Women’s March insanity went from 64 to 4 teams.
Still standing in the Final Four are three No. 1 seeds and one No. 2, with a slight difference from the boys’ side, which features all top seeds for the first time since 2008.
UCLA has earned the No. 1 seed after finishing the regular season as a team that is the top team in the AP rankings. The Bruins are led by the Laurenbetts Center, which averages a team-high 20 points and 9.6 rebounds per game.
South Carolina took over UCLA as the second-place team in the rankings, with manager Dawnstaley leading the defending champion. Joyce Edwards, Milaysia Fulwiley and Chloe Kitts are the team’s top three scorers, while Guard Te-Hina Paopao could be the top pick in the WNBA draft, a key component.
Texas, ranked No. 5 on the AP, closes out the top seed with Madison Booker leading the Longhorns with 16.5 points per game. Taylor Jones, Lori Harmon and Kyla Oldecle are also important contributors.
Finally, he leads No. 2 seed UConn (3rd on AP), led by the potential No. 1 overall pick Paige Bueckers. Sarah Strong and Aji Hood highlight the supporting cast to avoid participating in this year’s draft.
The Longhorns and Gamecocks first took court Friday, with the Bruins and Husky continuing their lawsuit. But which two programs will have the best championship matchup? Rank your possibilities from the least to the most interesting ones:
4. Texas vs. UCLA
The key theme of this ranking depends on the entertainment factor. The best final features the sports most informal stars. UCLA gets the short edge of the stick in the UConn Field View Car. If Betts can dominate both ends of the paint and pass through Bueckers and Co., the Bruins will meet Texas if they ruined Gamecocks’ repeated bids. The Longhorns are led by Booker and Jones, but despite the matchups involving two historic schools, there is a shortage of entertainment.
3. South Carolina vs. UCLA
Bueckers Factor hurts UCLA again here. The match features UCLA and the anchor fight between Edwards of South Carolina and Betts of Kitts. A 6-foot-3 freshman, Edwards is the program’s leading scorer and the best solution for 6-foot-7 Betts. The 6-foot-2 Kitz offers the best rebound on Staley’s side to support Edwards, but Paopao is a playmaker and versatile shooter. Paopao will also be intrigued as he faces UCLA’s best guard, Kiki Rice.
2. Texas vs. Uconn
Enter the Bueckers Factor. It only makes sense that the best matchups possible will feature the sport’s most exciting prospects. Bueckers are efficient multi-level scorers with an average of 20.1 points, 4.8 assists and 4.4 rebounds. Is the longhorn enough to hold her down? The odds would go against them considering the 6-foot guard dropped 40 against Oklahoma and 31 against USC. Texas also doesn’t boast a three-point volume to play a shootout game with Beauker when necessary, but at least the next major WNBA star could be doing her thing.
1. South Carolina vs. UConn
Surprised, surprised. The best matchups possible include the top two teams in the sport. UConn and South Carolina are two of the most dominant women’s college basketball teams since the 2010s, with Huskies led by Geno Auriemma, accumulating five titles each from 2000 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016. Staley helped Gamecocks turn the tide with their first title in 2017, and was successful in 2022 and 2024. The chance to repeat on one side of the coin in Bueckers’ first title bid was set in the final battle.
What is the most point record scored in the March Madness Game? Let’s take a look at some of the best personal scoring performances in the history of the NCAA Tournament.
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