Tampa, Florida, right here they arrive. A trio of No. 1 seeds and a 2-seed punched their tickets to the 2025 girls’s Ultimate 4.
Protecting NCAA champion South Carolina will play Texas on Friday (7 p.m. ET), adopted by means of UConn vs. UCLA (9 p.m. ET). Each video games are on ESPN.
Which groups will advance to Sunday’s nationwide championship recreation? Our mavens weigh in, unanimously agreeing on a favourite for some of the semifinals however cut up at the different Ultimate 4 showdown.
Bounce to: UConn-UCLA | Texas-South Carolina
What to learn about UConn
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The No. 1 issue that helped UConn achieve the Ultimate 4: Paige Bueckers. After slightly deficient performances within the Huskies’ 3 regular-season losses, together with 9-of-22 taking pictures within the first matchup with USC in December, Bueckers had 3 consecutive video games with 25-plus issues this March Insanity. That gave her 8 within the NCAA event right through her 4 Ultimate 4 runs — tied for the second one maximum by means of any participant prior to now 25 years, according to ESPN Analysis.
And it is not simply Bueckers’ scoring that makes her the country’s highest participant. She added six assists Monday and an emphatic block of Trojans guard Talia von Oelhoffen. No less than another giant recreation awaits for Bueckers in her final check out for an elusive NCAA championship, however she could not have executed the rest extra en path to Tampa.
UConn’s key in opposition to UCLA: Matching up with deep, bodily frontcourts. The Huskies are slightly green within the publish, the place they begin two learners in Sarah Robust and Jana El Alfy, the latter in her 3rd yr at the roster however first at the court docket. That duo will likely be examined by means of 6-foot-7 UCLA megastar Lauren Betts in Friday’s semifinal, with both South Carolina or Texas looming must UConn advance.
Not one of the different 3 groups in Tampa can fit the Huskies’ perimeter firepower with Bueckers, Robust and Azzi Fudd. If UConn can play slightly even within the paint, Geno Auriemma & Co. will lower down the nets for the primary time since 2016. — Kevin Pelton
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UCLA takes down LSU to advance to first Ultimate 4
Lauren Betts and Gabriela Jaquez mix to attain 35 issues as UCLA defeats LSU within the Elite 8.
What to learn about UCLA
The No. 1 issue that helped UCLA achieve the Ultimate 4: The 6-foot-7 presence of Lauren Betts, whose stat line Sunday (17 issues, 7 rebounds and six blocks) certified — remarkably — as an off evening. In any case, Betts had recorded consecutive 30-10 video games within the spherical of 32 and Candy 16, taking pictures a mixed 29-of-33 from the sphere.
Betts’ emergence as an unstoppable power within the paint helped the Bruins degree up after knocking at the door time and again. UCLA had reached the Candy 16 six instances prior to now decade underneath Cori Shut, together with the Elite 8 in 2018, however that is the primary time the Bruins have complicated to the Ultimate 4 since 1979 — previous to the NCAA sponsoring girls’s basketball. Led by means of Corridor of Famer Ann Meyers, UCLA gained the AIAW nationwide identify in 1978 and returned in 1979.
The Bruins extensively utilized final yr’s loss to the Tigers as a very powerful measuring stick and altered the end result this time.
UCLA’s key in opposition to UConn: Proceeding to concentrate on “going 1-0.” That has been Shut’s speaking level for fending off having a look forward or stressing the magnitude of the instant for a program that hasn’t been this some distance in any of its gamers’ lifetimes. Towards UConn, UCLA will likely be at a vital revel in deficit in opposition to Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers and the Huskies. However the Bruins will unquestionably deal with Friday’s nationwide semifinal as simply any other recreation for the group that earned the No. 1 total seed within the NCAA event. — Pelton
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Geno on Bueckers: ‘She has an inherent ability for the instant’
UConn trainer Geno Auriemma joins Scott Van Pelt to react to attaining this system’s twenty fourth Ultimate 4 and his time with Paige Bueckers.
UConn vs. UCLA predictions
Charlie Creme: UConn 82, UCLA 78
Alexa Philippou: UConn 72, UCLA 70
Geno Auriemma as soon as famously remarked that his early 2000s UConn groups have been the most efficient within the nation as a result of he had Diana Taurasi and the others did not. Whilst he most certainly would not be as brash nowadays, a an identical chorus may well be true with Paige Bueckers.
As just right as Lauren Betts has been, Bueckers has been higher. Bueckers has been traditionally just right along with her 25-plus-point video games in UConn’s run to its sixteenth Ultimate 4 in 17 years (and her fourth). Her earlier 3 journeys produced no nationwide championships. Bueckers’ nice play mixed with a way of urgency in her ultimate season will likely be sufficient for the Huskies to win an in depth one. — Creme
Michael Voepel: UCLA 75, UConn 73
UConn as a program has all of the Ultimate 4 revel in that UCLA lacks. However the Bruins do not need to overcome UConn’s historical past. They want to defeat this group this yr. One key to doing this is by means of transferring the ball in addition to they have got all season: The Bruins moderate 20.4 assists according to recreation, which is fourth in Department I.
In fact, UConn ranks proper forward of them in 3rd.
So, protection is the opposite key. Bueckers has had her method up to now in 4 NCAA event video games, taking pictures 58.7% from the sphere. UCLA trainer Cori Shut should problem her group to be the person who can no less than decelerate Bueckers a bit bit. — Voepel
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No. 1 Texas vs. No. 1 South Carolina recreation preview
Check out the necessary numbers forward of the Ultimate 4 matchup between Texas and South Carolina.
What to learn about Texas
The No. 1 issue that helped Texas achieve the Ultimate 4: The Longhorns’ composure gained Monday’s Elite 8 recreation. Texas was once a top-seeded group for a reason why, and the Longhorns performed love it to punch their price ticket to Tampa. The Horned Frogs entered the sport using momentum at the pleasure of thrashing Notre Dame within the regional semifinals. Texas may have performed tight for the reason that drive was once on it to win. The Longhorns have been 7.5-point favorites. As an alternative, the Longhorns did what they had to do once they had to do it.
Texas’ key in opposition to South Carolina: Scoring sufficient issues. Monday’s contest with TCU was once an unsightly offensive recreation. Going through South Carolina for the fourth time this season, the most important query is not whether or not the Longhorns can forestall the Gamecocks but when Texas can ranking sufficient issues to overcome them. Of their 3 earlier outings (two within the steady season after which within the SEC event identify recreation), Texas averaged 53.7 issues and handiest broke 60 in one in all them. That was once the assembly the Longhorns gained.
Groups were in a position to muck it up with South Carolina, however disrupting the Gamecocks’ offense and beating them are two various things. To tug that off, Texas’ offense is prone to come from Madison Booker, its main scorer. When those two groups met within the SEC championship tilt, Booker struggled, scoring 10 issues on 4-for-13 taking pictures. Texas will want extra from the sophomore ahead to earn a berth to the nationwide championship recreation. — Katie Barnes
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South Carolina’s Staley: ‘We fought our method in’ to Ultimate 4
Break of day Staley says the Gamecocks “actually were not intended to be right here” however by no means gave up on protecting their nationwide championship within the Ultimate 4.
What to learn about South Carolina
The No. 1 issue that helped South Carolina achieve the Ultimate 4: It comes right down to this system staples Staley has established in main the Gamecocks to 3 nationwide championships. She instills a mentality that South Carolina will play to the buzzer and make fewer errors when the stakes are absolute best. And for probably the most section, the Gamecocks have executed that this season, particularly overdue of their wins over Maryland (Candy 16) and Duke (Elite 8).
Staley additionally has adjusted to other mentalities from her Ultimate 4 groups during the last decade. She is aware of that a large number of warmth and fireplace from her does not paintings as neatly with this yr’s staff because it did with some previous groups. Staley’s talent to carry top requirements however nonetheless be versatile is a huge a part of why we can see South Carolina within the Ultimate 4 once more.
South Carolina’s key in opposition to Texas: Getting extra from its more youthful gamers. The Gamecocks have been in a position to out survive Duke regardless of scoring simply 54 issues and now not getting a lot from their younger stars. Sophomores MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson and freshman Joyce Edwards mixed to attain simply 9 issues on 4-of-14 taking pictures with seven turnovers.
As dependable as South Carolina’s beginning vets — Kitts, Feagin, Bree Corridor, Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson — are, it kind of feels most probably the Gamecocks will want their younger gamers to give a contribution much more to get two wins in Tampa. — Voepel
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Texas takes down TCU in Elite 8 to move to Ultimate 4
Take a look at the highest performs from Texas because the Longhorns defeat TCU 58-47 to move to the Ultimate 4 for the primary time since 2003.
Texas vs. South Carolina predictions
Charlie Creme: South Carolina 62, Texas 59
Alexa Philippou: South Carolina 63, Texas 52
Michael Voepel: South Carolina 65, Texas 60
When Texas and South Carolina face off on Friday, there will likely be no surprises. The fourth assembly between the 2 highest groups within the SEC will come to a decision the convention’s consultant within the nationwide identify recreation. Like their first 3 matchups, two of which have been gained by means of South Carolina, be expecting this one to be dictated by means of protection. They’re the 2 highest defensive groups within the nation. Just one opponent of each and every within the NCAA event scored greater than 60 issues in a recreation. And within the earlier conferences between the Gamecocks and Longhorns, South Carolina’s 67 issues on Jan. 12 was once the scoring top.
When those squads met to come to a decision the SEC event identify the primary week of March, the Gamecocks totally close down Texas 64-45. This one must be nearer, however give South Carolina the threshold to advance to Sunday’s identify recreation. — Creme
