Finally, after 62 games, the stage is set for the conclusion of the Women’s NCAA Tournament. The University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies will play the University of South Carolina Gamecocks; two of the sport’s most dominant powerhouses will go head to head in the most important game of the season.
UConn’s graduate student Paige Bueckers has been on a tear throughout the tournament in search of an elusive championship before she graduates. A title for Bueckers will cement her among UConn’s greatest players, including four-time NCAA champion Breanna Stewart, three-time NCAA champion Diana Taurasi and two-time NCAA champions Maya Moore and Sue Bird.
Bueckers isn’t the only player for UConn having a career tournament run: Freshman Sarah Strong’s contributions on both sides of the court have been crucial in the Huskies’ success. She led the team with 22 points and 8 rebounds in their dominant win against UCLA in the Final Four. Her performance placed her among legends Moore and Stewart as the third UConn freshman to score 20 or more points in a Final Four game.
South Carolina’s win against the University of Texas in the Final Four punched a ticket to their third title game appearance in four years. Under coach Dawn Staley, the team has maintained a perfect record in those national title games. Despite losing her best player, Kamila Cardoso, last year to the WNBA, Staley has built a competitive roster out of key role players from their championship last season.
If South Carolina beats UConn, Staley will join an elite group of coaches with four or more NCAA titles. She would also become the first coach since UConn’s current coach Geno Auriemma to win consecutive national titles. Under Auriemma, the program won four consecutive titles from 2013 to 2016.
Freshman Joyce Edwards has been a standout for the Gamecocks. She leads the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game (ppg) and had 13 points and 11 rebounds in the Final Four. Edwards will have to maintain her level of production off the bench for South Carolina to have a chance against UConn.
No. 2 University of Connecticut (UConn) Huskies (66), No. 1 University of South Carolina Gamecocks (61)
The three factors that will determine the outcome of this game are defense, star production and bench production. If South Carolina is able to hold Bueckers to 5 points on 20 percent from the field, they will most likely win the game. If UConn holds South Carolina’s bench to under 10 points, the title will be theirs. In UConn and South Carolina’s only matchup of the season, UConn blew out the Gamecocks with a final score of 87-58. In that game, UConn shot an incredible 46.4 percent from three. Their season average is 37.7 percent, meaning that UConn will most likely not replicate their offensive output from that game.
Both teams won their Final Four matchup by a comfortable margin. South Carolina beat Texas 74-57. They outrebounded Texas 29-36 and shot 63.6 percent from three. The Huskies beat the University of California–Los Angeles (UCLA) by 34 points and outscored them 42-22 in the first half alone. Their win broke the record for the largest margin of victory in the Final Four. The most impressive aspect of their win was the defensive game plan the Huskies implemented. They doubled UCLA’s star junior Lauren Betts in the paint and forced other UCLA players to step up. Although Betts had 26 points, the rest of the roster combined for just 25 points.
The Huskies might have a similar method against the Gamecocks. South Carolina is a very post-dominant team, and their main method of scoring is finishing at the rim. If UConn packs a lot of bodies in the paint to contest South Carolina’s post players, it could be very effective, like against UCLA.
South Carolina’s defense has been impressive throughout the season, allowing an average of just 57.4 ppg. Players like junior Raven Johnson have been essential for the Gamecocks. She is an aggressive perimeter defender and will most likely guard Paige Bueckers during the title game. However, UConn is a near-impossible team to game plan for because of how many stars and methods of scoring they have. Bueckers is their leading scorer, but Strong or senior Azzi Fudd can become a number one option if needed. I don’t think South Carolina will have enough to stop the Huskies’ momentum and offensive output. I predict that UConn will win their 12th national title and Paige Bueckers will be the tournament MVP.
UPDATE (Apr. 6 at 9:58 p.m.): The UConn Huskies beat the University of South Carolina Gamecocks 82–59 to win the NCAA championship.