When the Sweet 16 tips off on Friday at the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament, the Vanderbilt women’s basketball (29-4) will continue its push for a national championship.
The Commodores will take on the No. 6 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (24-10) at 2:30 p.m. ET Friday at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
“So proud of my team, (Mikayla Blakes and Justine Pissott) sitting next to me ― especially these two, have been through a lot here,” Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph said after a second-round win over Illinois. “They came here to make a difference. They came here to do something that hadn’t been done before, and we’re on that path.”
The Commodores, who earned the No. 2 seed in the Fort Worth 1 Region, are playing in the program’s 15th overall Sweet 16 and first under Ralph.
“It’s so hard to get to the Sweet 16. It just is. It’s hard to win ― it’s hard to get to the tournament. It’s hard to win the first round,” Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said after upsetting Ohio State in the second round. “And to do this with this incredible group, seven scholarship players, on the road, it’s really hard to do.”
The winner from Friday’s matchup will play in the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, March 29, for the right to advance to the Final Four.
The Vanderbilt Commodores will play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Sweet 16 round of the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament at 2:30 p.m. ET on Friday, March 27, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.
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