- The women’s NCAA Final Four features three No. 1 seeds and a perennial power that has won 11 national titles. UCLA, Texas, South Carolina and UConn are ready to battle.
- The Final Four will begin on Friday, April 4, at 4 p.m. EST in Tampa, Florida. The first game will feature South Carolina against Texas.
- The Huskies and Bruins tip in the second game. UConn is appearing in its record 24th Final Four, and the Bruins are making their first trip.
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The women’s NCAA Final Four features three No. 1 seeds, including the defending national champs, and a team that has won a record 11 national titles. That’s the short rundown of the bracket, which tips off Friday, April 4, in Tampa, Florida.
Who will battle in the first Final Four matchup?
The first matchup Friday features two No. 1 seeds who have already met three times this season. SEC rivals Texas and South Carolina will start at 4 p.m. EST. The Gamecocks are the defending national champions and have won two of the last three titles.
They also beat Texas two out of three times this year, including by 19 points in the SEC championship game just three weeks ago. In that one, it was all about defense, as South Carolina held Texas to just 29% shooting and dominated the paint, outscoring the Longhorns 40-18 inside.
“They do a really good job of making you go a little bit deeper into your offense, so you got to make sure that you know what we’re doing and it’s not just, you know, happen stance or chaotic,” head coach Dawn Staley said. “So, it’s more about that, but, you know, we’re not going to stray too far left or right from the things that we’ve done that were positive that would help us.”
What about the second game of the night?
The nightcap on Friday tips off about 30 minutes after the first game ends. It features the No. 1 overall seed, UCLA, against the No. 2 seed, UConn. The Huskies are making a record 24th appearance in the Final Four and will go as far as superstar Paige Bueckers can take them.
If she can duplicate her last three tournament games, in which she scored 31, 40 and 34 points, UConn will be tough to beat. The Bruins, however, have lost just twice all season. Even though they are making their first Final Four appearance, they are well-balanced and will lean on center Lauren Betts, who is not going to let the pressure get to her.
“We kind of talked about it in film. Just, Coach Shannon brought it up just enjoying the moment,” Betts said. “Obviously, we talked a lot about, you know, media and how there’s going to be a lot of things going on, and it’ll be a little hectic, but like, just acknowledging that, like, we’re here at the Final Four, and this is a huge deal and it’s a huge accomplishment for this program.”
Who will be feeling the pressure to take home the title?
No one knows more about pressure than Bueckers, who has been to the Final Four four times in her five-year career but has yet to win the title at a school that almost demands it.
“Once you walk inside the practice facility, you see all the history, all the names, all the banners, it’s just motivation, and obviously there’s expectations here, and anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment, and as players, that’s what you play for and what you want to live up to,” Bueckers said.
Will she grab that elusive title? They are the betting favorites at most sports books. Will South Carolina cement its dynasty with three titles in four years, or will it be Texas or UCLA? They are all two wins away from cutting down the nets.
