For many college basketball teams, a trip to the women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Final Four is the trip of a lifetime. But for No. 1 seed University of Connecticut (UConn), No. 1 seed University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), No. 1 seed University of Texas at Austin and No. 1 seed University of South Carolina, this trip is becoming something of an annual tradition—last year’s Final Four featured the exact same teams. The last time four teams competed in back-to-back Final Fours was in 1995 and 1996.
This time around, every team is looking to beat UConn, the reigning national champions who went undefeated this season. Here’s what to expect and how we think these games will play out.
No. 1 UConn Huskies vs. No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (Friday, 7 p.m. EDT on ESPN)
In a rematch of last year’s championship game, the Huskies and Gamecocks will face off again on Friday. It will be their first time playing each other since that title game, which UConn won 82–59. Despite the Husky win last year, both teams look entirely new, and this matchup will be completely different.
Last year’s South Carolina starting five included three seniors—Sania Feagin, Bree Hall and Te-Hina Paopao—who now all play professional basketball. One of the Gamecocks’ other starters from last year, current senior Chloe Kitts, is out of the tournament after tearing her ACL in October, leaving senior Raven Johnson as the only returning starter. This year, head coach Dawn Staley brought up sharpshooter Tessa Johnson and now–leading scorer on the Gamecocks Joyce Edwards from the bench. In addition, Staley added two completely new players to the team—freshman Agot Makeer and senior transfer Ta’Niya Latson, who score 7.0 points per game (PPG) and 14.4 PPG, respectively.
Staley made these changes to the roster based on the flaws of last season’s South Carolina team that ultimately led to their tough loss to UConn. After scoring only 59 points in the championship, Staley brought in Latson—the nation’s 2024-25 NCAA women’s leading scorer—to boost the Gamecocks’ offense. UConn dominated in the paint in the 2025 title game, but with 6-foot-6 senior center Madina Okot, another new addition to the South Carolina squad, the inside game will look very different this time around.
UConn’s roster has also shifted. After starters Paige Bueckers and Kaitlyn Chen graduated last year, head coach Geno Auriemma added three freshmen, including Blanca Quiñonez, who recently won the Big East Sixth Woman of the Year and Big East Freshman of the Year awards. Additionally, Auriemma grabbed two recruits from the transfer portal: sophomore Kayleigh Heckel and senior Serah Williams.
There are two main areas where the otherwise dominant UConn has shown some vulnerability this season: defending against three-pointers and rebounding. Some of South Carolina’s greatest strengths target UConn’s weaknesses, as the Gamecocks rank fourth in the nation in three-point percentage and seventh in the nation in rebounds per game.
Although UConn has more veteran players, South Carolina has an advantage in their experience during the regular season. The Gamecocks play in the Southeastern Conference (SEC), widely regarded as one of the strongest conferences in the NCAA—in the Sweet Sixteen alone, there were six SEC schools represented. UConn plays in the less difficult Big East conference, where they went undefeated with an average margin of victory of 38.4 points.
But UConn is the No. 1 overall seed for a reason. They are experienced, disciplined and talented; they have the best shooting percentage in the country and force turnovers on 29.3 percent of the opponent’s possessions—and score 32.9 PPG off those turnovers. With the championship game at stake, UConn’s relentless defense and overwhelming talent could cause South Carolina to fall apart when it matters most.
Lucille’s prediction: UConn
Maia’s prediction: UConn
No. 1 UCLA Bruins vs. No. 1 Texas Longhorns (Friday, 9:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN)
The Bruins and the Longhorns faced off in November, and Texas won 76–65. Since that game, however, UCLA has gone undefeated, winning 29 straight games. In the November matchup, the Longhorns limited standout UCLA senior Lauren Betts, who averages 17.2 PPG, to just eight points. The Longhorns’ full court press forced 20 UCLA turnovers in that game, the most the Bruins have had all season. UCLA relied heavily on senior guard Charlisse Leger-Walker’s 17-point performance to keep the game close against Texas, but the Bruins may have to look elsewhere for a victory against the Longhorns—Leger-Walker has averaged a mere 5.75 PPG in this year’s tournament.
Throughout the season, UCLA has struggled to correct the issues that caused their loss to Texas. In the Bruins’ most recent game, against Duke University in the Elite Eight, the Bruins also struggled with Duke’s press, turning over the ball 12 times before halftime. UCLA has the best offense in the nation, with an offensive rating of 121.4—meaning they averaged 121.4 points per 100 possessions throughout their season. However, UCLA only averages four more field goal attempts than opposing teams; in contrast, the Longhorns average 15 more attempts than their opponents. And with UCLA’s tendency to turn over the ball and Texas’ strong defense, that margin is likely to widen even more. UCLA will have to adjust their offensive strategies while also managing their turnovers in order to compete with Texas.
Both teams’ strategies are likely focused on shutting down the opposing team’s forwards. Texas small forward Madison Booker has made more midrange shots than any NCAA women’s player this season, which means the Longhorns won’t have to score only in the paint, where they would meet 6-foot-7 Betts.
On the defensive end, Texas will need to shut down Betts, which will be challenging given Texas’ lack of size in their starting five. UCLA relies heavily on Betts to produce their offense, so keeping the ball out of the paint will be important if the Longhorns want to come out with a win.
It will be hard for Texas to beat a good team like UCLA twice. Betts is a force in the paint, and the Bruins’ offense is the best in the country. Can Texas keep up their suffocating defense and win against the Bruins’ elite offense when it counts? Or will UCLA manage their turnovers and make it to their first NCAA championship? The Longhorns have certainly shown they’re capable of beating UCLA, and the Bruins will have to step up big to earn their ticket to the March Madness championship game.
Lucille’s prediction: UCLA
Maia’s prediction: Texas