Women's NCAA 2026 First Four Day 1 Scores, Results, Updated Bracket and Schedule

Let the Madness begin.

Wednesday marked the start of the 2026 NCAA women's basketball tournament with two First Four games. The No. 11 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region was on the line in the game between Nebraska and Richmond, while the No. 16 seed in the Fort Worth 3 Region was on the line in the game between Stephen F. Austin and Missouri State.

Here is a look at the results, while the full updated bracket can be found here.

Wednesday First Four Results

• No. 11 Nebraska defeats No. 11 Richmond, 75-56
• No. 16 Missouri State defeats No. 16 Stephen F. Austin, 85-75

Thursday First Four Schedule

• No. 16 Samford vs. No. 16 Southern, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN 2 (Sacramento Region 4)
• No. 10 Arizona State vs. No. 10 Virginia, 9 p.m. ET on ESPN 2 (Sacramento Region 4)

Nebraska defeats Richmond, 75-56

It seemed as if the game between Nebraska and Richmond was going to come down to the wire when the Spiders closed an early double-digit deficit to just two points by halftime.

And then the third quarter happened.

Nebraska outscored Richmond 27-6 in the third quarter alone on the way to a 75-56 victory to survive and advance.

Britt Prince led the way with 22 points, five assists and two blocks on 10-of-14 shooting from the field. Callin Hake played a supporting role with 14 points, four rebounds and four assists.

Hake drilled 4-of-5 shots from the outside and took advantage of opportunities when Richmond collapsed on Price.

Maggie Doogan led the way for the Spiders with 24 points and 10 rebounds, but it was not nearly enough to counter the Big Ten opposition.

The Cornhuskers now face sixth-seeded Baylor in the round of 64 with some momentum following such an impressive showing. The Bears have also lost two in a row, meaning there could be an upset in store if Prince and Co. continue to play well.

No. 16 Missouri State defeats No. 16 Stephen F. Austin, 85-75

Much like Nebraska did in the first game, Missouri State seized control of its contest with a dominant third quarter and rode the momentum to a victory.

The Lady Bears outscored Stephen F. Austin by 10 in that third quarter on the way to an 85-75 win to advance to the round of 61. They will face top-seeded Texas in the round of 64 in the Fort Worth 3 Region, which will be a daunting task.

For now, though, they are NCAA tournament victors.

Kaemyn Bekemeier led the way in a balanced offensive effort as one of five Missouri State players who scored in double figures. She finished with a double-double of 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Lainie Douglas also posted a double-double of 14 points, 10 boards and three blocks.

Maiesha Washington also did a little bit of everything with 18 points, six rebounds, four assists, one steal and one block, while Kendal Brueggen provided a spark off the bench with 13 points, nine rebounds and two steals.

Ashlyn Traylor-Walker did what she could for Stephen F. Austin with 23 points, but the team's overall offense went cold for too many stretches in the second half to keep pace with the balanced attack from the victors.