On an unforgettable afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball team stunned the college basketball world, toppling No. 2 seed Iowa 83-75 in a double-overtime thriller that will resonate for years to come. The March 23, 2026, clash was more than just a game—it was a historic moment for Virginia, as the Cavaliers became the first women’s First Four team to reach the Sweet 16 since the NCAA expanded its tournament format.
The Cavaliers, seeded 10th and playing their third game in just five days, showed remarkable resilience and composure in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 14,332 in Iowa City. After trailing 48-39 entering the fourth quarter, Virginia clawed back, outscoring Iowa 18-9 to force overtime, and then dominated the two extra sessions 26-18 to secure the upset and punch their ticket to the Sacramento Regional semifinals.
Junior guard Kymora Johnson was the star of the night, pouring in 28 points and playing every single one of the game’s grueling 50 minutes. Johnson’s performance was as gutsy as it was dazzling, highlighted by a clutch drive and bankshot with 18.5 seconds left in the first overtime to tie the game at 65—all while battling fatigue and the relentless pressure of Iowa’s defense. "Hungry and tired," Johnson admitted after the game, "but blessed and happy to be able to get the dub and be able to play 50 minutes."
Johnson’s heroics were complemented by Paris Clark’s 20-point, seven-rebound effort, while Romi Levy and Caitlin Weimar chipped in 13 and 12 points, respectively. The Cavaliers’ collective effort was needed against an Iowa team that led most of the way and had several chances to close out the contest in regulation and overtime.
For Iowa, the defeat was a bitter end to an otherwise spectacular season. The Hawkeyes, who finished 27-7 (15-3 Big Ten), struggled with shooting efficiency throughout the afternoon—connecting on just 31-of-84 shots from the field (36.9%), 5-of-29 from beyond the arc, and a frustrating 8-of-16 at the free-throw line. The inability to convert open looks, particularly from deep, left the door open for Virginia’s comeback.
Sophomore center Ava Heiden did everything she could to keep Iowa in the fight, leading the team with 26 points on 11-for-22 shooting and a perfect 4-for-4 from the line, before fouling out late in the second overtime. Chit-Chat Wright chipped in 21 points, while senior Hannah Stuelke capped her Hawkeye career with a monster double-double: 15 points, 19 rebounds, six assists, a block, and a steal in an exhausting 49 minutes on the court. Graduate senior Kylie Feuerbach contributed five points, seven rebounds, five assists, two blocks, and a steal before also fouling out in the second overtime.
The game itself was a rollercoaster, marked by defensive intensity, foul trouble, and a series of dramatic reviews and timeouts that only heightened the tension. Both teams struggled to find their rhythm early, with Iowa’s offense stalling and Virginia capitalizing on key three-pointers to build an early lead. The Hawkeyes’ high-low action was hampered by Heiden’s early foul trouble, forcing coach Jan Jensen to rotate her lineup and search for answers.
By halftime, Virginia held a slim 28-23 advantage, thanks in part to their ability to hit 4-of-11 from long range and exploit Iowa’s cold shooting. The Hawkeyes, meanwhile, managed just 1-of-12 from deep in the first half, a trend that would haunt them as the game wore on. Wright led Iowa at the break with eight points, but the team knew they needed to regroup offensively to keep their tournament hopes alive.
The third quarter saw a surge from Iowa, as Heiden and Stuelke began to assert themselves in the post, igniting the home crowd and helping the Hawkeyes roar back to a four-point lead. Stuelke’s buzzer-beating bucket to end the third quarter gave Iowa its largest advantage of the night, but Virginia refused to go away. Paris Clark’s back-to-back threes in the fourth quarter sparked a 6-0 run, forcing a Hawkeyes timeout as nerves began to fray on both benches.
As regulation wound down, both teams exchanged blows, with Iowa tying the game late and Virginia answering at the other end. In the first overtime, Iowa led 65-63 before Johnson’s fearless drive tied it up. The Hawkeyes had two chances to win—first a turnaround jumper from Wright, then a missed three and putback in the final seconds—but came up empty, sending the game into a second overtime.
In the decisive period, Virginia’s composure shone through. Johnson poured in 14 of her 28 points in the overtime frames, while Clark and Levy hit clutch shots to keep the Cavaliers in front. Iowa’s offense, hampered by fatigue and foul trouble, couldn’t keep pace as Virginia pulled away in the final minutes. As the buzzer sounded, the Cavaliers erupted in celebration, moving their name forward on the bracket and launching into an exuberant group cheer in the locker room.
Virginia’s coach, Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, praised her team’s resilience and belief. "We were just so resilient in this game," she said. "Iowa is a really good team. They’re a 2-seed for a reason. No matter what they threw at us, we just did not get rattled. We just believed that we were going to win this game before it even started. Every time they punched, we punched back, stayed poised." She reflected on the program’s journey, adding, "We had to do a lot of rebuilding when we got here in all facets of the program, even just rebuilding the community, the energy. But resources, players, culture, everything. I knew it was going to be a large task, and it was no small feat. But at the same time, I knew we were going to get it done."
For Johnson, who grew up just two miles from Virginia’s campus in Charlottesville, the win was especially meaningful. She recounted her initial reluctance to join the Cavaliers, but said, "As soon as the first conversation happened, I knew this was where I was destined to be. I followed my heart and it led me to Virginia." Johnson averaged 19.3 points per game this season and has become the emotional leader of a team that has captured the nation’s imagination.
With the win, Virginia advances to face No. 3 seed TCU in the Sacramento Regional semifinals—a matchup that promises more drama, as both teams survived overtime battles in their previous games. For Iowa, the offseason brings questions about roster changes, potential transfer portal moves, and how coach Jan Jensen and her staff will reload for another run.
This game, however, belongs to Virginia—a team that made history, defied expectations, and showed the true magic of March. As the commentator on ESPN exclaimed, "This is Virginia’s moment. First Four to Sweet 16. Party like it’s Y2K!" The Cavaliers, and women’s college basketball, will savor this one for a long time.