Importance Score: 40 / 100 🔵
Texas and Connecticut have secured their places in the Women’s Final Four, joining UCLA and South Carolina in the quest for the national championship. In Monday’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament action, both teams emerged victorious in their respective regional finals to advance to the coveted Final Four stage.
Texas Longhorns Advance to First Women’s Final Four Since 2003 with Victory Over TCU
Emotions ran high as the clock ticked down for Rori Harmon, Texas senior guard, who reflected on a challenging year. Overcoming a knee injury that sidelined her last season during the Longhorns’ Elite Eight appearance, Harmon experienced a poignant moment of triumph.
This year marked a significant turnaround. Madison Booker’s 18 points, coupled with Harmon’s 13, propelled No. 1 seed Texas to their first Final Four berth since 2003. Their formidable defense stifled second-seeded TCU, led by point guard Hailey Van Lith, securing a 58-47 victory.
“Reaching the Final Four after a 10-month ACL injury recovery is truly amazing,” Harmon expressed, conveying her pride in the team’s accomplishment.
Texas’s defense forced 21 turnovers, complemented by nine steals and six blocks. The pivotal moment arrived in the fourth quarter when center Kyla Oldacre intercepted a Van Lith pass, driving coast-to-coast.
Oldacre was fouled and converted the free throw, igniting the Longhorns and the 12,175 fans in attendance in Alabama. This three-point play established a double-digit lead for Texas for the first time in the game.
Despite trailing by 14 points, TCU narrowed the margin to six with 2:42 remaining, courtesy of Deasia Merrill’s consecutive points. However, Texas responded with jump shots from Booker and Harmon, extending their lead back to 10, effectively sealing the Horned Frogs’ fate.
Harmon’s two steals in the opening seven minutes set the defensive tone, limiting TCU to just nine first-quarter points. Texas established a nine-point lead before TCU ended the second quarter with a 7-0 run, closing the gap to 23-21 at halftime.
Oldacre contributed nine crucial second-half points, aiding Texas in outscoring TCU 35-26 after halftime.
This matchup marked the 57th encounter between these former Big 12 rivals, but their first in the NCAA Tournament. Texas, now competing in the Southeastern Conference, boasted a 15-1 regular-season record against SEC opponents, claiming the regular-season title and featuring SEC Player of the Year, Booker.
The Longhorns (35-3) are set to face defending champion South Carolina in Tampa, Florida, on Friday night, competing for a spot in the national championship game of the women’s college basketball tournament.
Paige Bueckers Leads UConn Huskies to Record 24th Women’s Final Four Appearance Against USC
Paige Bueckers delivered a commanding performance, scoring 31 points to propel UConn to a record-extending 24th Final Four appearance in the women’s NCAA Tournament. Their 78-64 victory against Southern California came despite the Trojans’ efforts to overcome the absence of injured star JuJu Watkins.
Freshman Sarah Strong contributed significantly with 22 points and 17 rebounds for the second-seeded Huskies, who boast a record 11 NCAA titles under coach Geno Auriemma. Their last championship victory was in 2016, concluding a streak of four consecutive titles.
Rayah Marshall led top-seeded USC (31-4) with 23 points and 15 rebounds. USC also faced defeat against UConn in the previous year’s Elite Eight, even with Watkins then in the lineup as a freshman.
A highly anticipated rematch between Bueckers and Watkins had been a key storyline when the tournament brackets were revealed. However, the excitement was tempered when the Trojans’ standout guard suffered an ACL injury in the second round, requiring surgery.
While USC advanced past Kansas State in the Sweet 16 without Watkins, they encountered a more formidable challenge against UConn and Bueckers, a projected No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.
UConn surged to a 19-point lead in the third quarter, but USC narrowed the deficit to 51-46 entering the fourth. Consecutive 3-pointers from Bueckers and Azzi Fudd extended the Huskies’ advantage to 62-48.
Avery Howell’s 3-pointer reduced the margin to 70-61 with 1:04 remaining, but USC was unable to close the gap further.
USC was aiming for its first Final Four appearance since 1986 and their first title since back-to-back championships in 1983 and ‘84.
The Trojans initially led before Strong’s consecutive jump shots put the Huskies ahead 12-11. Bueckers did not score her first basket until nine minutes into the game.
With Bueckers starting slowly, Strong took charge, hitting a 3-pointer that gave UConn a 21-13 lead. Bueckers then hit a 3, extending the Huskies’ lead to 39-25 at halftime.
Another 3-pointer by Bueckers further extended UConn’s lead to 47-30 before USC responded with an 11-0 run.
UConn (35-3) will now proceed to Tampa, Florida, to face overall No. 1 seed UCLA on Friday in the women’s college basketball Final Four.