Women's March Madness: Virginia Stuns No. 2 Iowa 83-75 in Double OT to Reach Sweet 16

10-Seed Virginia Makes Women's March Madness History in Iowa City

In one of the most thrilling finishes of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament, 10th-seeded Virginia shocked second-seeded Iowa 83-75 in double overtime to punch its ticket to the Sweet 16. The Cavaliers did it on the road in front of a sellout crowd of 14,332 in Iowa City, completing one of the most improbable tournament runs in recent memory.

Virginia is now the first team in NCAA Women's Tournament history to advance from the First Four all the way to the Sweet 16. The Cavaliers have won three games in five days, including a 57-55 nail-biter over Arizona State, an 82-73 overtime win against Georgia, and now this double-overtime classic against Iowa.

Kymora Johnson Was Unstoppable

The story of this game was Virginia guard Kymora Johnson, who played all 50 minutes and finished with a game-high 28 points, including 14 in the overtime periods. When the Cavaliers needed a bucket, Johnson delivered every single time.

She was far from alone. Paris Clark added 20 points, Romi Levy contributed 13, and Caitlin Weimar chipped in 12 as Virginia's balanced attack proved too much for Iowa down the stretch.

Iowa's Missed Opportunities

Iowa had every chance to close this game out in regulation and the first overtime. Chazadi Wright's turnaround jumper with one second left in regulation rimmed out, which would have ended it. In the first overtime, the Hawkeyes missed two critical shots: a three-pointer from Stremlow and an Ava Heiden putback attempt that would have sealed the win.

Iowa shot just 36.9% from the field on 84 attempts, while Virginia was far more efficient at 44.4% on 63 shots. That efficiency gap was the difference in a game where every possession mattered.

The Hawkeyes got strong individual efforts from Ava Heiden (26 points), Chazadi Wright (21 points), and Hannah Stuelke, who posted her 10th double-double of the season with 15 points and 19 rebounds. But it was not enough to overcome Virginia's relentless composure in the extra periods.

Betting Implications and Bracket Impact

This result is a bracket buster for anyone who had Iowa advancing deep. As a 2-seed, the Hawkeyes were widely expected to make a run to the Elite Eight or beyond. Virginia entered the tournament as one of the last teams in the field, needing the First Four just to make the 64-team bracket.

For bettors, this is a reminder that the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament continues to produce high-seed upsets at an increasing rate. Virginia's resilience in close games, having won all three tournament games by single digits or in overtime, makes them a dangerous live underdog going forward.

What's Next for Virginia

Virginia advances to the Sacramento Regional semifinals where they will face 3-seed TCU. This is the program's first Sweet 16 appearance since 2000, and coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton has this group believing they belong.

"We were just so resilient," Agugua-Hamilton said after the win. "No matter what they threw at us, we just did not get rattled."

Johnson put it even more directly: "Not a lot of people have believed in us. We came into March trying to show what Virginia is about."

With the way this team has competed in three straight pressure-cooker games, counting out Virginia again would be a mistake.