The NCAA Committee has officially dropped the bracket for the 2026 Women’s Basketball Tournament, and this time, the LSU Tigers enter March Madness as one of the top prospects from the Sacramento 2 Region, as they have officially received a No.2 seed.

The Tigers will be opening against No. 15 Jacksonville on Friday, March 20, at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center.

Furthermore, No. 7 Texas Tech and No. 10 Villanova also open in Baton Rouge, with the winner advancing to face the LSU Tigers in the second round.

That being said, here are a few takeaways from the bracket draw.

The UCLA Factor

The bracket's sharpest edge sits one round deeper. No. 1 seed UCLA shares the Sacramento 2 Region with LSU for the third straight season, and the two programs have split their last two tournament meetings.

LSU won in 2024; UCLA returned the favor with an Elite Eight victory last season.

First-Round Dominance
Since Mulkey arrived, the LSU Tigers have won all four of their first-round games by an average of 23 points.

Jacksonville arrives at 24-8, but the Tigers have too many weapons; the emergence of MiLaysia Fulwiley and Jada Richard gives LSU another gear heading into March.

A Resume Built for This Moment
The LSU Tigers went 8-5 against tournament teams this season, with road wins over No. 1 seed Texas and No. 2 seed Duke among the highlights.

That kind of battle-testing matters when the bracket tightens, and the Tigers have enough on their resume to back genuine confidence.

What Comes Next
Barring something unforeseen, the LSU Tigers should advance comfortably to the regional rounds.

The path beyond that runs through UCLA, a rematch the program has been circling since last March.

Tipoff against Jacksonville is Friday at 6 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Written by

Suryakant Das

Edited by

Alvin Jaymon