Apr 4, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; UCLA Bruins guard Kiki Rice (1) dribbles against Connecticut Huskies guard Azzi Fudd (35) during the fourth quarter in a semifinal of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

On3.com Reveals the Most Watched Women's College Basketball Teams of 2025-26 Season

Apr 16, 2026, 12:00 PM CUT

Women's college basketball saw one of its most successful periods in history with the 2025/26 NCAA season. ESPN announced that this year's March Madness drew its second-best viewership ever, including the third-most-watched national championship game, just behind the last two seasons.

Meanwhile, regular-season games also saw a 19% increase in TV ratings. With that said, let's take a look at On3.com's rankings of the top 5 most-watched teams this year.

1. UCLA - 1.666 Million

First-time national champions also took home first place in viewership, as the Bruins' run to the final, led by No. 4 overall draft pick Lauren Betts, was the catalyst for most of their average viewership. Their semifinal bout against the Texas Longhorns drew 5 million views.

But the final was where Cori Close's troops saw themselves in two out of the three most-watched matches this season. Their win over Dawn Staley and South Carolina drew an average of almost 10 million viewers.

NCAA, College League, USA Basketball: NCAA Tournament Second Round-Oklahoma State vs UCLA UCLA Bruins center Lauren Betts 51 reacts during a second round game of the women s 2026 NCAA Tournament against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls at Pauley Pavilion, Monday, March 23, 2026, in Los Angeles. UCLA defeated Oklahoma State 87-68. Jon Endow/Image of Los Angeles California United States EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xImagexofxSportx JonxEndowx iosphotos402335

2. South Carolina - 1.579 Million

The Gamecocks have been a pretty consistent draw under Dawn Staley, largely because they reach the tournament every season. The 36-4 team proved it again this season, reaching the final, where they fell to the mighty Bruins.

Apart from the final, the SEC title winners also took part in the second-most-watched game of the season against the UConn Huskies in the Final Four. The game drew 5.4 million viewers, thanks to the final-minute antics between Geno Auriemma and Staley.

3. Texas Longhorns - 1.71 Million

Vic Schafer's Longhorns were one of the most-watched teams in the regular season, playing in the top two games, including an average of 1.4 million viewers against the Gamecocks in their last game of the regular season.

Texas’s loss to eventual champion UCLA in Phoenix drew 5 million viewers, the third-largest audience of the year.

4. UConn Huskies - 835,000

While it is odd that a team that lost only one game and featured stars like Azzi Fudd does not rank in the top 3, it makes sense because the Big East is considered well below the top-tier Power 5 (Big Ten/SEC) level.

Still, the Huskies remain at fourth after their performances in March Madness. While the Final Four will be remembered for Auriemma and co. after his heated exchange with Dawn Staley, UConn also averaged 3.1 million viewers in their Elite Eight win over Notre Dame.

5. Notre Dame - 818,000

Speaking of Notre Dame, they round off the top 5 most-watched teams this year after an inspiring run to the Elite Eight led by Hannah Hidalgo.

This was the first time Notre Dame reached the Elite Eight under Niele Ivey after four straight trips to the Sweet Sixteen. They were rewarded with an 18-point defeat at the hands of Auriemma's Huskies, though that matchup helped them reach the top 5, according to On3.

So, which team did you watch the most in the NCAA this season?

Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Siddharth Rawat