South Carolina to face UConn in NCAA title game rematch

Photo : AP

South Carolina is heading back to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship game, and this time, it’s a rematch fans have been waiting for. The Gamecocks, led by head coach Dawn Staley, secured a spot in the final after defeating Texas 74-57 in the Final Four on Friday night. Now, they’re set to take on UConn, who crushed top-seeded UCLA 85-51 earlier in the evening.

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This marks the second time in three years that South Carolina and UConn will face off in the championship. In 2022, South Carolina came out on top. But this season, UConn already handed the Gamecocks a tough 87-58 loss in a regular season matchup back in February.

This will be just the seventh time in NCAA women’s basketball history that the teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the preseason polls will meet in the title game. So far, the preseason No. 1 team has never lost in those matchups, holding a 6-0 record. But UConn’s star guard Paige Bueckers is looking to change that. This will be her first shot at a national championship, and possibly her last, as she’s widely expected to be the top pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.

South Carolina (35-3) is making its third appearance in the title game in the past four years. Although they’ve faced more challenges this season, Friday night’s win was their most complete performance of the tournament so far. Coach Staley’s team has proven tough and determined, even without having one clear superstar on the roster.

Their road to the final hasn’t been easy. After cruising past Tennessee Tech and Indiana in the opening rounds, the Gamecocks had to fight hard to get past Maryland and Duke in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. Against Texas, they started off slowly but took control in the second quarter and never looked back.

Freshman Joyce Edwards led the charge off the bench, delivering a standout performance with 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists. South Carolina’s bench made a huge difference overall, scoring 35 points.

“Obviously, we have one more to go and we’re just really excited to get going on Sunday,” said guard Te-Hina Paopao. “We’re going to be really prepared and ready. It’s going to be a 40-minute battle.”

On the other side, UConn (36-3) is no stranger to big games. This is their record-setting 24th Final Four appearance and their 13th trip to the title game. A win on Sunday would make them the fourth program in history to defeat three No. 1 seeds on their way to a championship. They already took down Southern California and UCLA. Only Tennessee (1987), Louisiana Tech (1988), and Baylor (2005) have done it before.

Coach Geno Auriemma believes the matchup is fitting for the moment. “We’ve certainly played each other a number of times in big, big games… and so 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,” he said.

For Bueckers, who missed most of her sophomore season due to injury—including the 2022 loss to South Carolina—this game carries extra meaning. “We prayed, we prepared and hoped to be playing on the last day of the season,” she said. “We got that opportunity, so we don’t want to take it for granted.”