It feels incredibly good to finally type this again: Kentucky women's basketball is officially back in the Sweet 16.
After surviving a harrowing, physical war against West Virginia, the Wildcats are packing their bags for Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas. The goal is clear, the opponent is set, and the time is etched in stone: Kentucky will tip off against the No. 1 seed Texas Longhorns on Saturday, March 28th, at 3:00 PM EST on ABC.
But this is not just a chance to advance to the Elite Eight. This is a massive opportunity for revenge.
The blueprint for a win is already on film
When these two teams met earlier in the year down in Austin, the final box score showed a 64-53 Texas victory. But anyone who actually watched that game knows the final margin was highly deceptive.
Despite playing an incredibly sloppy brand of basketball, Kentucky proved they had the athletes and the firepower to hang with the absolute best in the country. With just over five minutes left in the fourth quarter on the Longhorns' home floor, the Wildcats had fought all the way back to within a single point.
They eventually ran out of gas as Texas pulled away late. But the tape does not lie. If Kentucky can execute for a full 40 minutes, an upset in Fort Worth is entirely possible.
Curing the turnover bugaboo
To pull off that upset, Kentucky has to cure the glaring disease that plagued them in that first matchup: unforced errors.
The Wildcats committed a shocking, season-high 23 turnovers against the Longhorns. Tonie Morgan and Teonni Key were completely sped up by the Texas pressure, coughing the ball up six times apiece. You can't have two of your primary players turn it over 12 times.
When you give a No. 1 seed 23 extra possessions, you are begging to get run out of the gym. The secondary effect of those turnovers was that it completely suffocated Kentucky's offensive volume.
The Wildcats actually shot the ball incredibly well from deep in Austin, hitting 42.9% of their three-pointers (6-14). Asia Boone was electric, pouring in 16 points while shooting 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. Clara Strack bullied her way to 14 points and 7 boards, and Tonie Morgan added 12 points.
The efficiency was absolutely there, but the volume was missing. Because of the constant turnovers, Kentucky only managed to get 46 total shot attempts off for the entire game.
You simply cannot beat a top-seeded team like Texas, which got a combined 30 points from Justice Carlton and Jordan Lee, if you are taking fewer shots and constantly giving the ball away.
The ultimate test
The path to the Elite Eight is straightforward, even if executing it will be incredibly difficult.
Kentucky has the size in Strack and Key to battle in the paint, and they have the perimeter shooting in Boone and Amelia Hassett to stretch the floor. If they can handle the defensive pressure, execute in the half-court, and cut those 23 turnovers in half, Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth is going to be an absolute thriller.
Now, it all comes down to what happens on the court.
2026 NCAA Women's Tournament schedule
Sweet 16: Fri., March 27
No. 2 Vanderbilt vs. No. 6 Notre Dame | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 1 UConn vs. No. 4 North Carolina | 5 p.m. | ESPN
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Minnesota | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 2 LSU vs. No. 3 Duke | 10 p.m. | ESPN
Sweet 16: Saturday, March 28
No. 2 Michigan vs. No. 3 Louisville | 12:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 5 Kentucky | 3 p.m. | ABC
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 4 Oklahoma | 5 p.m. | ESPN
No. 3 TCU vs. No. 10 Virginia | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
How to Watch Kentucky vs. Texas women's basketball
Location: Dickie's Arena, Fort Worth, Texas
Tip time: 3 PM EST
Date: March 28th, 2026
TV Channel: ABC
Streaming: Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Sling TV (Orange Plan)
Local: If you live near an ABC affiliate like ABC36 in Lexington, you may be able to pick the game up via free TV over the air.