Star players can make or break March Madness.
The2026 Women's NCAA Tournamentis down to the Sweet 16 and four victories is all that separates one team from hoisting the national championship trophy on Sunday, April 5. To win out, teams will rely on their best players to lead the charge.
Will Azzi Fudd lead the UConn Huskies to back-to-back titles for the first time since the program's four-peat from 2013-16? Will No. 1 UCLA finally get over the hump and win its first title? Can No. 10 Virginia continue to shock the world?
USA TODAY Sports has followed along with every upset, buzzer-beater and matchup from the 2026 Women's NCAA Tournament. Here are the 10 players who will ultimately decide who wins March Madness, split up by each regional bracket.
The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the 2026 NCAA Women's March Madness Second Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" /> 
See women's March Madness 2026, from mascots and fans to celebrities
The Alabama bench celebrate after a big three-point shot by Alabama Crimson Tide guard Karly Weathers (22) in the fourth quarter against Louisville during the2026 NCAA Women's March MadnessSecond Round basketball at the KFC Yum Center In Louisville, Ky. Weathers finished with 13 points. March 23, 2026.
Fort Worth 1 bracket
UConn guard Azzi Fudd
UConn has an embarrassment of riches, including senior guard Azzi Fudd. She was limited to nine points in UConn's first-round win over No. 16 UTSA, but got out of her "slump" in the Huskies' second-round rout of No. 9 Syracuse. She tied her career-high in points (34) and 3-pointers (8) after trimming her nails at the advice of head coach Geno Auriemma. (You read that right.) He told her to "file your nails down and be nicer to the ball and it will be nicer to you,'" Fuddrecalled. "And I did. I guess it worked."
Vanderbilt guard Mikayla Blakes
The Commodores are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2009, thanks in no small part to Mikayla Blakes. The sophomore guard recorded her second career double-double in No. 2 Vanderbilt's 75-57 win over No. 7 Illinois and was one assist short of a triple-double with 25 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. With the performance, Blakes (891 points) passed Aari McDonald (890) to become the NCAA's all-time sophomore leading scorer. Head coach Shea Ralph summed it up best: "We are witnessing a generational player. ... She's the nicest kid on the planet and will come out on the court and absolutely rip your heart out of your chest in a bunch of different ways, and you'll still want to give her a hug after."
Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo
What can't Hannah Hidalgo do? The junior guard led No. 6 Notre Dame to an 83-73 upset win over No. 3 Ohio State to punch the Fighting Irish's ticket to the Sweet 16 for the fifth consecutive season. Hidalgo finished two steals short of a triple-double with 26 points, a career-high 13 rebounds and eight steals. Hidalgo has scored 20 or more points in nine straight games. With the performance, Hidalgo passed Arike Ogunbowale (849) for the Notre Dame single-season scoring record with 856 points and counting. She also holds the single-season records for steals (189) and points per game (25.2).
Sacramento 2 bracket
UCLA center Lauren Betts
UCLA women's basketballreached the 30-win mark in back-to-back seasons for the first time in program history. The Bruins have another milestone in mind — the program's first national tile. Lauren Betts is leading the charge with a career-best performance in UCLA's second-round win over No. 8 Oklahoma State to punch the Bruins' ticket to the Sweet 16 for the fourth season in a row. Betts recorded a career-high 35 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the win. She's averaging 28.5 points in two games, more than 10 points over her season average.
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LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson
Senior guard Flau'jae Johnson has reached the Elite Eight in her first three seasons under Kim Mulkey, with the Tigers going all the way and winning a national championship in 2023. Johnson's one win away from making the Elite Eight again. She's upped her season scoring average to 22 points per game through the first two rounds and left the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the winningest player at home in LSU Basketball history, men's or women's, with 69 wins and only four losses.
Fort Worth 3 bracket
Texas forward Madison Booker
Madison Booker entered March Madness on a mission. Head coach Vic Schaefer challenged Booker to take on a bigger role offensively and pushed her to hunt her shot. The aggressive approach has paid instant dividends. Booker scored a career-high 40 points in Texas' 100-58 win over No. 8 Oregon in the second round. She rounded out her stat line with eight rebounds, five assists, two steals and no turnovers, which she was especially proud of. Booker's 40 points set a Texas single-game NCAA Tournament record. Watch out.
Michigan guard Syla Swords
Michigan is set to make its third Sweet 16 appearance in program history. Sophomore guard Syla Swords will be key if the Wolverines want to advance to the Elite Eight for the second time ever. Swords is scoring above her season average, with an average of 19.5 points per game. She surpassed the 1,000-point mark for her career following her 26-point performance against No. 7 NC State, where she hit 4-of-10 3-pointers. Swords' 80 made 3-pointers this season leads the team.
Sacramento 4 bracket
South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards
Joyce Edwards has been all the difference for the Gamecocks. The sophomore seamlessly slid into the starting lineup this season and has led the team in scoring, a trend she's continued into March Madness. Edwards is averaging a near double-double in the tournament, with an average of 25 points and nine rebounds across two games.
Virginia guard Kymora Johnson
Virginia emerged as a Cinderella team as the lone double-digit seed remaining after the Cavaliers became the first First Four team to advance to the Sweet 16. Kymora Johnson stepped up when her team needed her most on Monday and scored 14 of her 28 points in overtime to securea double-overtime upset over No. 2 Iowa, 83-75. It marked the Cavaliers' second consecutive overtime thriller. Johnson knocked down five 3-pointers to tie for the second most by a Cavalier in an NCAA Tournament game in the team's 82-73 overtime upset of No. 7 Georgia.
TCU guard Olivia Miles
TCU's offense starts and ends with Olivia Miles. She recorded 12 points, a career-high 16 rebounds and a program-record 14 assists inTCU's 86-40 blowout win over No. 14 UC San Diegoin the first round. She finished two assists short of another triple-double in the Horned Frogs' comeback, overtime win over Washington with 18 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists. Miles gets her teammates going and she must do it early and often in the Sweet 16. TCU cannot afford another slow start against a red-hot Virginia team.
Reach USA TODAY National Women's Sports Reporter Cydney Henderson at chenderson@gannett.com and follow her on X at@CydHenderson.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Who wins March Madness? These 10 players will be the deciders