For years, the conversation surrounding Virginia women’s basketball has been anchored to the past, trapped in a loop of the “glory days” and what the program used to be. But Saturday, inside the sweltering heat of Carver-Hawkeye Arena, there is no more looking back.
In an 82-73 overtime upset against No. 7-seed Georgia, the No. 10-seed Cavaliers did not just survive and advance — they established themselves on the biggest stage.
Led by a career-high 23 points from junior forward Sa’Myah Smith and a masterful 28-point performance from star junior guard Kymora Johnson, Virginia proved that Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton’s “process” has fully taken shape.
Virginia (21-11, 11-7 ACC) entered the first quarter with a clear directive: establish the interior and exploit with length. Smith and senior forward Tabitha Amanze operated with surgical precision in the midrange, helping the Cavaliers extend their lead to 24-16 at the end of the first period.
Smith was perfect early, going 6-for-6 from the floor — draining jumpers with a hot hand, finishing at the rim and serving as a fulcrum for an offense that recorded eight assists on its first 11 field goals and capping off the first 10 minutes of play with an 8-0 run.
“I’m just super proud of [Smith] … She's just fighting for her team, fighting for this coaching staff, fighting for this university,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “She came here for a reason … and from the jump, she was ready.”
In the second frame, though, Georgia (22-10, 8-8 SEC) punched back with force. Sloppy defensive closeouts on the perimeter and junior guard Rylie Theuerkauf’s staggering performance exposed Virginia’s effort defensively, despite largely containing All-SEC sophomore guard Dani Carnegie.
Theuerkauf ignited for 22 points in the first half — shooting a perfect 5-5 from beyond the arc in the quarter. Her stellar individual effort, paired with Virginia’s communication lapses, turned a once double-digit Cavalier lead into a one-point deficit at half, 43-42.
“[The Lady Bulldogs] were doing a great job of getting in places in the zone where it's hard to guard, and they were isolating our bigs a little bit in the corners, and we were slow to get out there,” Agugua-Hamilton said.
If the first half was defined by offensive firepower, the second became a war of attrition.
The physicality of Georgia’s defense shone through in the third frame, as field goals were few and far between for the Cavaliers. Virginia endured a 4.5-minute scoring drought until sophomore forward Breona Hurd broke the seal and rattled in a three-pointer to cut the deficit to three.
Meanwhile, Virginia native and sophomore forward Mia Woolfolk’s 27-point effort tore the game open for the Lady Bulldogs in the second half. Woolfolk punished the Cavaliers in the paint with low-post fakes and lived at the line, attempting 16 free throws. Georgia shot 35 free throws in the matchup, while Virginia only shot 15.
Still, Virginia’s defense refused to break, not letting a Georgia lead extend beyond eight points. Graduate guard Romi Levy’s defense, particularly in her matchup against Theuerkauf, was lockdown. Levy was able to use her length and size to contest Therkauf with impressive precision, and Therkauf scored only two points in the second half.
“[Levy’s] kind of like a Swiss Army knife,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “When she's playing confident and urgent like she is, it helps our team.”
With under seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Cavaliers down by seven, Virginia knocked down two back-to-back threes to cut the deficit to one.
From there, Virginia played with everything on the line. Even though Georgia continued to draw fouls and operate its offense through the stripe, the Lady Bulldogs began to wilt inside the pressure cooker of Carver-Hawkeye.
The Cavaliers found a second wind in the final minutes of regulation, diving for loose balls, running the court in transition and smothering the wings on the perimeter. Even while Johnson was double and triple-teamed, she added two crucial assists to keep Virginia in striking distance.
“[The team] found me when I was open,” Johnson said. “I found them when they were open, and they believe in me.”
With 1:29 remaining, Levy banked in a prayer from beyond the arc to tie the game at 71.
The Lady Bulldogs were scoreless for the final three minutes of the fourth quarter. An opportunity at the line with 1:04 seconds to go by a gassed Woolfolk rimmed out. On the other end, the Cavaliers had a chance to win the game with a wide-open look for Smith, but they were unable to capitalize.
With the final possession in regulation for Georgia, another open look for Woolfolk was short left, and all scores were tied at 71.
Virginia dominated in overtime. The momentum from Levy’s game-tying three-pointer, aggressive defensive pressure and abundance of depth severely wore down Georgia’s offense and defense alike. The Lady Bulldogs had nothing left in the tank.
In the last eight minutes of play, Georgia went scoreless, while allowing Virginia to forge an 11-2 run to seal the deal.
“Once we got to overtime, we knew it was our game,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We came out with a lot of urgency.”
For Virginia, the victory is far more than a bracket-buster — it is a culture shift for the program's future.
By advancing to the second round, Virginia recorded multiple NCAA Tournament wins for the first time since 2000.
For an institution that has spent years garnering the resources to build a roster defined by talent and tenacity, Saturday was the ultimate proof of concept. Virginia women’s basketball is no longer a project, but a product.
The shadow of the past has not disappeared, but it has been eclipsed by a brighter, louder and more urgent present.
The battle-tested Cavaliers will continue for another day, now confronting the talented No. 2 seed Iowa in Iowa City, Iowa, for an opportunity to move on to their first Sweet 16 in 26 years. The bout will take place Monday, March 23. Tip-off is at 2 pm, and the matchup will air on ESPN.
“I want our team to enjoy this journey,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “You play your whole season to make it to the Big Dance, and we don't want to take any moments for granted. We just want to have fun with each other [and] stay locked in.”
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