Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies dominated South Carolina in February in an 87-58 win. How will the rematch go down? (Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
(Sean Rayford via Getty Images)
TAMPA, Fla. — It’s time for the clash of the juggernauts, a battle of an emerging dynasty versus the one that will not die. Two coaching legends. One player seeking an elusive title to cement a legacy in what will be her final collegiate game.
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South Carolina and Connecticut will meet in the NCAA championship on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC) in a matchup many picked in their brackets three weeks ago, whether they thought it was realistic or a dream game. There’s a gravitational pull of the two programs vying for supremacy in a game that’s slowly building parity, but still revolves around its powers. And Paige Bueckers, one of the best players in the country, will star on the national stage in her final collegiate game.
“It does feel like the two most prominent programs right now in women’s college basketball are playing for the right to be national champions,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said after winning the most lopsided Final Four game in NCAA history.
Auriemma, an 11-time national champion at UConn, will square off against South Carolina’s Dawn Staley, a three-time champion coach with a more modern style. Auriemma holds an edge in the series, 8-4, but they’ve split their two postseason games. They are connected by Philadelphia roots and USA Basketball success.
The title game is a rematch of the 2022 national championship and the second meeting of the year. UConn blew South Carolina out by 29 in February, snapping the Gamecocks’ 71-game home winning streak. Plenty more history is on the line between them.
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South Carolina could win a rare repeat championship, joining UConn, Tennessee and USC as the only ones to do it in the NCAA era. UConn is amid its longest championship drought of nine years, and Bueckers, the guard all over the illustrious record books, is still chasing a title. It will be her final collegiate game before heading to the WNBA.
“I definitely think that’s a team mindset is that we want to do it for Paige, we want to do it for the upperclassmen who, this is their last chance at it and they’ve given so much to all of us, so much to this program, these last five and six years,” said Azzi Fudd, who decided to stay at UConn an extra year.
Bueckers will play in only her second national championship game in four years. The other appearance was in Minneapolis, down the highway from her hometown of Hopkins. UConn fell behind, 22-8, in the first quarter and never recovered in a 64-49 loss.
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It was South Carolina’s second national title, preceding their 2024 victory. Head coach Dawn Staley has never lost in her three title game appearances, which includes last year’s victory over Iowa. The Gamecocks won each by a margin larger than 12.
“When you think about the Final Fours they’ve been to, the consistency in their program and the ability to win national championships multiple times and to be in a position to win back-to-back ones, these are all things that are incredibly difficult to sustain in today’s day and age,” Auriemma said.
Both Staley and Auriemma, in separate news conferences, said past performances won’t help them win on Sunday. Nor are their national championships already in the bag. Staley felt so strong she said “nothing” twice.
“Saying that we’re undefeated in national championship games, it’s not — I wish it helped, I wish it would,” Staley said after the Gamecocks finished off a 74-57 win over Texas on Friday. “Spot us 10 points because we’re undefeated. I feel really good about that.”
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The current rosters look very different from last year’s versions.
South Carolina ran through decorated center Aliyah Boston with guards Destanni Henderson and Zia Cooke pouring in 37 points in the title game. All three were drafted into the WNBA, led by Boston as the No. 1 pick in 2023.
The only carryovers are Bree Hall and Sania Feagin, both reserves in 2022 who are now tasked with setting the tone as starters. Hall doesn’t chip in many points, but she is the team’s best defender and will be tasked with shutting down Bueckers and Fudd.
“Breezy doesn’t get a whole lot of credit for the contributions she’s given our program over her four years,” Staley said.
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The massive differentiator for UConn is health. Bueckers and Fudd, who came off the bench and played 17 minutes with a stomach illness in 2022, played most of the year together for the first time. Their supporting cast is completely new and highly impactful.
Sarah Strong, the newly named Freshman of the Year, neared her career high in made 3-pointers, hitting two early on three attempts to keep the defense honest and finishing with four. She led UConn with 22 points and eight rebounds. She’s already, in her teammates’ minds, wise beyond her years.
“Something that impresses me the most about her is just how mature she plays and how even-keeled she is,” Fudd said. “You can never know if she’s got 20 points and 20 rebounds, you wouldn’t be able to tell.”
Strong, the No. 1 recruit in the class by ESPN, is the future of the program. South Carolina has its own in Joyce Edwards, who came in as the No. 3 recruit. The forward broke out of a slump on Friday, scoring in double digits for the first time since a 22-point performance in the opening-round 60-point win margin over Tennessee Tech.
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She hit right at her team-high average scoring clip with 13 points, plus 11 rebounds, six assists and a steal. Staley said after the regional final the coaching staff would work to simplify things for Edwards in the few days between games.
“We need her,” Staley said earlier in the week in Birmingham. “We going to win a national championship, we need better production from Joyce.”
