Written by Aya Abdeen & Sara Jane Gamelli
The Girls’s Nationwide Championship sport is ready in Tampa Bay. On Sunday, the South Carolina Gamecocks will face the UConn Huskies in a rematch of the 2022 Nationwide Championship. Out of 24 Ultimate 4 Look for Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies, South Carolina head coach Daybreak Staley stays the one coach to have crushed Auriemma in a Nationwide Championship.
South Carolina Appears To Repeat As Nationwide Champions
The No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, 74-57, and can advance to the Nationwide Championship sport for the second consecutive season. Let’s give credit score to Vic Schaefer and what he is achieved with the Longhorns program. Since his Mississippi State days, Schaefer led Texas to their first Ultimate 4 look since 2003.
The second the Gamecocks received Madison Booker of the Longhorns into foul hassle set the tone for South Carolina to dominate within the second half, and clinch a spot within the nationwide championship sport. Moreover, South Carolina gained the rebounding battle over Texas 36-29 and had a area aim proportion of fifty.9.
Fifth-year senior guard Te-Hina Paopao, freshman ahead Joyce Edwards, and senior guard Bree Corridor have been the one gamers to attain in double figures for the workforce, placing up mixed 38 factors.
Joyce Edwards Is Heating Up At The Proper Time
Edwards joined Maryland’s Marissa Coleman (2006) as the one freshman in Girls’s Ultimate 4 historical past to have not less than 10 factors, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists in a sport. The Gamecocks’ bench contributions have been additionally noticeable, scoring 31 factors. It was a redemption sport for Edwards, who vastly struggled all through the NCAAW Match. South Carolina’s main scorer off the bench, Edwards beforehand held to 16 mixed factors within the earlier three rounds.
South Carolina is now one win away from its second-straight nationwide title and third in 4 years.
Daybreak Staley is fired up 🔥@GamecockWBB | #WFinalFour pic.twitter.com/tsV8i2ZC4s
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 5, 2025
Since Daybreak Staley took over the Gamecocks’ program as head coach, she’s led South Carolina to seven appearances within the Girls’s Ultimate 4, 9 SEC Match titles, and 4 Coach of the Yr awards. Suppose she leads them to a nationwide championship title. In that case, she’s going to be part of Geno Auriemma (11), Pat Summitt (eight nationwide titles), and Kim Mulkey (4 nationwide titles) as head coaches to win 4 or extra championships.
“I’m simply pleased. We work laborious for it. We all know that while you’ve been to a nationwide championship sport … you realize what it takes to get again there,” Staley stated Friday. “Our gamers know what it takes. We have been simply very lucky to hold in there and persevere. We lastly performed higher and our fashion of play.”
The senior class of Corridor, Sania Feagin and Raven Johnson would end their collegiate careers with a 3rd nationwide championship. The Gamecocks now head to their third NCAAW Championship sport in 4 years.
UConn Huskies Advances To the Nationwide Championship For The First Time In Three Years
Paige Bueckers remaining residence sport at UConn
34 Factors (ties profession excessive)14/21 Shooting4 Assists4 Steals3 Threes91-57 Winpic.twitter.com/xK8JfaeNur https://t.co/3OfLt66UEH
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 25, 2025
Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies proceed their redemption tour after falling to South Carolina within the nationwide championship sport two years in the past.
With a clear invoice of well being, Paige Bueckers leads a UConn workforce that is handled varied accidents over time. Having led the Huskies to a Ultimate 4 in 2021, this is not Bueckers first rodeo. In actual fact, she was a part of the Huskies championship run in 2022. Regardless of conceding to South Carolina that yr, Bueckers wasn’t at full power.
Bueckers would miss the complete subsequent yr with a torn ACL, but got here again to steer UConn to the Ultimate 4 final yr. Probably the most resilient gamers, is it Bueckers time? It has been 9 years since UConn final raised a trophy.
With Bueckers and Azzi Fudd having each suffered devastating ACL accidents, they’re making up for misplaced time. Regardless of Fudd’s and Bueckers restricted time on the court docket collectively, the narrative shifted to “what may’ve been,” to “what could possibly be.”
Among the many 24 Ultimate 4 appearances, UConn leads all of Division one Girls’s basketball with 11 Nationwide Championships. With a dominating 85-51 Ultimate 4 victory over the No.1. seed UCLA Bruins, the Huskies now maintain the biggest margin of victory in NCAAW Finals 4 historical past.
Defeating the No.1 total seed isn’t any simple feat. Dominating in each aspect, UConn had a commanding lead from the leap. With a riveting 23-19 first quarter lead, it wasn’t Bueckers who carried the Huskies. Though ending with 16 factors, 5 rebounds, two assists, and three steals, it was a collaborative workforce effort.
Why UConn’s Protection Is The Final X-Issue
Main the Huskies with 22 factors and eight rebounds, freshman standout Sarah Sturdy showcased why she’s a viable inside exterior risk. Given UCLA heart Lauren Betts is 6 foot 7, Sturdy was an outdoor risk, going 4-6 from deep. As well as, “the peoples princes” aka Azzi Fudd went off for 19 factors. Though most of her factors erupted within the first half, her efficiency alerts a wholesome UConn workforce is a terrifying one.
Maybe probably the most spectacular stat of all was UConn’s efficiency and sport plan as a workforce. With such defensive prowess, the Huskies have held all opponents within the NCAAW Match to 64 factors or much less. Other than Lauren Bett’s 26 factors, not one Bruins participant totaled factors in double figures.
Profitable in doubling Betts and rapidly transitioning to the perimeter, UConn restricted the Bruins to 4-16 (25 %) from past the arc, and 20-52 from the ground (38.5 %). Other than Betts, all of Cori Shut’s starters shot 5-22 (22.7 %) from the ground. Recording a monumental 27 factors off turnovers, UConn gained the paint and rebound battle with the Bruins. With that, the Bruins have been profitable in scoring simply 14 factors exterior the paint, in accordance with Alexa Philippou.
Why The Nationwide Title Sport Will Be Aggressive Between South Carolina And UConn
Sunday would undoubtedly be pure cinema between South Carolina and UConn. With a rivalry brewing, coach Staley and Auriemma don’t have anything however respect for one another. With a 5-5 report within the final ten head-to-head matchups, each groups will look to make historical past.
UConn is the overwhelming favourite, and rightfully so. Backed by the winningest NCAA coach Geno Auriemma, it is a workforce that is led by protection. And maybe, Kaitlyn Chen and KK Arnold have been at all times the two-way x-factors. Whereas Bueckers leads the helm, this UConn workforce is surrounded with expertise.
Obliterating South Carolina 87-58 in February, relaxation assured this will likely be a good knit sport. Certain, South Carolina has proven their vulnerability by the event. With Daybreak Staley on the helm, that is the highest bench in all of NCAA. That includes a robust entrance court docket duo of Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin, Staley certain has all of the instruments she wants.
“Sustained excellence is extraordinarily laborious, particularly with the parody of girls’s school basketball at the moment”, stated Paige Buckers (Julia Westeman, Wis10). “For them to proceed to get again to this stage, we all know as gamers it is extraordinarily laborious to get right here. You by no means need to take it with no consideration. It speaks to the self-discipline and a spotlight to element, and the demanded excellence that Coach Daybreak [Staley] has for the gamers. We gave nice respect for her and the complete program.”
With Joyce Edwards getting sizzling on the proper time, anticipate a detailed sport between two of the premier groups in all of Girls’s basketball. Regardless who wins, ladies’s basketball is on the rise. The Nationwide NCAAW Championship matchup between South Carolina and UConn will tip-off at 3 p.m ET on Sunday, April 6.
NCAAW Title Sport Predictions:Aya Abdeen: I’d say UConn may end their redemption tour with a win over South Carolina. The final time they have been within the nationwide championships sport, the Huskies fell to the Gamecocks. I may see them ending up the redemption tour on a excessive word.
Sara Jane Gamelli: It is extraordinarily laborious to go in opposition to coach Daybreak Staley, nonetheless I really feel the identical manner with Geno Auriemma. Though this will likely be a detailed sport, I really feel UConn is sizzling on the proper time, and has the wholesome items to safe their twelfth Nationwide Title. Every workforce is so elite defensively, nonetheless, UConn is on one other stage.
