Despite their worst start in 30 seasons and dealing with six season-ending injuries, the UConn women’s basketball team has played the hand they have been dealt with all year. It sparked their 14-game winning streak during the middle of the season; it was the mindset behind their Big East Tournament dominance.
That mentality has brought the third-seeded Huskies back to the Final Four after a one-year hiatus. Connecticut outdueled the top-seeded USC Trojans 80-73 in Portland, Ore., to secure their 23rd Final Four appearance in program history.
“It was one of the better games I have been associated with at this level,” head coach Geno Auriemma commented afterward. “There is something about when you reach this particular game and you win this particular game. It may be even more emotional than winning the national championship game sometimes.”
First Team All-Americans Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins both delivered in the nightcap of a historic doubleheader for women’s basketball. Each former No. 1 recruit complemented their electric offense on the glass, collecting a double-double and two blocks while contributing toward their team’s 40+ rebounds. Bueckers finished four assists shy of a triple-double to go with her 10 rebounds and 28 points. Watkins one-upped her with 29.
Both teams jousted once their offenses started finding some rhythm five minutes into the evening. The Trojans punched first, going on an 8-0 run behind two three-point plays and making it look like they would pull away early. Just when they thought their nine-point advantage was safe, however, the Huskies countered. The redshirt junior spearheaded UConn’s 9-0 run, tying the contest at 15 before Harvard transfer McKenzie Forbes gave Southern California the advantage after 10 minutes.
The second quarter has been one of the Huskies’ Achilles heels across the past two seasons. It did not strike for Connecticut this time around as they went on an 8-0 run over a 100-second span. That stretch prevented the Trojans’ offense from getting into any rhythm until Watkins got the ball back in her hands. Once she buried her first triple of the night, USC regained momentum.
That swing coincided with first-year guard KK Arnold picking up her third foul of the first half 39 seconds later. With Watkins and Forbes at the forefront, the Trojans slowly chipped away at the Huskies’ advantage, increasing their foul count with every possession. By the time the halftime buzzer sounded seconds after an Edwards offensive foul, both teams were still in a deadlock.
Big East Freshman of the Year Ashlynn Shade was held scoreless in the first half. Despite being kept off the board, Shade set the wheels in motion for Connecticut to kick things into another gear in the third quarter once she scored. Her first and only triple, in particular, with 4:31 left in the frame gave the Huskies their first double-digit advantage of the night.
Both Arnold and senior guard Nika Mühl collected their fourth fouls on consecutive defensive possessions late in the quarter. Redshirt freshman Ice Brady buried a triple from UConn’s bench that halted Southern California’s late 8-0 run pulling them within four. Kayla Padilla got the last laugh at the buzzer on the other end for her first points.
It certainly did not look like the Huskies, who were on the wrong end of an 11-4 run, would reach the Final Four with 7:32 remaining in regulation. Perhaps fatigue had finally caught up to UConn.
But then the redshirt junior blocked a shot 26 seconds out of the media timeout. Brady followed that up with a go-ahead deuce on the other end.
Watkins pulled USC within one on a drive to the basket a few possessions later; that was as close as they got the rest of the night. The Huskies used a 9-0 run across three minutes to seemingly put the game out of reach for the Trojans. Bueckers fueled that stretch with two huge jumpers while the defense kept crashing the glass.
Yet Southern California kept fighting in that final minute. Connecticut missed free throw after free throw, and the Trojans countered as best as they could. They managed to get within five following junior center Rayah Marshall’s second-chance layup, but once Mühl broke the charity-stripe skid, reality kicked in.
Bueckers shouted in jubilation with the ball in her hands as the final buzzer rang out inside the Moda Center. She joined the rest of the team in an enthusiastic celebration toward the center of the court not long after. The Huskies had won their 15th consecutive Elite Eight contest. Auriemma saw firsthand the benefits of his team’s determination.
“[The players’] sense of belief in themselves never wavered no matter what happened,” Auriemma explained. “They never gave up on their dream, and here we are.”
It was more than just Bueckers and Watkins who impacted the game. Edwards was UConn’s only other double-digit scorer with 24 points (10 at the charity stripe) on 7-13 shooting. USC’s answer came from Marshall, who had an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double. Forbes ended her collegiate career with 24 points and five triples for the Trojans.
UConn’s defense also helped deliver the upset. Southern California shot 32.9% from the floor and had just two players who took 10+ shot attempts. Mühl, who had eight assists, and Bueckers combined for five of the team’s six steals, part of the reason the Huskies scored 17 points off 10 turnovers.
“We overcame so much and learned from it,” Mühl said regarding the adversity the Huskies have faced. “Although a lot of people did not believe we were ever going to do this [make the Final Four], we did.”
Connecticut heads out to Cleveland, Ohio, where they will take on Caitlin Clark and the top-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes in the late game of Friday night’s Final Four. Tip-off from Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse is at approximately 9:30 p.m. EDT on ESPN.