Skip to main content
Women's Fastbreak On SI

Top 3 March Madness Moments So Far in Women's NCAA Tournament

The NCAA tournament has brought all of the emotions in its opening weekend.
Lindsay Burke|
Mar 8, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) handles the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Mar 8, 2026; Greenville, SC, USA; Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) handles the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the first half at Bon Secours Wellness Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The NCAA tournament has completed its first weekend and didn't disappoint those who tuned in. Each year it brings out the best performances, creates Cinderella-like stories for the underdog and shows every possible emotion, all on the sport's biggest stage.

The tournament, which started with 68 teams, will quickly dwindle down each round in a single-elimination tournament style. In this process, championship aspirations will be shattered and for those fortunate enough to advance, dreams will be fulfilled. Each season the bar gets raised to a higher standard with the growing interest in women's basketball combined with it's large pool of elite talent.

The second round tips off on Monday to determine who moves on to the Sweet Sixteen, but before that happens, here's the ranking for the Top 3 moments in March Madness' opening weekend.

No. 1: Maryland Head Coach Brenda Frese's Intense Moment with Oluchi Okanawa

One of the most significant things that March Madness will do is bring out some of the most intense moments between coaches and players. That's exactly what happened between Maryland's star guard Oluchi Okanawa and her head coach Brenda Frese during the third quarter of the team's second round match-up with North Carolina.

Just inches from Okanawa's face, Frese lit into her star sending a strong, very readable sentiment at the end of her delivery.

"I believe in you. But you gotta want this moment," Frese told Okanawa.

The moment quickly went viral on social media, drawing a spotlight on what sports is all about.

Initially, it's likely the image was eye opening to some, but the words that were poured into Okanawa from her coach were actually very inspiring and shows how good coaching influences a player. Okanawa would finish the game with 21-points, six rebounds and two steals after a slow start and a fiery message from Frese. It put their strong relationship on full display and showed what a coachable player looks like.

No. 2: Madison Booker's 40-point performance against Oregon

Texas Longhorns star Madison Booker put on an impressive display in the team's second round 100-58 victory over the Ducks. Booker's dominating performance also put her in the history books. Her career high game was also the most points scored by a Longhorn in an NCAA tournament in school history. As is stands, her 40-points is currently the most scored in both men's and women's tournaments for the university.

The Longhorns' three-time All-American also joined elite company. Booker became just the fourth player in tournament history to score 40-points and finish a game with at least five rebounds and five assists, joining a list that includes Caitlin Clark (who did it three times).

After finishing 14-of-21 and adding eight rebounds and five assists, Booker helped propel Texas to their third straight Sweet Sixteen appearance.

No. 3: Minnesota's Dramatic Last Second Win Over Ole Miss

March Madness is about dramatic wins. The Golden Gophers' match-up against a talented Ole Miss team brought that to the forefront. In a game where the Gophers trailed by eight points at the start of the fourth quarter, it was Amaya Battle's 15-foot baseline jumper with 0.7 seconds left that sealed Minnesota's spot in the Sweet Sixteen, their first since 2005.

The win seemed improbable for Minnesota given that Ole Miss controlled things for most of the game. The buzzer-beater created a memorable NCAA Tournament moment for a crowd of 10,763 that packed Williams Arena. That same crowd powered a 17-point performance from junior Mara Braun, which included a significant game tying 3-pointer with just 1:17 left in regulation.

The Gophers now await the winner of No. 1 UCLA and No. 8 Oklahoma State on Monday.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Lindsay Burke
LINDSAY BURKE

Lindsay Burke covers women’s basketball for Indiana Fever On SI and Women’s Fastbreak On SI. She graduated from Purdue University Fort Wayne with a Bachelor's Degree in journalism and a minor in media production. Early in her career she covered ECHL hockey, the NFL and college football and has since expanded her expertise to the WNBA and the Fever franchise.

Share on XFollow lindsay_burke94
Home/NCAAW