UConn Defeats UCLA 85-51, Reaches National Championship Game

Photo : AP

UConn played a great game and beat UCLA 85-51 on Friday night to get to the national championship game. Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd were amazing, and even though Paige Bueckers is a superstar, they didn’t need much help from her. Strong scored 22 points, and Fudd scored all her 19 points in the first half. This win takes UConn one step away from winning their 12th national championship and their first since 2016.

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The team isn't thinking about past wins. Paige Bueckers said, “We aren’t worried about the past. Every day you walk into the gym and play UConn basketball." UConn will play South Carolina for the title on Sunday. South Carolina won last year’s national championship, and these two teams already played earlier this year, where UConn won by 29 points.

UConn coach Geno Auriemma praised South Carolina, saying they have played great basketball for a long time. He said, “They've played basketball at a very high level.” Now, UConn is ready to face them for the title.

Paige Bueckers, who is expected to be the first pick in the WNBA draft on April 14, scored 16 points. This was less than her usual high-scoring games. Coach Auriemma said, “If Paige had 16 last year, we wouldn't have made it to the Final Four.”

UCLA’s best player, Lauren Betts, scored 26 points, but her team couldn’t catch up to UConn. The Huskies started strong and led 23-13 by the end of the first quarter. Fudd kept making shots, and by halftime, UConn was up 42-22. Bueckers made a great play when she passed to Kaitlyn Chen for a layup just before the break.

In the second half, UCLA couldn’t catch up, and UConn won by a big margin. UConn’s 34-point victory was the biggest win in the Final Four or national championship game in the school’s history.

This was UCLA’s first time in the Final Four. They had a great season, being ranked No. 1 for the first time ever. They won 23 games in a row and made it to the Final Four after winning the Big Ten Tournament. But this time, they couldn’t beat UConn.

Coach Cori Close of UCLA said, “We’ve gone to new heights this year, but we have to learn from this and get better next time.” She also said that UCLA has no seniors, so they have a lot of young players who can come back next year and play even better.

Now, UConn is focused on the national championship game against South Carolina. They are ready to fight for another title.