It's time for a new Women's Basketball National Champion to be crowned. Everything is on the line this weekend as four teams compete for one trophy. Let's dive into each team, what's at stake, and what they need to do to reach the top.
UConn Huskies
UConn is the only No. 2 seed left in the tournament, but they aren't a two-seed by a wide margin. The Huskies have been peaking at the exact right time, playing some of their best basketball in March. Paige Bueckers continues to break records — she scored UConn's first 40-point tournament game in the Sweet Sixteen against Oklahoma, and could possibly break Caitlin Clark's record for most points scored in a tournament if she averages just under 25 points per game in the Final Four and Championship games.
UConn as a whole is operating like a machine, with the freshman Sarah Strong absolutely dominating in the frontcourt and Bueckers holding it down in the back court. Strong can shoot it from anywhere, though, and her rebounding abilities are crucial to UConn's success. Sometimes cold offensive streaks can get in UConn's way of building leads, though.
Despite Azzi Fudd having an off game in the Elite Eight, she can also shoot the lights out on a hot streak, and the defense UConn has been playing has been tight. With supplemental pieces in KK Arnold, Ashlyn Shade, and Jana Al Elfy, UConn heads into the Final Four on a mission to get their first National Championship since 2016.
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins came into the tournament as the No. 1 overall seed, and have not disappointed on their quest to the final four. Lauren Betts, their 6-foot-7 anchor, has answered the call and held the team down. Gabriela Jaquez and Timea Gardner have been shooting the lights out from three as well. The Big-10 Tournament Champions have not played UConn yet this season, but will likely go to Betts yet again.
There is a little concern for Betts after she was seen on camera last weekend telling her training that she was "just so tired." A fair sentiment given that her team relies on her quite a bit. With a few days off to rest, hopefully she comes back at full strength. If they make it past UConn, they could end up seeing South Carolina in the Final. Their win against the Gamecocks early in the season was the kickstarter to their wildly successful season, and it could be a cool bookend moment to face and conquer them for the National Championship.
Texas Longhorns
"Praise the Lord and Hook Em' Horns" as Coach Vic Schaefer would say. Texas was a team that held steady among the top ranked teams all season long, and just came off a great performance against TCU to make it to the Final Four. They have South Carolina in the Final Four, which usually would be pretty scary, but they have one win against the Gamecocks already this season, so the recipes are there.
Madison Booker and Rori Harmon are two of Texas's best chances to make it to the Championship game, and were key to Texas beating TCU. Yet, a lack of offensive punch made it so Texas could not fully pull away from TCU despite out playing them on many fronts. They only shot 39.3 percent from the field, an area that needs to see improvement if they are to overcome a South Carolina team due to a mega-performance. They did outshoot Texas from three, 66.7 percent to TCU's 20 percent, something they could very well rely on against South Carolina.
South Carolina Gamecocks
The reigning National Champions are back at the Final Four, which almost seems like an inevitability. South Carolina has the ability to steam roll through opponents and score in triple-digits, suffocating the other team in games. Yet, an interesting fact in this Final Four is that all three teams other than the Gamecocks are the only three teams that managed to beat South Carolina all season. They've also struggled through the tournament, with close games against Maryland in the Sweet Sixteen and Duke in the Elite Eight.
While this does not feel like the inevitably dominant undefeated Gamecocks team from a year ago, there is really no reason to underestimate this team. Despite having lost against Texas once, they also won twice against them since — once in the regular season and once in the SEC Tournament. Coin flips won't come into play here, either, with the chances of their back-to-back championships being completely in their own hands.
MiLaysia Fulwiley, their sophomore superstar, will be a big factor in their success this weekend. Fulwiley performs extremely well under pressure, and seems to be a constant in helping South Carolina last through turbulent stretches. Chloe Kitts has also been having a phenomenal tournament, as her presence in the post against a Texas team that does not have the size dominance to match will be important. It's often the case that South Carolina's bench outscores their opponents as well, so expect fresh legs from the Gamecocks.