UVA Basketball: Magical NCAA Tournament run ends with 79-69 loss to TCU in Sweet 16

The reality of women’s basketball is, it’s tough for a double-digit seed to even get to a Sweet 16, with the talent tending to gather with the top three or four programs.

Virginia is trying to claw its way back to the top.

The run in the 2026 NCAA Tournament may pay off down the road.

“We did something special, and we thought we were going to continue on to the Elite Eight. Came up short. But it doesn’t take away from our season and the growth we’ve had with our program,” fourth-year UVA Basketball coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said after her team’s 79-69 loss to #3 seed TCU on Saturday in the Sweet 16.

This one was reminiscent of the first three games for the Cavaliers (22-12) in the 2026 tourney.

Virginia led by as many as seven in the first half, and went into the break up one, 36-35.

TCU (32-5) seized control with a 13-2 run coming out of the locker room, and led by as many as 15 in the fourth quarter.

Proud moment: down 15, inside of two and a half minutes to go, Virginia would get the margin back to just six in the final 30 seconds with a 14-5 run, before TCU closed the game out at the line.

“Two teams battling,” Agugua-Hamilton said after the game. “I thought we had some really good moments in that game. Third quarter got away from us a little bit. But other than that, I was really proud of our fight, I was proud of the resiliency we showed.”

Paris Clark, in her final college game, led UVA with 20 points (6-of-10 FG, 2-of-3 3FG, 6-of-7 FT).

Kymora Johnson had 18 points (7-of-22 FG, 4-of-11 3FG, 0-of-2 FT) and eight assists, and played all 40 minutes – she was on the floor for all but two minutes of Virginia’s four games in the 2026 tourney.

TCU got 33 points and 10 rebounds from Marta Suarez and 28 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists from Olivia Miles.

“This is just the beginning for us in rebuilding this program,” said Agugua-Hamilton, who led Virginia to its first NCAA Tournament win since 2018 this year, and to its first Sweet 16 since way back in 2000.

“Our players are leaving a legacy. No matter what, they’ve etched their names in history, the NCAA history and also UVA history. I’m just proud of them,” Agugua-Hamilton said.