Women's College Basketball

Connecticut's nine-year title drought is over after an 82-59 victory over South Carolina in the national championship game on Sunday.

The Huskies' main trio of Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong set the tone for the entire game. They outscored South Carolina 65-59 on their own.

Bueckers overcame a slow start to cap off her storied college career with a title. She put up 17 points, six rebounds and three assists in the win, surpassing Maya Moore's school record for the most career points in the tournament in the process.

Fudd capped off an incredible Final Four with 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting. She did this two days after dropping 19 points in UConn's victory over UCLA.

Strong gave Fudd a run for her money as the best player on the court. The freshman forward recorded her fourth double-double of the tournament with 24 points and 15 rebounds. She also had five assists, three blocks and two steals.

Two months after the Huskies handed South Carolina its worst loss of the Dawn Staley era (29 points), their swarming defense once again caused all sorts of problems.

The Gamecocks were held to their third-lowest point total of the season and shot 34.4 percent from the field.

Fans showered Connecticut with praise for a dominant performance in the victory to cap off an impressive 37-3 season that ended with a 16-game winning streak.

It's hard to find anything that wasn't working for the Huskies in this game. They entered Sunday ranked first in the nation in offensive and defensive rating. That showed up for all 40 minutes against a South Carolina team that had won 12 straight games.

Bueckers' spot in UConn history was already secure, but adding a title to her resume before going to the WNBA only solidifies her status as an all-time great with the likes of Moore, Sue Bird, Diana Taurasi, Breanna Stewart and many legends.

Head coach Geno Auriemma now has 12 national titles on his resume. The nine-year gap between championships is the longest since winning his first one in the 1994-95 season.

Even though Bueckers is on the way out, the Huskies are probably going to be favored to win the national title again next season with Fudd and Strong returning.

There's never really a rebuilding phase for the Huskies because they reload every year. That's going to be the case again in 2025-26 with two of the best players in the nation already in place and 4-star point guard recruit Kelis Fisher entering the fold.

Paige Bueckers is favored to win a national title in her last season of college basketball.

UConn (-290) is the betting favorite over South Carolina (+235) in to the NCAA women's basketball tournament championship game odds shared Saturday by DraftKings.

The spread is currently 6.5 points in favor of the Huskies, with an over/under of 133.5 points, according to DraftKings.

The Huskies and Gamecocks tip off with a national title on the line Sunday afternoon at 3 p.m. ET.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma will be seeking his 12th championship, and the Huskies' first since 2016.

He enters the game looking to end the program's longest title drought since its first chamionship in 1995 with help from Bueckers, who has led UConn with 20.0 points and paced the Big East with 4.7 assists per game.

The pressure is on for the projected top pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, who said Thursday that "anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment."

Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, who stepped up to combine for 41 points on Friday in a dominant Final Four victory over UCLA, will also be key to helping UConn defeat the defending champions.

South Carolina is meanwhile back for a second straight national championship game after a blowout Final Four victory of their own over Texas.

Joyce Edwards, who previously the Gamecocks in scoring but contributed limited offense in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, had one of her strongest March Madness showings yet with a 13-point double-double in the win.

That's a good sign for South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, who is seeking the fourth national championship of her career. Staley said after the Elite Eight the Gamecocks would "need better production from Joyce" in order to win a second straight national title.

A big game from Edwards and the overall depth of the Gamecocks' reserves, which contributed 35 points in a 74-57 on Friday night to seal a Final Four win over Texas, could lead to a potential upset for the defending champions.

USC guard JuJu Watkins, the consensus national player of the year, spoke about her injury rehab and being in "complete shock" the first week after suffering a torn ACL in her right knee during the NCAA tournament.

Watkins made her comments on ESPN's College GameDay following a question from Andraya Carter about her "recovery journey" and how she's feeling.

"I'm a firm believer in 'everything happens for a reason,'" Watkins began.

"I think my first week, I was just in complete shock and you know, the first time that I've dealt with this type of adversity, so, you know, I'm really just getting prepared for what's to come and ready to just get to work and get to work in rehab so that I'm back on the floor with my teammates."

Watkins suffered the injury during her team's 96-59 victory over Mississippi State in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

After the news of her ailment was revealed, Watkins released a statement on Instagram to her fans thanking them for their support.

“Thank you all for the incredible love and support. Seeing all your messages and kind words has meant the world to me — y’all have given me so much hope,” Watkins wrote.

“Right now, my heart is with my teammates – I wish I could have been out there battling, but I couldn’t be prouder of the fight we’ve fought together. Thank you all.”

Watkins had a tremendous second season at USC, averaging 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks. For the year, USC went 31-4 and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

The Trojans fought hard without their leader, beating Kansas State 67-61 in the Sweet Sixteen. However, they then fell 78-64 in the Elite Eight to a UConn team that's now headed to the national championship.

The national title certainly remains a goal for Watkins, who now has to attack rehab. Hopefully she returns to 100 percent health ASAP and returns to her tremendous form that made her one of the game's best and most electric talents.

UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma took the blame for the Huskies' relatively long title drought compared to the rest of their history.

"I've lost more Final Fours for my team than they have, because coaches make decisions about what to do with their team," Auriemma said Saturday, per ESPN's Michael Voepel. "And if you make the right decision, you win."

UConn secured a lopsided 85-51 victory over UCLA in the Final Four on Friday and is set to face off against South Carolina in the national championship game.

The Huskies' 11 national titles are the most all-time, three more than Tennessee at No. 2.

They won four consecutive national championships with Auriemma from 2013-16, but they haven't emerged victorious in March Madness since.

UConn advanced to the Final Four in both 2017 and 2018 but couldn't punch its ticket to the national title game, losing both contests by a combined four points.

"I don't look at those two as heartbreaking frustrations," Auriemma said, via Voepel. "I would have if I didn't make two decisions in both of those games that I think have more to do with us losing than those two buzzer-beaters."

The Huskies finally returned to compete for a national championship in 2022, falling to the Gamecocks by the final score of 64-49. Now, they'll be looking for revenge.

UConn has been led by standout guard Paige Bueckers once again during its 2024-25 campaign, as the senior has averaged 20.0 points and 4.7 assists per game on 53.9/42.4/88.2 shooting splits.

The Huskies also own the best scoring defense in the country, allowing just 52.0 points per game.

Auriemma's squad will attempt to clinch a national title against South Carolina on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

USC sophomore JuJu Watkins won the 2024-25 John R. Wooden Award on Saturday as the most outstanding player in women's college basketball.

Watkins beat out UConn's Paige Bueckers, UCLA's Lauren Betts, Texas' Madison Booker and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo to take the honors.

The 19-year-old guard swept the Player of the Year honors by taking home the Wooden Award, as she previously won the Naismith College Player of the Year and Associated Press Player of the Year as well.

Watkins earned 332 points in the Wooden Award voting, beating out Bueckers' 286, Betts' 257, Hidalgo's 239 and Booker's 129.

In 33 games this season, Watkins averaged 23.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.2 steals and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting 42.6 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from beyond the arc.

She was the fourth-leading scorer in women's college basketball this season, and tops among the Wooden Award finalists.

Prior to the start of the NCAA tournament, Watkins had led the Trojans to a 28-3 record, securing them a No. 1 seed in the tourney.

However, Watkins suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the second round of the tournament. USC advanced to the Elite Eight without her before falling to UConn.

Since the Wooden Award was first bestowed upon women's players in 2004, Watkins is the first USC player to win it. She is also only the third underclassman to take the award, joining Maya Moore and Bueckers.

Watkins will officially be granted her award when the John R. Wooden Awards Show streams on ESPN+ on April 11 at 8 p.m. ET.

South Carolina women's head basketball coach Dawn Staley spoke with reporters about the differences between the narratives surrounding UConn star guard Paige Bueckers and her own team's success.

"Sometimes we create these narratives about great players -- Caitlin [Clark] was one of them; Paige is one of them right now -- and we tend to forget the narrative about what our kids have been able to do, going for their third in four years," Staley said.

"There's a sentimental narrative about Paige. A great freakin' player. Anybody would start their franchise with Paige because she's a winner. ... But when you put a narrative out there, everybody sees that, and it puts us at a disadvantage, whether you want to believe so or not. Officials see it. It's all over TikTok. It's all over 'SportsCenter.' It's all over all of that."

South Carolina was 37-0 last year before facing off against Clark and Iowa in the national title. The Gamecocks won 87-75.

Now the Gamecocks are facing another superstar in Bueckers as they go for their third national championship in four years. Meanwhile, UConn is looking for its first title since 2016, and Bueckers, who is entering the WNBA draft after the season, searches for the crown in her last chance to get it before leaving college.

The narrative surrounding South Carolina's greatness shouldn't be overlooked. Simply put, the Gamecocks have been incredible under Staley.

This year's team is looking for South Carolina's third national title in four years and fourth in the last eight seasons (not counting 2019-20, when the tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

Since 2019, the Gamecocks have gone 202-12, with just four losses in SEC play. They've made the Final Four five straight years, a feat that's only previously been accomplished by UConn and Notre Dame.

South Carolina is also looking to become the third Division I team in history to win four or more NCAA women's basketball titles. UConn is No. 1 with 11, and Tennessee is No. 2 with eight.

So there's a lot to praise about South Carolina's legacy, but the team also enjoyed great success this year, especially after losing star Kamilla Cardoso to the WNBA.

First-year forward Joyce Edwards has potentially emerged as the next great South Carolina superstar, and she excelled in the Final Four vs. Texas with 13 points, 11 assists and six rebounds.

MiLaysia Fulwiley (23 points in the Sweet Sixteen against Maryland), Chloe Kitts (double-doubles against Indiana in the second round and Maryland; 14 more points in the Elite Eight vs. Duke) and Te-Hina Paopao (14 points against Texas) have had their tournament moments as well, among others.

This is a well-balanced and well-rounded team, to the point where 10 players have averaged at least 11 minutes per game. South Carolina has outscored its opponents by 22.3 points per game as well.

Ultimately, narratives will hit the backburner when the two teams meet on the court Sunday, with tip-off in Tampa scheduled for 3 p.m. ET.

Connecticut head coach Geno Auriemma was extremely impressed by his team's 85-51 victory over UCLA in the Final Four on Friday night.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Auriemma said he was "humbled" watching the Huskies cruise to a win over a UCLA team that was the top overall seed in the tournament.

"It's amazing how it played out," Auriemma added. "When you go in there, you don't expect, 'Hey, we're going to win by 35 points tonight.' I mean, that's, oh my god. That is just so, so unrealistic."

The Bruins did a good job of containing Paige Bueckers in the game. She only finished with 16 points on 7-of-17 shooting after scoring more than 30 points in each of the previous three games.

While Bueckers didn't turn in her best performance, Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd stepped up their games. The duo combined for 41 points on 16-of-25 shooting (7-of-13 from three).

Strong and Fudd made more threes than UCLA's entire team (four). Lauren Betts tried her best for the Bruins, finishing with 26 points and accounting for 55 percent of their made field goals (11 of 20).

UConn has won each of its five tournament games by at least 14 points. The 34-point margin of defeat was the largest for UCLA since November 2018.

Now, Bueckers will get the chance to cap off her storied career with a national championship. To do so, the Huskies will have to get by a South Carolina team looking to become the first repeat champion since Connecticut's run of four straight from 2012-13 to 2015-16.

These two teams met on Feb. 16 at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia. The Huskies dominated the Gamecocks 87-58 in what was tied for the fifth-worst loss by margin of defeat during Dawn Staley's tenure at South Carolina.

Bueckers recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists in that win. Fudd scored 28 points on 6-of-10 three-point shooting. The Gamecocks have won 12 straight games since that loss with an average margin of victory of 20.8 points.

The national title game between Connecticut and South Carolina will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET

Azzi Fudd scored 19 first-half points to propel the UConn women's basketball team to a 42-22 halftime lead en route to a dominant 85-51 win over UCLA in the Final Four on Friday evening in Tampa Bay.

Sarah Strong added 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting (4-of-6 from three) and eight rebounds for UConn, while Paige Bueckers added 16 points and five rebounds for a Huskies team that made history:

This game was all UConn, which held UCLA to 38.5 percent shooting (4-of-16 from three). UCLA center Lauren Betts scored 26 points (11-of-18), but no other player had more than eight.

Fudd set UConn's tone early in this one, and the Huskies never looked back.

The Huskies swarmed the Bruins on defense, forcing 19 turnovers. First-year center Jana El Alfy did a tremendous job down low, amassing four steals. Fudd and Bueckers had three steals apiece.

The defense led to offense, and UConn kept UCLA on its heels in transition. Bueckers was a magician at times, like on this touch pass to Kaitlyn Chen.

And then there was the first-year Strong, who met the moment in her first-ever Final Four appearance, consistently knocking down big shots to keep the Bruins at bay.

UConn cruised down the stretch, to the point Bueckers even hit the bench with the team up 70-41 with just over five minutes remaining.

And now this sets up a potentially classic matchup with South Carolina, which took down Texas 74-57 earlier in the evening to clinch its championship spot.

This marks the second time that South Carolina and UConn will face off in the national championship. In 2022, the Gamecocks defeated the Huskies 64-49 behind 26 points from Destanni Henderson.

Bueckers and Fudd, who started that game, are obviously out looking for payback. The Huskies could very well get it based on how they've been playing in this tournament and especially Friday.

UConn also has a massive win over South Carolina this year, having crushed the Gamecocks 87-58 on Feb. 16.

Chances are this game won't result in a 29-point blowout. Fans are ultimately hyped for the matchup, especially given how great both teams looked Friday.

Tipoff in Tampa will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.

The Final Four of the 2025 NCAA women's basketball tournament wrapped up on Friday night, setting the stage for the national championship game.

First, South Carolina continued its quest for a second consecutive national title by cruising to a 74-57 win over Texas.

UConn also advanced beyond the Final Four with a lopsided victory of its own, taking down UCLA by the final score of 85-51.

The upcoming meeting between the Gamecocks and Huskies features two familiar opponents, as both teams previously faced off in the 2022 national championship game. South Carolina ultimately clinched a title with a 64-49 win over UConn.

Here's a look at the updated March Madness bracket and championship preview following Friday's results

Final Four

South Carolina def. Texas, 74-57

UConn def. UCLA, 85-51

National Championship Game

South Carolina vs. UConn, Sunday at 3 p.m. ET

Full bracket can be found here

South Carolina 74, Texas 57

Texas started off strong, jumping out to an early 12-4 lead in the first quarter. The Longhorns' advantage gradually decreased, as head coach Dawn Staley's team ended the quarter on a 14-7 run.

South Carolina took the lead in the second quarter, but only led by three points at halftime.

The Gamecocks gained some separation with a strong third quarter on both sides of the ball, outscoring Texas 20-9.

South Carolina was buoyed by its perimeter shooting, connecting on 63.6 percent of its three-point attempts as a team.

Senior guard Te-Hina Paopao finished with a team-high 14 points to go along with three rebounds and two steals, shooting 5-of-6 from the field and hitting three triples.

Senior Bree Hall scored 11 points of her own, while freshman forward Joyce Edwards chipped in with 13 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

The Longhorns couldn't find any offensive consistency against the Gamecocks' defense, shooting 39.3 percent from the field and committing 14 turnovers compared to 10 assists.

UConn 85, UCLA 51

UConn set the tone early against UCLA, taking a double-digit lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter. The Huskies extended their advantage to 20 points at halftime and didn't look back, as the Bruins couldn't get within striking distance over the final two quarters of action.

Paige Bueckers finished with 16 points, five rebounds and three steals. The three-time Big East Player of the Year also shot 7-of-17 from the field.

Huskies freshman Sarah Strong scored a team-high 22 points while pulling down eight rebounds. Strong shot 4-of-6 from three-point territory, while UCLA shot 4-of-16 from behind the arc as a team.

UConn capitalized on the Bruins' mistakes, scoring 27 points off 19 turnovers by UCLA.

National Championship: South Carolina vs. UConn

In addition to their national championship game history, South Carolina and UConn played each other on Feb. 16. The Huskies pulled off an upset, winning by the final score of 87-58.

Each team excelled on both ends of the floor throughout their respective 2024-25 seasons, but the national championship game undoubtedly features one of the best offenses in the country clashing with one of the top defenses.

South Carolina's scoring average of 79.8 points per game ranked No. 5 in the SEC, while UConn paced the nation in scoring defense by allowing a mere 52.0 points per game.

The Gamecocks will also have their hands full on defense. While they'll obviously be focused on slowing down Bueckers, the Huskies have the outside shooting to make teams pay for giving the senior extra attention. UConn's 38.3 three-point percentage as a team led the Big East.

Still, the Huskies could be in trouble if their perimeter jumpers aren't falling. The Gamecocks have protected the paint at a high level, as their overall average of 5.8 blocks per game ranked No. 7 in the country.

South Carolina will be attempting to earn its fourth national title, while UConn is searching for its 12th.

The South Carolina women's basketball team will play for back-to-back national titles (and its third in four seasons) after defeating Texas 74-57 in the Final Four on Friday evening in Tampa Bay.

Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards posted 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists off the bench. Senior guard Te-Hina Paopao added 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting (3-of-4 from three).

The Longhorns were led by first-year guard Jordan Lee's 16 points.

Longhorns sophomore forward Madison Booker, the team's leading scorer, had a relatively quiet night with just 11 points.

The game changed when Booker picked up her second foul and was forced to temporarily sit with the Longhorns up 12-5 early. Texas largely struggled to get in an offensive rhythm from there, scoring just 45 points over the final 35:19.

Meanwhile, South Carolina chipped away at the lead and eventually took it in the second quarter for good en route to a 38-35 halftime edge.

The Gamecocks completely controlled the third quarter, though, outscoring the Longhorns 20-9 for a 58-44 lead. South Carolina led by double digits for the entire fourth quarter en route to the victory.

Naturally, fans were impressed with South Carolina's efforts Friday (with a focus on Edwards' great play) as well as the program's success under head coach Dawn Staley.

South Carolina will play UCLA or UConn in the national title game, which will take place on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET.