South Carolina vs. UConn Preview


 Written by Aya Abdeen & Sara Jane Gamelli

The Women’s National Championship game is set in Tampa Bay. On Sunday, the South Carolina Gamecocks will face the UConn Huskies in a rematch of the 2022 National Championship. Out of 24 Final Four Appearance for Geno Auriemma and the UConn Huskies, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley remains the only coach to have beaten  Auriemma in a National Championship.

South Carolina Gamecocks vs UConn Huskies
(Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)

South Carolina Looks To Repeat As National Champions

The No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks defeated the No. 1 Texas Longhorns, 74-57, and will advance to the National Championship game for the second consecutive season. Let’s give credit to Vic Schaefer and what he’s done with the Longhorns program. Since his Mississippi State days, Schaefer led Texas to their first Final Four appearance since 2003. 

The moment the Gamecocks got Madison Booker of the Longhorns into foul trouble set the tone for South Carolina to dominate in the second half, and clinch a spot in the national championship game. Additionally, South Carolina won the rebounding battle over Texas 36-29 and had a field goal percentage of 50.9.

Fifth-year senior guard Te-Hina Paopao, freshman forward Joyce Edwards, and senior guard Bree Hall were the only players to score in double figures for the team, putting up combined 38 points.

Joyce Edwards Is Heating Up At The Right Time

Edwards joined Maryland’s Marissa Coleman (2006) as the only freshman in Women’s Final Four history to have at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in a game. The Gamecocks’ bench contributions were also noticeable, scoring 31 points. It was a redemption game for Edwards, who greatly struggled throughout the NCAAW Tournament. South Carolina’s leading scorer off the bench, Edwards previously held to 16 combined points in the previous three rounds. 

Since Dawn Staley took over the Gamecocks’ program as head coach, she’s led South Carolina to seven appearances in the Women’s Final Four, nine SEC Tournament titles, and four Coach of the Year awards. Suppose she leads them to a national championship title. In that case, she will join Geno Auriemma (11), Pat Summitt (eight national titles), and Kim Mulkey (four national titles) as head coaches to win four or more championships.

“I’m just happy. We work hard for it. We know that when you’ve been to a national championship game … you know what it takes to get back there,” Staley said Friday. “Our players know what it takes. We were just very fortunate to hang in there and persevere. We finally played better and our style of play.”

The senior class of Hall, Sania Feagin and Raven Johnson would finish their collegiate careers with a third national championship. The Gamecocks now head to their third NCAAW Championship game in four years. 

UConn Huskies Advances To the National Championship For The First Time In Three Years

Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies continue their redemption tour after falling to South Carolina in the national championship game two years ago.

With a clean bill of health, Paige Bueckers leads a UConn team that’s dealt with various injuries over the years. Having led the Huskies to a Final Four in 2021, this isn’t Bueckers first rodeo. In fact, she was part of the Huskies championship run in 2022. Despite conceding to South Carolina that year, Bueckers wasn’t at full strength. 

Bueckers would miss the entire next year with a torn ACL, yet came back to lead UConn to the Final Four last year. One of the most resilient players, is it Bueckers time? It’s been nine years since UConn last raised a trophy. 

With Bueckers and Azzi Fudd having both suffered devastating ACL injuries, they are making up for lost time. Despite Fudd’s and Bueckers limited time on the court together, the narrative shifted to “what could’ve been,” to “what could be.”

Among the 24 Final Four appearances, UConn leads all of Division one Women’s basketball with 11 National Championships. With a dominating 85-51 Final Four victory over the No.1. seed UCLA Bruins, the Huskies now hold the largest margin of victory in NCAAW Finals Four history. 

Defeating the No.1 overall seed is no easy feat. Dominating in every facet, UConn had a commanding lead from the jump. With a riveting 23-19 first quarter lead, it wasn’t Bueckers who carried the Huskies. Although finishing with 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals, it was a collaborative team effort. 

Why UConn’s Defense Is The Ultimate X-Factor

Leading the Huskies with 22 points and eight rebounds, freshman standout Sarah Strong showcased why she’s a viable inside outside threat. Given UCLA center Lauren Betts is 6 foot 7, Strong was an outside threat, going 4-6 from deep. In addition, “the peoples princes” aka Azzi Fudd went off for 19 points. Although most of her points erupted in the first half, her performance signals a healthy UConn team is a terrifying one. 

Perhaps the most impressive stat of all was UConn’s performance and game plan as a team. With such defensive prowess, the Huskies have held all opponents in the NCAAW Tournament to 64 points or less. Aside from Lauren Bett’s 26 points, not one Bruins player totaled points in double figures. 

Successful in doubling Betts and quickly transitioning to the perimeter, UConn limited the Bruins to 4-16 (25 %) from beyond the arc, and 20-52 from the floor (38.5 %). Aside from Betts, all of Cori Close’s starters shot 5-22 (22.7 %) from the floor. Recording a monumental 27 points off turnovers, UConn won the paint and rebound battle with the Bruins. With that, the Bruins were successful in scoring just 14 points outside the paint, according to Alexa Philippou. 

Why The National Title Game Will Be Competitive Between South Carolina And UConn

Sunday would undoubtedly be pure cinema between South Carolina and UConn. With a rivalry brewing, coach Staley and Auriemma have nothing but respect for each other. With a 5-5 record in the last ten head-to-head matchups, both teams will look to make history. 

UConn is the overwhelming favorite, and rightfully so. Backed by the winningest NCAA coach Geno Auriemma, this is a team that’s led by defense. And perhaps, Kaitlyn Chen and KK Arnold were always the two-way x-factors. While Bueckers leads the helm, this UConn team is surrounded with talent. 

Obliterating South Carolina 87-58 in February, rest assured this will be a tight knit game.  Sure, South Carolina has shown their vulnerability through the tournament. With Dawn Staley at the helm, this is the top bench in all of NCAA. Featuring a strong front court duo of Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin, Staley sure has all the tools she needs. 

“Sustained excellence is extremely hard, especially with the parody of women’s college basketball today”, said Paige Buckers (Julia Westeman, Wis10).  “For them to continue to get back to this level, we know as players it’s extremely hard to get here. You never want to take it for granted. It speaks to the discipline and attention to detail, and the demanded excellence that Coach Dawn [Staley] has for the players. We gave great respect for her and the entire program.”

With Joyce Edwards getting hot at the right time, expect a close game between two of the premier teams in all of Women’s basketball. Regardless who wins, women’s basketball is on the rise. The National NCAAW Championship matchup between South Carolina and UConn will tip-off at 3 p.m ET on Sunday, April 6. 

NCAAW Title Game Predictions:
Aya Abdeen: I would say UConn could finish their redemption tour with a win over South Carolina. The last time they were in the national championships game, the Huskies fell to the Gamecocks. I could see them finishing up the redemption tour on a high note.

Sara Jane Gamelli: It’s extremely hard to go against coach Dawn Staley, however I feel the same way with Geno Auriemma. Although this will be a close game, I feel UConn is hot at the right time, and has the healthy pieces to secure their 12th National Title. Each team is so elite defensively, however, UConn is on another level.





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