Claire Watkins | Just Women’s Sports
The No. 2-seed UConn Huskies are atop college basketball once again, winning a record-extending 12th NCAA championship in a 82-59 blowout victory over No. 1-seed South Carolina on Sunday.
The title ends a nine-year drought for the dynasty program — the longest stretch without hoisting the trophy since the Huskies’ first-ever national championship in 1995.
Trio of Huskies fuel UConn’s championship grab
After dominating overall No. 1-seed UCLA 85-51 on Final Four Friday, UConn earned a season finale face-off against the defending champion Gamecocks, who punched their spot in Sunday’s championship showdown by taking down No. 1-seed Texas 74-57 — South Carolina’s third win over their SEC rival this season.
The big day, however, belonged to the Huskies, as UConn’s “Big Three” of star senior Paige Bueckers, standout guard Azzi Fudd, and freshman phenom Sarah Strong posted a combined 65 points to outscore South Carolina.
Fudd and Strong led the game’s stat sheet by scoring 24 points each, helping Fudd snag the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor — and earning Strong a new NCAA record.
After finishing March Madness with 114 total points across UConn’s six-game run, the newly crowned 2024/25 Freshman of the Year broke the NCAA tournament’s freshman scoring record, as Strong surpassed 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings, who posted 111 points in Tennessee’s 1998 championship run.
As for graduating superstar Bueckers, her 17 points made her the Huskies’ all-time NCAA tournament scoring leader, while Sunday’s title cements her legacy, capping her college career by adding her name to the litany of UConn greats in the Storrs rafters.
“It’s been a story of resilience, of gratitude, of overcoming adversity and just responding to life’s challenges,” said Bueckers after her last game as a Husky.
“This is one of the most emotional Final Fours and emotional national championships I’ve been a part of since that very first one,” echoed head coach Geno Auriemma.
All in all, UConn overcame years of close calls, injury woes, and buzzer-beating heartbreak to restore their March Madness dynasty. With Fudd returning next season alongside Strong, the Huskies’ future looks brighter than ever.
Final Four teams eye 2026 return
On the other side of the championship coin, the Gamecocks never quite hit their stride on Sunday, falling one game short of a back-to-back title after snagging a spot in their third championship game in four years.
“We lost to a very, very good basketball team,” South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said after the defeat. “They beat our ass, but they didn’t make us like it. There’s a difference.”
Though Sunday’s loss stings, South Carolina’s youthful core means the Gamecocks — like the young squads from Final Four teams UCLA and Texas — will be back, packing both March Madness experience and a hefty dose of vengeance next year.
“I hope they’re crying,” Staley said of her returning players. “I hope they’re boo-hoo-ing because from crying they have emotion about losing, makes you work hard in the offseason.”
It’s a sentiment echoed by the 2024/25 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, UCLA star Lauren Betts.
“We have the same team coming next year,” Betts said of the Bruins’ underclass core after Friday’s Final Four loss. “I hope this fuels us, and I hope that we come out angry after this.”
After faltering in their own Final Four matchup on Friday, Texas head coach Vic Schaefer offered a similar silver lining.
“It won’t be easier tonight or tomorrow, but it will be easier knowing them three are around,” Schaefer said of Longhorn underclassmen Madison Booker, Bree Hall, and Jordan Lee. “They are competitors. And again, they’re kids that invest in their craft.”
The Final Four squads unable to seal the deal this season will rue an opportunity lost, but with another year of development, expect the same names to dominate the news cycle next March.