Women’s NCAA Tournament takeaways: Who’s punching their tickets for the Sweet 16?

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The Sweet 16 field will be set by the end of Monday’s games. Follow along as teams punch their tickets.

And as the tournament continues, don’t forget to check Austin Mock’s projection bracket to see how your team is expected to perform in each game. And if you filled out our “Beat the Expert” bracket, check in to see how you’re faring against our expert, Chantel Jennings.


No. 3 Louisville 69, No. 6 Alabama 68​


Sweet 16 opponent: No. 2 Michigan

For the 13th time since he took over the program in 2008, Jeff Walz has led Louisville to the Sweet 16.

The third-seeded Cardinals held on to beat No. 6 seed Alabama on Monday afternoon, 69-68 at the KFC Yum! Center. And yes, the game was just as entertaining as the score would suggest.

With 18 lead changes and eight ties, the teams took turns trading blows and finished the afternoon with identical points in the paint (24) and near-identical field goal percentages (46 for Alabama, 45 for Louisville). Alabama freshman guard Ace Austin, who entered the game averaging just 6.6 points per game and was scoreless against Rhode Island in Round 1, led the Crimson Tide with 17 points. But the Cardinals dominated Alabama on the boards and were powered by forward Elif Istanbulluoglu and guard Tajianna Roberts, who both finished with 18 points. (Istanbulluoglu also hauled in 11 rebounds). For star forward Laura Ziegler, who finished with 12 points, her last dance continues on after transferring from St. Joseph’s ahead of this season.

The Cardinals now get No. 2 seed Michigan later this week, catching the Wolverines as they play some of their best basketball.

Bonus points for at least one family in March Madness: Both Graves sisters, Rebekah for Louisville and Sarah for Texas, are now both headed to Fort Worth. Should the Cardinals and Longhorns both win their Sweet 16 matchups, we’d get a sister matchup in the Elite Eight. — Grace Raynor

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Louisville Cardinals, Women's College Basketball

2026 The Athletic Media Company

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