UConn and Geno Auriemma beat Notre Dame 70-52 to secure 25th women's Final Four appearance

UConn advances to the 2026 Women’s Final Four after a 70-52 win over Notre Dame, staying undefeated as Geno Auriemma’s team chases another NCAA title.

FORT WORTH, Texas — All-America forward Sarah Strong scored 21 points, Blanca Quiñonez added 20 and defending national champion UConn beat Notre Dame 70-52 on Sunday in the Fort Worth Regional 1 final, sending coach Geno Auriemma and the Huskies to their 25th Final Four in the women's NCAA Tournament.

The Huskies (38-0), who have won 54 games in a row, clinched the first spot for the Final Four in Phoenix. They will be going for their 13th national championship.

Azzi Fudd, UConn's other first-team AP All-America pick, added 13 points and four assists.

Hannah Hidalgo had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Fighting Irish (25-11), plus three more steals to increase her NCAA single-season record to 202 and single NCAA tourney mark to 29. But she also had five turnovers, the first time in her 10 NCAA tourney games with more turnovers than steals.

The ninth NCAA tourney meeting between the Huskies and the Irish was their first with a spot in the Final Four on the line. They had both made it that far the first eight times they met in March Madness, the last in 2019 when Notre Dame won a semifinal game over UConn and then lost to Baylor in the title game.