March 23, 2026, 6:51 p.m. ET
The Madness has finally come to the Women’s NCAA Tournament.
After a round and a half of mostly predictable basketball, our first major upset of the tournament has happened with No. 10 seed Virginia taking down No. 2 Iowa 83-75 in double overtime in the second round on Monday, March 23, pulling off the road upset on the Hawkeye’s home court.
The win in Iowa City made Virginia the first team in Women’s NCAA Tournament history to advance to the Sweet 16 from the First Four. Virginia beat Arizona State last week then upset No. 7 Georgia on Saturday, March 21.
Now, the Cavaliers are into the women’s Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000 when they were coached by Hall of Famer Debbie Ryan.
With the victory, Cavaliers fans around the nation were shouting “Wa-Hoo” in victory, singing their team’s praises, wonders for the Wahoos.
But why is Virginia called the Wahoos anyway? What relation could Cavaliers have to their other, unofficial nickname? Is there any relation at all?
Not really, but here’s why the Cavaliers gave themselves such an interesting nickname:
Why are the Virginia Cavaliers called the Wahoos?
The terms “Wahoos” or “Hoos” are almost exclusively used by Virginia students when referring to their athletes and fans.
The term dates back to the university’s old rivalries with Washington and Lee University during the 1890s. Students at the rival university would deride Virginia fans by calling them “Wahoos”, mocking the student body’s victory chant “Wa-hoo-wa”.
By 1940, Virginia students had embraced the nickname, with the abbreviated “Hoos” garnering more popularity in recent years.
When does Virginia play next?
Virginia’s next matchup is set for Saturday, March 28 when the Wahoos face No. 3 seed TCU in the Sweet 16.