Charlie CremeMar 31, 2025, 11:45 PM ET
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- Charlie Creme tasks the ladies’s NCAA match bracket for ESPN.com.
Upsets have been few and some distance between within the 2025 ladies’s NCAA match. A decrease seed prevailed over a better seed simply six instances, however none was once thought to be an important disillusioned. However simply because there have been few surprises doesn’t suggest we don’t seem to be in for a deal with in Tampa, Florida.
3 No. 1 seeds — UCLA, South Carolina and Texas — and No. 2 seed UConn make for a probably exciting Ultimate 4, particularly without a uncomplicated favourite. This feels so much like 2018, when the overall weekend of the season incorporated all 4 No. 1 seeds, and it featured two extra time semifinal video games and a buzzer-beater within the identify sport.
The effects on Friday and Sunday will give us the overall reliable rating, however here’s how the Ultimate 4 groups stack up heading into the nationwide semifinals.
1. UConn Huskies
Authentic seed: No. 2 (Spokane 4)
Event effects: 103-34 vs. No. 15 Arkansas State; 91-57 vs. No. 10 South Dakota State; 82-59 vs. No. 3 Oklahoma; 78-64 vs. No. 1 USC
Different methods have time-shares within the Ultimate 4. UConn owns the actual property. The Huskies have reached the season’s ultimate weekend for the sixteenth time in 17 years. In spite of being a No. 2 seed, UConn increased to the highest of those scores early within the NCAA match, and the Huskies have not let cross. They have got been March’s highest crew.
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The absence of JuJu Watkins for USC of their Elite 8 matchup took somewhat steam out of one of the crucial match’s maximum expected video games, nevertheless it did not diminish UConn’s efficiency, particularly that of freshman Sarah Robust. Within the largest sport of her younger profession, Robust was once the early offensive catalyst and completed with 20 issues and 16 rebounds. Extra importantly, her protection close down USC’s No. 1 offensive possibility with Watkins out. With Robust as her number one defender, Kiki Iriafen shot 3-of-15 from the sphere and scored simply 10 issues.
However Robust did not outshine Paige Bueckers, who assists in keeping making UConn historical past on this NCAA match. She scored 31 issues and made six assists towards the Trojans and has scored 105 issues in UConn’s previous 3 video games. That’s the maximum in any three-game span of any participant in UConn historical past. Bueckers has now scored 30 issues in 3 instantly video games for the second one time in her profession (she did it in her freshman season), and he or she’s additionally the one Huskies participant to do it. Bueckers is directly to her fourth Ultimate 4, with another likelihood to win her first nationwide championship.
Up subsequent: UCLA (Friday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
2. UCLA Bruins
Authentic seed: No. 1 (Spokane 1)
Event effects: 84-46 vs. No. 16 Southern; 84-67 vs. No. 8 Richmond; 76-62 vs. No. 5 Ole Leave out; 72-65 vs. No. 3 LSU
Sooner than Cori Shut took over as Bruins head trainer in 2011, UCLA hadn’t performed in a regional since 1999. By the point she reached Yr 5, UCLA was once again within the Candy 16, led by way of sophomore Jordin Canada, and the Bruins have overlooked best two regionals since. It is the maximum a success run this system has skilled within the NCAA generation. Despite the fact that Canada led UCLA to an Elite 8 as a senior in 2018 and Aura Osborne helped care for a degree of luck, the Ultimate 4 remained elusive.
Shut’s recruiting elegance of 2022, which incorporated Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones and Gabriela Jaquez, was once her highest but. Then when the only participant she overlooked out on — Lauren Betts — left Stanford for Westwood the next yr, larger issues appeared forthcoming. That day has arrived. With Betts and Rice main the way in which and Jaquez arising large within the season’s largest moments, maximum particularly her 18 issues, 4 3-pointers and eight rebounds Sunday, the Bruins are of their first NCAA Ultimate 4.
With Betts within the low put up because the crew’s No. 1 offensive possibility, UCLA ranked 207th within the nation in share of issues from 3-point vary at 27.1% On Sunday towards LSU, that ratio jumped to 41.6%. And it needed to. With Betts saddled with first-half foul hassle, the capturing of Jaquez and Timea Gardiner delivered the win. The 2 juniors mixed to make 9 of 13 makes an attempt from deep and ranking 33 issues. 3 of Gardiner’s treys got here in the second one quarter and helped UCLA outscore LSU by way of 10 within the duration, with Betts at the bench for all the 10 mins.
In the long run, LSU outrebounded UCLA and had 4 extra box objectives within the sport. The ones 3-pointers and the way the Bruins survived the second one quarter are sending the Bruins to Tampa — and could be the important thing to them profitable there.
Up subsequent: UConn (Friday, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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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.
3. South Carolina Gamecocks
Authentic seed: No. 1 (Birmingham 2)
Event effects: 108-48 vs. No. 16 Tennessee Tech; 64-53 vs. No. 9 Indiana; 71-67 vs. No. 4 Maryland; 54-50 vs. No. 2 Duke
The protecting NCAA champion Gamecocks are within the Ultimate 4 for the 5th instantly yr, and attaining this one was once no doubt probably the most difficult. South Carolina’s moderate margin of victory in its previous 3 video games was once 6.3 issues in keeping with sport. The following-lowest margin for the Gamecocks in video games from the second one spherical on all through the NCAA match over the last 4 years was once 17.7 in 2021. All through closing yr’s run to the Ultimate 4, South Carolina trailed for a complete of one minute, 10 seconds. This yr the Gamecocks have been at the back of for a complete of 36 mins, 27 seconds.
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South Carolina’s 54 issues towards Duke within the Elite 8 have been the second one fewest it has ever scored within the NCAA match (49 towards Miami within the 2022 2nd spherical). The Gamecocks’ 9 bench issues have been the fewest all season for a crew that led the rustic in reserve scoring at 41.5 issues in keeping with sport. And the Gamecocks had best seven assists, matching the fewest they have got ever had in an NCAA match sport.
This go back and forth to the Ultimate 4 was once earned with protection and late-game execution, now not overwhelming skill and bodily dominance. Duke took away a lot of what South Carolina loves to do, expressly restricting the Gamecocks’ peak two scorers Joyce Edwards and MiLaysia Fulwiley. The Gamecocks discovered the solution by way of going inside of to Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin, who mixed for 26 issues. Extra importantly, the ones two mixed to attain South Carolina’s ultimate 10 issues, together with 8 by way of Kitts. The intensity and choices at Crack of dawn Staley’s disposal delivered once more. Now the Gamecocks input a Ultimate 4 that comes with all 3 groups that beat them this season.
Up subsequent: Texas (Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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South Carolina’s Staley: ‘We fought our manner in’ to Ultimate 4
Crack of dawn 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.
4. Texas Longhorns
Authentic seed: No. 1 (Birmingham 3)
Event effects: 105-61 vs. No. 16 William & Mary 105-61; 65-48 vs. No. 8 Illinois; 67-59 vs. No. 5 Tennessee; 58-47 vs. No. 2 TCU
Vic Schaefer oversaw the protection as an assistant trainer at Texas A&M when the Aggies gained the 2011 nationwide championship. As the top trainer at Mississippi State, he took the Bulldogs to nationwide identify video games in 2017 and 2018, led by way of top-five-rated defenses. Now he has taken Texas to its first Ultimate 4 since 2003 with a protection that has now not allowed any of its 4 fighters within the NCAA match to attain greater than 61 issues. TCU, which averaged 77.5 issues in keeping with sport this season, scored 47 of their Elite 8 matchup. Schaefer preaches toughness, physicality and depth. His Longhorns have delivered on all counts this season.
Turning to a full-court press towards the Horned Frogs, Texas compelled 21 turnovers and held TCU to 26.7% capturing. It was once the most efficient defensive effort of a dominant four-game NCAA match stretch. The offense had its struggles Monday, which failed to permit Texas to position away the Horned Frogs till past due, however with Rori Harmon generating early (13 issues, 11 within the first 1/2) and Madison Booker past due (18 issues, 14 in the second one 1/2), the Longhorns had sufficient.
Now it is directly to a fourth assembly with new SEC rival South Carolina, and offense has been the problem towards the Gamecocks. Texas misplaced two of the 3 conferences with South Carolina and had its two lowest-scoring video games of the season within the two defeats.
Up subsequent: South Carolina (Friday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
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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.
