Additionally, Michigan squeezed 17 turnovers out of the Ducks. Syla Swords led Michigan with team-highs of 17 points and eight rebounds.

Semifinals (March 7)

Game 12: No. 1 UCLA 72, No. 5 Ohio State 62 [Ohio State eliminated]

UCLA led by as many as 16 points against Ohio State in Saturday’s first quarterfinal game, but the Buckeyes stayed within striking distance during the fourth quarter. Ultimately, the Bruins advanced to the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament championship game with a 72-62 victory with five players in double figures.

Game 13: No. 2 Iowa 59, No. 3 Michigan 42 [Michigan eliminated]

After Iowa jumped out to a 15-4 lead through quarter of Saturday’s game, Michigan was able to flip the script and take a one-point lead into the fourth quarter. However, the Hawkeyes regained full control, outscoring the Wolverines 24-6 in the final 10 minutes to get the 59-42 win and advance to the Big Ten women’s basketball tournament championship.

Finals (March 8)

Game 14: No. 1 UCLA 96, No. 2 Iowa 45 [Iowa eliminated]

The Big Ten Championship game was never close. UCLA outscored Iowa 22-5 in the first quarter and never looked back, running away with a comfortable 96-45 victory. All five of the Bruins’ starters scored double figures against the Hawkeyes. However, senior guard Gianna Kneepkens was especially excellent, tallying a team-high 19 points, while shooting 4-8 from 3-point range.