Historic First Four run
Virginia became the first ever First Four team to reach the Sweet 16 after a double‑overtime upset of No. 2 seed Iowa — a landmark moment for the women’s bracket and tournament seeding narratives. (espn.com)
Kymora Johnson scored 28 points and played all 50 minutes as Virginia defeated Iowa 83-75 in double overtime on March 23, 2026. (espn.com) Paris Clark poured in 20 points, Romi Levy had 13 and Caitlin Weimar 12 for Virginia while Iowa’s Ava Heiden led the Hawkeyes with 26 points and Hannah Stuelke collected 19 rebounds for her 10th double‑double of the season. (espn.com) Virginia’s run included a 57-55 First Four win over Arizona State on March 19 and an 82-73 overtime victory over Georgia on March 21 before the 83-75 double-OT upset of Iowa, moving the Cavaliers to 22-11 while Iowa fell to 27-7. (espn.com) The game at Carver‑Hawkeye Arena drew a sellout crowd of 14,332, and Virginia limited Iowa to 17 percent from three (5‑for‑29) while its bench outscored Iowa’s bench 15‑4. (virginiasports.com) Head coach Amaka Agugua‑Hamilton credited a programwide rebuild of culture and resources since her arrival and singled out her team’s resilience in overcoming late deficits across the three‑game stretch. (espn.com) Virginia is the only double‑digit seed left in the regional semifinals and will face No. 3 seed TCU in the Sweet 16 at the Sacramento site later this week per the tournament bracket. (espn.ph)
