‘Time to get to work.’ No. 5 seed Kentucky women open NCAA tourney in West Virginia
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- Kentucky received a No. 5 seed and draws No. 12 James Madison in Fort Worth.
- Coach Kenny Brooks emphasized preparation after team missed a top‑16 host spot.
- Fort Worth Regional advances to Texas for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight March 27‑30.
For the first time since the 2005-06 campaign, and just the second time in program history, Kentucky has been named a No. 5 seed by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee.
After revealing Saturday afternoon that Kenny Brooks and Kentucky would not be hosting opening-round games next weekend — just missing out on a top-16 overall seed in this year’s Big Dance — the committee awarded the Cats (23-10 (8-8 SEC) a spot in the Fort Worth Regional and a first-round matchup with No. 12 seed James Madison.
“It’s just good to get an opponent this week,” Brooks said. “You spend a lot of time on yourself, rest, and just trying to think about ‘what ifs.’ So now, you’ve got an opponent, now it’s time to get to work. And that’s what we coaches want, we want to know who we’re playing next.”
The program’s sole experience on the 5-line resulted in a second-round exit at the hands of No. 4 seed Michigan State, which won 67-63 on March 20, 2006. The Spartans would go on to lose 86-61 to No. 1 seed Duke in the Bridgeport Regional Semifinal.
In addition to Kentucky and James Madison, host No. 4 West Virginia will also welcome the No. 13 seed and Mid-American Conference Champion Miami (Ohio).
This marks the first time that a Brooks-led team has not earned a top-four seed since his 2021-22 Virginia Tech team, which earned a No. 5 seed, and the first time a Brooks-coached UK squad will not host. Last season, Brooks led the Cats to a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament; Kentucky fell in overtime in the second round to No. 5 seed Kansas State.
“We’ve been fortunate enough to host in the last couple of years,” Brooks said. “We fell a little bit short this year. We knew we had some injuries, we had some stuff to make up and some time to make up, and we’re just fortunate that we’re here. Our fans, it’s a little bit of a hike, but our fans could come if they wanted to. But we’re just looking forward to the opportunity to play.”
The First Four will take place Wednesday and Thursday, with the first-round games beginning on Friday.
Regardless of the outcome of the first- and second-round games in Morgantown, the action in the Fort Worth Regional moves to Texas for Sweet 16 and Elite Eight play from March 27-30.
This year’s Final Four and national championship will be played at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix on April 3 and 5.
Kentucky fans planning to make the trip to Morgantown can purchase tickets through the WVU athletic department. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Monday at WVUSports.com.
This story was originally published March 15, 2026 at 9:37 PM.
