The first weekend of the women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament is in the books, and the lone remaining Louisiana representation — at least from a roster standpoint — is now the state’s flagship university in its purple and gold.
LSU, which features two home-state stars in its starting lineup and a third native on the roster, dominated its two home games to punch a ticket to the program’s fourth straight Sweet 16 opportunity.
And Mikaylah Williams (Parkway) and Jada Richard (Lafayette Christian) were integral in the No. 2 Lady Tigers’ impressive showings against No. 15 Jacksonville and No. 7 Texas Tech.
Other Louisiana natives and former LHSAA prep standouts did not fare quite so well, though not within some contributions around the country.
Here’s the rundown of how everyone fared (or is faring) as the NCAA Tournament enters its second weekend.
Former Lafayette Christian star Jada Richard was among seven LSU scorers in double-figures March 20, 2026, during a record-setting 116-58 roll past Jacksonville in the NCAA Tournament. (Photo: Ethan Currie, @ShotByCurrie)
Mikaylah Williams (Parkway), Jada Richard (Lafayette Christian) | LSU
As mentioned, the Lady Tigers handled their business in their final home games of the season with a weekend-long offensive onslaught against their guests in which they also settled in defensively in the second half of the opener and carried that momentum into a complete performance Sunday. LSU rolled Jacksonville, 116-58, and Texas Tech, 101-47, to set a new NCAA Division-I record with 16 games scoring 100-plus points in one season. Williams provided 42 points on 15-for-24 (62.5%) shooting, including 4-for-8 (50%) from deep, and 12 rebounds, 14 assists, four steals and one blocked shot between the two games, including a career-high 10 assists Friday. Richard meanwhile added a combined 27 points on 11-for-17 (64.7%) shooting, including 2-for-6 (33.3%) from deep, and four rebounds, nine assists, four steals and one blocked shot. The Lady Tigers head next to Sacramento, where they will face No. 3 Duke on Friday.
Faith Lee (Ouachita Parish) | Missouri State
Missouri State returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022 and, for the fourth straight appearance (2019, 2021, 2022, 2026) managed at least one win. The No. 16 Lady Bears took care of business against Stephen F. Austin, 85-75, in a First Four matchup Wednesday, but saw that momentum halted swiftly Friday against No. 1 Texas in an 87-45 loss. Lee was among a handful of double-digit scorers in the First Four victory with 10 points, two rebounds and an assist. But Friday proved tough all-around, including for Lee who could only managed three points on 1-for-6 shooting against the powerhouse Longhorns.
Former Ouachita Parish star Faith Lee was the first Louisiana native to earn a victory in this year’s NCAA women’s basketball tournament as Missouri State advanced past Stephen F. Austin in the First Four. (Photo: Courtesy of Missouri State Creative Services)
Angela Williams (New Orleans native) | James Madison
No. 5 Kentucky pounced on No. 12 James Madison out of the gates and built a 25-point halftime lead that it wouldn’t let be seriously threatened the rest of the way in an eventual 71-56 win — despite continued battle and by the Lady Dukes who won both the third and fourth quarters. Williams played eight minutes off the bench for James Madison, splitting a pair of shots from beyond the arc to finish with three points and a steal.
Sanaa Bean (Edna Karr) | UTSA
Perennial power No. 1 Connecticut took control of its opening-round game against UTSA quickly and never let up, 90-52. The Roadrunners’ freshman forward from New Orleans got on the court for 12 minutes of action, but battled three quick personal fouls picked up in that time and, like the team overall, had a tough time getting much going against their host Huskies.
