Latest news with #MarchMadnessWBB
New York Times
28-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Women's college basketball transfer portal winners and losers: LSU, South Carolina and TCU
Most of the top players who entered the women's basketball transfer portal have made their own decisions, so it's time to turn our attention to how those moves will impact the 2025-26 outlook for teams. More than 1,300 Division I players entered the portal this season, including more than 250 from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC. But some of those changes were more impactful than others, both for the teams they joined and the teams they left. Advertisement Here's an early look at the winners and losers from the 2025 transfer portal season: A self-described 'portalista,' Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin did it again — maybe better than ever. After graduating four of their top five scorers and rebounders, the Rebels unsurprisingly turned to the portal to reload … and McPhee-McCuin did it quite well. The only player returning with significant 2024-25 starting experience is guard Sira Thienou, so bolstering the inside was crucial. The Rebels landed Ohio State transfer Cotie McMahon, who was the first big surprise of this year's portal season. Though several top power conference programs pursued her, McMahon chose Ole Miss for her final college season. She is relentless around the rim and improved her range this past season, so it'll be interesting to see how the move to The 'Sip might improve her 2026 WNBA Draft stock (as she buys into the Ole Miss defensive system) and if she can help the Rebels get over the Sweet 16 hump. Joining her inside is Virginia transfer Latasha Lattimore. She played heavy minutes for the Cavaliers, averaging 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. An interesting addition is Debreasha Powe. Ole Miss doesn't shoot a ton of 3s, but that's Powe's strength as a 40 percent 3-point shooter (on five-plus attempts per game). She'll give Ole Miss a nice changeup by stretching the floor. Cotie McMahon is heading to @OleMissWBB! 👏 #NCAAWBB x @cotiemcmahon23 — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 24, 2025 Did we expect anything less from Mark Campbell? The portal opened on his birthday this year and, well … he received some gifts. The Horned Frogs needed to replace their four leading scorers and rebounders, all of whom were transfers. So it's no surprise that Campbell jumped back into the portal to find their replacements. Advertisement Notre Dame transfer Olivia Miles is the cornerstone of this class. She can step into that pick-and-roll point guard mold occupied last season by Hailey Van Lith. Alongside guard Donovyn Hunter — TCU's one returning starter — its backcourt looks pretty solid. She'll be operating in that role with multiple bigs from Campbell's portal haul. Clara Silva, a 6-foot-7 center, played limited minutes at Kentucky behind Clara Strack, but Silva has a ton of upside and gives the Horned Frogs a strong defensive rim protector, a role occupied at TCU by Sedona Prince the last few seasons. Marta Suarez, a 6-3 forward, brings her all-around game, filling gaps from the departures of Madison Conner and Agnes Emma-Nnopu. Suarez has the size and physicality to play inside, along with athleticism on the glass, good vision for passing lanes and range that forces opponents to respect her 3-point shooting (32 percent last season). 🥽 — TCU Women's Basketball (@tcuwbb) April 9, 2025 South Carolina had an interesting portal season. The Gamecocks added the nation's leading scorer in Latson and a 6-6 center in Okot, who averaged a double-double in SEC competition this season. That solves two issues that hurt the Gamecocks' national title hopes this season as Latson and Okot can plug gaps in the go-to scorer position and the inside. But the departure of Fulwiley in particular provides the first counterpoint to what has been South Carolina's road to success (a method that has run counter to the way most programs operate). Younger players understand they'll sit for older players, and minutes will be dispersed more evenly. Perhaps Fulwiley's exit — even to rival LSU — is just a one-off and the Gamecocks' train will keep chugging along. Or could it be a harbinger that even South Carolina — as powerful as it's become — isn't impervious to the changing waves of college sports? Kim Mulkey has built much of the Tigers' success through the transfer portal, getting players like Angel Reese and Aneesah Morrow to play in Baton Rouge. With Flau'jae Johnson and Mikaylah Williams, LSU had two of the nation's most exciting players heading into next season, but they still needed to build around them. The loss of Smith, who had come into her own late last season, was disappointing. Koval replaces some of that interior production, but it still seemed like the Tigers needed to add another player or two to return to the Elite Eight conversation heading into next season. Enter Fulwiley and suddenly that Elite Eight conversation is a Final Four conversation. If nothing else, the dynamic rising junior star will bring highlight reel plays to Baton Rouge that will attract basketball fans across the country to tune into games (and certainly for that LSU-South Carolina SEC matchup). On the floor, Fulwiley's playmaking potential, along with Johnson and Williams, instantly gives the Tigers the most unmissable backcourt in the country. Brenda Frese has been one of the most successful portal recruiters in recent years. Last season, she had Kaylene Smikle, Christina Dalce and Sarah Te-Biasu. Previously, she brought in Jakia Brown-Tuner and Brinae Alexander. The year before, she nabbed Abby Meyers. (Just to name a few.) This year, it has been more of the same as Frese reloads the Terrapins, who were just two possessions shy of the Elite Eight. Advertisement Smikle, the Terrapins' leading scorer, returns along with Saylor Poffenbarger (17 starts, 27 minutes per game) and Allie Kubek (21 starts, 24 minutes per game). Bri McDaniel, who tore her ACL in January, could be back on the floor by conference play, depending on her rehab progression. But building out from that core, Frese has added players who could take Maryland further in March. Okananwa should be a great fit for the Terrapins' up-tempo play, and she'll be an excellent individual defender for Frese. Garzon, who shot 41 percent on 3-pointers last season, is an obvious fit. Maryland is consistently one of the highest-percentage 3-point teams in the country, even if it doesn't attempt as many as other squads. In the last two years, the Terrapins' attempts per game have decreased, but Garzon's addition could increase their treys. (She shot nearly seven 3s per game last season.) Gracie Merkle — a 6-6 former Penn State center with two seasons of eligibility remaining — should provide a nice inside presence, especially because she has already faced Big Ten conference foes. She averaged 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 68 percent in Big Ten play last season. Not every 'winner' is a team remaining in the top 20 despite major roster losses. Under fourth-year coach Tina Langley, Washington's additions could help the Huskies compete in their second Big Ten season. Their portal class seems under-the-radar, but it's a significant win for Langley. Washington made its first NCAA Tournament appearance last season after nearly a decade. The Huskies return three of their four top scorers, including Elle Ladine and Sayvia Sellers, so they didn't need a full rebuild. USC transfer Avery Howell will be a nice addition to that backcourt, giving the Huskies three players who hover around 40 percent from 3. Langley needed to replace 6-4 forward Dalayah Daniels, who led the Huskies with 7.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, as well as 6-3 forward Tayra Eke. Picking up Yulia Grabovskaia, who's 6-5, doesn't give the Huskies the same athletic profile on the inside, but with Howell stretching the floor even more, that might not be too big of a deal. Before the transfer portal, players needed to apply for NCAA waivers to change schools (without sitting out a season) in the wake of a coach's firing or retirement. Not so now. For the sake of this assessment, we're not considering programs like Georgia Tech (Nell Fortner's retirement) or Arizona (Adia Barnes' departure for SMU), where coaching changes took place and several players jumped into the portal. Instead, we're looking solely at programs without a coaching change that lost players. After the Bruins made history with their first Final Four run of the modern era, it looked like they were gearing up to run it back, considering no players were graduating or heading to the draft. Instead, UCLA lost six players to the portal, including its entire freshman class, one starter and the Big Ten's sixth player of the year. That hurts the Bruins' chances of a second-straight Final Four run, as well as the prospects of a future title run with a young class coming up behind a veteran core. Advertisement A possible reason for the exodus? Fresh off the Final Four, UCLA anticipated returning its starting five return as well as getting back Bruins guard Charlisse-Leger Walker, who missed last season rehabbing an ACL injury, and 6-4 forward Amanda Muse. With an incoming class that includes 6-4 forward Sienna Betts (younger sister of starting center Lauren Betts) and 6-3 wing Lena Bilić — even with Jones opting to enter the portal — minutes were going to be hard to come by in Westwood. Three starters graduated (Kiki Iriafen, Rayah Marshall, Talia von Oelhoffen), so there were going to be major minutes up for grabs in 2025-26. Then, JuJu Watkins, who ranked 12th among power conference players in minutes per game — tore her ACL, which provides another opportunity for players to get on the floor. Right now, it's hard to know what USC will look like next season. The Trojans return Kennedy Smith, who started 28 games as a freshman, and Malia Samuels. But beyond them, no player averaged more than 10 minutes a game. Coach Lindsay Gottlieb might be in a similar position as she was two years ago — entering the season with the nation's top-ranked freshman (this time: 6-1 guard Jazzy Davidson) and a group that hasn't played much together. That season went pretty well for the Trojans, as Watkins led the Trojans to the Elite Eight. Could the same be expected next season? back in the lab 🧪 — USC Women's Basketball (@USCWBB) April 26, 2025 Quite surprising to see a third team that was considered a national championship front-runner in the 'losers' section right now. But here we are. Welcome to the modern era of college sports, where everything changes by the day. After much talk about the successful backcourt chemistry between Miles and Hannah Hidalgo, the partnership was short-lived as Miles opted to spend her final season at TCU. Koval, who played an increased role until Maddy Westbeld returned from injury, also opted to transfer. Her older brother attends LSU, so it wasn't a huge surprise she landed there, even if her decision to depart from Notre Dame was unexpected. Risch appeared in only 13 games this season while rehabbing a hip injury, and Watson didn't play at all because of a knee injury. Those exits, coupled with Sonia Citron and Maddy Westbeld's departures for the WNBA, leave a dearth of minutes in South Bend. Hidalgo is a heck of a point guard, but beyond her, the Irish have only one player (forward Cassandre Prosper) who played more than five minutes a game last season. Notre Dame's 2025 high school recruiting class has only one player (Leah Macy). So far, coach Niele Ivey has secured commitments from Kansas State's Gisela Sanchez and Wake Forest's Malaya Cowles. But work is required to fill out a starting five, let alone a roster. (Photo of MiLaysia Fulwiley: Elsa / Getty Images)
The Herald Scotland
21-04-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
Paige Bueckers' hometown naming city after her for day on May 16
Her accomplishments were enough to get her hometown named after her, literally. REQUIRED READING: Paige Bueckers has arrived to save Dallas from its misery Hopkins, Minnesota, where Bueckers grew up and played high school basketball, announced it's naming the town after her on May 16, the date of her first WNBA game. The date will also be "Paige Bueckers Day" in Hopkins. "The City of Hopkins would like to honor her accomplishments and wish her the best of luck at the professional level by proclaiming May 16th as Paige Bueckers Day and renaming the city to Paige Bueckers, Minnesota for the day," the announcement stated. "We invite the community to celebrate the kickoff of the WNBA season with Think Hopkins and our local businesses on WNBA watch day, where businesses will have themed specials, air the game and celebrate the season opener - because everybody watches women's sports." Paige's hometown, Hopkins, Minnesota, is being renamed to Paige Bueckers, Minnesota on May 16th to honor her recent accomplishments ????#NCAAWBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 19, 2025 Bueckers averaged 19.9 points with 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game this season, leading UConn to a 37-3 record and 82-59 win over reigning champion South Carolina in the national title game. She's viewed as an organization-altering player for the Wings, which finished with a 9-31 record last season. Bueckers missed the end of her sophomore season and most of her junior season after suffering a knee injury but fought back to be an All-American again in 2024 and 2025 after winning national player of the year as a freshman. The former No. 1-ranked high school recruit has met every expectation since being a high-end prospect out of Hopkins, and now her hometown is honoring her for her accomplishments.
New York Times
05-04-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Freshman Joyce Edwards could be South Carolina's spark against UConn in championship
TAMPA, Fla. — With the clock winding down in the first quarter, South Carolina's Joyce Edwards had the ball on the perimeter and looked toward her coach, Dawn Staley. She knew the play was 'five out,' and that with every player standing above the 3-point arc, she would have a driving lane. The freshman didn't know when to go, though. As the clock reached 25 seconds left in the quarter, she glanced toward Staley. The Hall of Fame coach looked at Edwards and shrugged her shoulders. It was as if she were saying, 'Go, make a play.' Advertisement Edwards, who averaged 12.7 points per game this season, listened. She took the ball in her right hand, drove hard at Texas forward Kyla Oldacre, leaving the 6-foot-6 player behind her, and made a nice finish at the basket with 10 seconds left in the quarter. It was a smooth play, something not many 6-3 forwards can do while starting the play beyond the 3-point arc. But Edwards isn't most forwards; she was the No. 3 player in the 2024 class, according to ESPN, and has a skill set that sets her apart from her peers. All of it was on full display Friday in South Carolina's 74-57 Final Four win over Texas. She finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, tallying the fourth double-double of her young career. She also added six assists and one steal, leading South Carolina back to its third national championship game in four years. The Gamecocks will face UConn on Sunday for the title. JOYCE EDWARDS IS HOOPIN' 😤#MarchMadness x #WFinalFour x @GamecockWBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 5, 2025 Edwards' impact is a game-changer for the Gamecocks, Staley said. 'I don't want to put that much pressure on her, but that's what she's been doing all season long,' Staley said. 'When she doesn't get her average, when she doesn't fly around out there, we feel it. We feel it.' Edwards hasn't been in that form for much of the tournament, though. As opponents began scheming against her, she went into a slump. She scored five points in the second-round tournament win over Indiana, six points in the Sweet 16 against Maryland and four points against Duke in the Elite Eight. It was the longest stretch she can remember without reaching double figures, but the Final Four was the perfect time to find her form again. 'It's comforting just knowing that I was going to bounce back. It wasn't if, it was when,' Edwards said. 'I'm happy it was today.' Advertisement One of the things Staley likes so much about Edwards is her brain. Edwards went to Camden High School, which is just over half an hour from South Carolina's campus. She left Camden with a 5.08 GPA and arrived at South Carolina as an environmental engineering major in the honors college. 'She's a very, high-intelligent individual,' Staley said. 'Not very many athletes are in the honors college.' Her intelligence translates onto the court as well. Edwards sees things happening in slow motion, which is half the adjustment for freshmen adjusting to the college game. But she also puts the work into watching film to understand how teams will guard her. Though that helps, it can also sometimes hurt her, Staley said. 'When our opponent isn't where she thinks they're supposed to be, it kind of throws her off a little bit, like, 'That's not what I studied,'' Staley said. When the NCAA Tournament began, teams started to throw different looks at Edwards — a frustrating experience. She opened the tournament with a dominant 22-point performance against Tennessee Tech, but shot just 28 percent from the field in the next three games. Indiana double-teamed her in the second round, then Maryland and Duke followed suit, scheming against her more and more. 'I just kept thinking about it and carrying it to the next game,' Edwards said. It had a massive impact on South Carolina's game as well. In those three games, South Carolina won by an average of 6.3 points, and its offense was a shell of the team that had averaged 79 points during the regular season. It was obvious that the Gamecocks needed more from Edwards. Staley didn't want to pressure her freshman, but she knew the reality of the situation. 'If we're going to win a national championship, we need better production from Joyce,' Staley said after the Elite Eight. Advertisement After constant conversations with her parents and South Carolina's coaching staff, Edwards came into the Final Four refreshed. 'I just liberated myself and took what the floor gave me,' Edwards said. There was no secret formula for Edwards to get out of her slump, but it's something senior guard Te-Hina Paopao said will be good for Edwards going forward. 'You've got to go through that process to really look at yourself and see if you really want to play this game of basketball,' Paopao said. Now, the goal is repeating that performance in the biggest game of the year. South Carolina will play UConn in the national championship game on Sunday, a rematch of the 29-point loss on Feb. 16. Edwards scored 17 points in that game. Though Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong will be the most talented players on the floor in the title game, Edwards' versatility off the bench could be a spark for the Gamecocks. Against Texas, though, as Staley looked at Edwards before her layup at the end of the first quarter, she knew Edwards just needed a sign. So she gave her one with her shoulder shrug and nod. 'She just needed the cue to take off,' Staley said. Edwards did just that on the tournament's biggest stage. (Photo of Joyce Edwards: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Final Four 2025 scores, results: UConn tops UCLA, South Carolina defeats Texas to reach NCAA basketball championship
After several days of anticipation, the women's Final Four took over Tampa on Friday night, and the stars of the sport ultimately came out on top by the night's end. In the early game, South Carolina continued its quest to become the first repeat national champions since UConn won four straight from 2013 to 2016, defeating Texas 74-57 in the semifinal. Another championship would be the Gamecocks' third title in four seasons. In the nightcap, UConn's Paige Bueckers continued her final push for a national championship, the sole mountain she has yet to climb in her collegiate career, as the Huskies handily beat UCLA 85-51. Bueckers and Co. will take on the Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon at Amalie Arena. No. 1 South Carolina 74, No. 1 Texas 57 No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 UCLAAbsolute dominance by the Huskies from start to finish, and they'll face South Carolina for the national championship on Sunday. Sarah Strong leads the way with 22 points and Azzi Fudd scores 19, all of which came in the first half. UCONN BLOWS OUT UCLA FOR A CHANCE AT ITS 12TH NATIONAL TITLE 🔥 — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 5, 2025 UCLA star center and All-American Lauren Betts comes out of the game for the last time this season. She finishes with 26 points to cap off an outstanding season, but she's showing a lot of emotion on the bench as this comes to a close. We've got a Geno smile as Ice Brady draws an and-1 on a tough roll-in. It looks like Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong are done for the day with a little under 5 minutes to play as Geno Auriemma pulls his best players with UConn leading by a ton. Total dominance in this national semifinal. The Huskies have pretty much put any hope of a miracle UCLA comeback to bed with a strong start to the 4th quarter. It's up to a 68-41 lead with 6:21 on the clock. Sarah Strong is up to 22 points to lead UConn. JuJu Watkins is announced as the shooting guard of the year by the Basketball Hall of Fame and draws arena-wide cheers. Not as much as Paige Bueckers for point guard of the year, of course. Lauren Betts is the Lisa Leslie center of the year. The Huskies shot 8-of-13 from the field in the third, and their lead is now up to 23. Azzi Fudd didn't score at all in the period, but it doesn't matter. We're just about done here. AND-1 😤😤 @paigebueckers1 #MarchMadness x @WFinalFour x @UConnWBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 5, 2025 The Huskies are everywhere all at once. They're tipping passes and rebounds into teammates hands, hustling on defense to force jump balls, collapsing onto Betts and closing out on the open shooter. Ferocious. Twice now UCLA attempts have run the full circumference of the rim and, as if in slow motion, fallen out. Good descriptor of the night for the Bruins in the program's first NCAA Final Four appearance. Well, this game got out of hand fast. UConn out-scored UCLA 19-9 in the second quarter to bust open a 20-point lead at halftime. Azzi Fudd leads all scorers with 19 points, and the Bruins still have more turnovers than made field goals. There's always that one play that draws a quick gasp immediately followed by a booming awe. Bueckers plays some volleyball, setting a pass from Fudd to Chen in transition. UConn is rolling with a massive two-way performance from Fudd (16 points), who is making it difficult on Kiki Rice, and solid defensive play by Jana El Alfy and now Ice Brady on Lauren Betts. Huskies hustling, we love to see it📺 ESPN — UConn Women's Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 5, 2025 UCLA still has more turnovers (10) than made field goals (8) at the media timeout here in the second quarter, and UConn is taking advantage. The Huskies are up by 12 now, and they have a 14-4 advantage in points off turnovers. 4Q 7:50: Eight turnovers and six field goals for UCLA It's been all UConn so far in Tampa. The Huskies have the early 10-point lead thanks to eight points from Sarah Strong and seven from Azzi Fudd — who is a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. They've also forced six UCLA turnovers so far. . @azzi_35 makes it look easy 😎#MarchMadness x 🎥 ESPN / @UConnWBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 5, 2025 A very on-brand fast and furious start, but it's a stark contrast to the defensive minded teams in the first game. Jana El Alfy is doing a tremendous job preventing the entry pass to Lauren Betts. And UConn is keeping her from posting up low. Two of her field goal attempts were beyond the paint. Though UConn has the early 15-10 lead, Lauren Betts has already made history for the Bruins. She's now the first DI player to score at least 650 points, 300 rebounds and 100 blocks in a single season since the 2017-18 campaign. The second game of the night is now off and running. Lauren Betts and UCLA are trying to stop Paige Bueckers and UConn — who have been rolling through the NCAA tournament while Bueckers sets numerous scoring records — and earn a matchup with South Carolina in the national championship on Sunday. The Huskies are looking for their first title in nearly a decade, while the Bruins are in their first ever Final Four. Player introductions are underway for the second game and to no one's surprise, Paige Bueckers draws the loudest fan reaction. Rori Harmon has an extra year available to her and has 48 hours from this game to either declare for the WNBA Draft or stay in college. That could be at Texas, or entering the transfer portal. She's likely a second-to-third round pick and could stick on a team with roster room given her defensive motor and work ethic. There are a few pros to staying in college one more season. The WNBA and players association are negotiating a new CBA that is expected to provide larger salaries beginning in 2026. This year's rookie's would likely be locked into the old CBA's rookie-scale salaries that begin around $70,000. There will also be two additional teams in 2026 with the Toronto Tempo and currently unnamed Portland expansion team. The Gamecocks are headed back to the national championship game. South Carolina rolled past Texas for a second straight time in the first game of the night. The Gamecocks will now take on either UConn or UCLA on Sunday. Absolute dominance by the Huskies from start to finish, and they'll face South Carolina for the national championship on Sunday. Sarah Strong leads the way with 22 points and Azzi Fudd scores 19, all of which came in the first half. UCONN BLOWS OUT UCLA FOR A CHANCE AT ITS 12TH NATIONAL TITLE 🔥 — Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 5, 2025 UCLA star center and All-American Lauren Betts comes out of the game for the last time this season. She finishes with 26 points to cap off an outstanding season, but she's showing a lot of emotion on the bench as this comes to a close. We've got a Geno smile as Ice Brady draws an and-1 on a tough roll-in. It looks like Azzi Fudd, Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong are done for the day with a little under 5 minutes to play as Geno Auriemma pulls his best players with UConn leading by a ton. Total dominance in this national semifinal. The Huskies have pretty much put any hope of a miracle UCLA comeback to bed with a strong start to the 4th quarter. It's up to a 68-41 lead with 6:21 on the clock. Sarah Strong is up to 22 points to lead UConn. JuJu Watkins is announced as the shooting guard of the year by the Basketball Hall of Fame and draws arena-wide cheers. Not as much as Paige Bueckers for point guard of the year, of course. Lauren Betts is the Lisa Leslie center of the year. The Huskies shot 8-of-13 from the field in the third, and their lead is now up to 23. Azzi Fudd didn't score at all in the period, but it doesn't matter. We're just about done here. AND-1 😤😤 @paigebueckers1 #MarchMadness x @WFinalFour x @UConnWBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 5, 2025 The Huskies are everywhere all at once. They're tipping passes and rebounds into teammates hands, hustling on defense to force jump balls, collapsing onto Betts and closing out on the open shooter. Ferocious. Twice now UCLA attempts have run the full circumference of the rim and, as if in slow motion, fallen out. Good descriptor of the night for the Bruins in the program's first NCAA Final Four appearance. Well, this game got out of hand fast. UConn out-scored UCLA 19-9 in the second quarter to bust open a 20-point lead at halftime. Azzi Fudd leads all scorers with 19 points, and the Bruins still have more turnovers than made field goals. There's always that one play that draws a quick gasp immediately followed by a booming awe. Bueckers plays some volleyball, setting a pass from Fudd to Chen in transition. UConn is rolling with a massive two-way performance from Fudd (16 points), who is making it difficult on Kiki Rice, and solid defensive play by Jana El Alfy and now Ice Brady on Lauren Betts. Huskies hustling, we love to see it📺 ESPN — UConn Women's Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 5, 2025 UCLA still has more turnovers (10) than made field goals (8) at the media timeout here in the second quarter, and UConn is taking advantage. The Huskies are up by 12 now, and they have a 14-4 advantage in points off turnovers. 4Q 7:50: Eight turnovers and six field goals for UCLA It's been all UConn so far in Tampa. The Huskies have the early 10-point lead thanks to eight points from Sarah Strong and seven from Azzi Fudd — who is a perfect 3-of-3 from the field. They've also forced six UCLA turnovers so far. . @azzi_35 makes it look easy 😎#MarchMadness x 🎥 ESPN / @UConnWBB — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) April 5, 2025 A very on-brand fast and furious start, but it's a stark contrast to the defensive minded teams in the first game. Jana El Alfy is doing a tremendous job preventing the entry pass to Lauren Betts. And UConn is keeping her from posting up low. Two of her field goal attempts were beyond the paint. Though UConn has the early 15-10 lead, Lauren Betts has already made history for the Bruins. She's now the first DI player to score at least 650 points, 300 rebounds and 100 blocks in a single season since the 2017-18 campaign. The second game of the night is now off and running. Lauren Betts and UCLA are trying to stop Paige Bueckers and UConn — who have been rolling through the NCAA tournament while Bueckers sets numerous scoring records — and earn a matchup with South Carolina in the national championship on Sunday. The Huskies are looking for their first title in nearly a decade, while the Bruins are in their first ever Final Four. Player introductions are underway for the second game and to no one's surprise, Paige Bueckers draws the loudest fan reaction. Rori Harmon has an extra year available to her and has 48 hours from this game to either declare for the WNBA Draft or stay in college. That could be at Texas, or entering the transfer portal. She's likely a second-to-third round pick and could stick on a team with roster room given her defensive motor and work ethic. There are a few pros to staying in college one more season. The WNBA and players association are negotiating a new CBA that is expected to provide larger salaries beginning in 2026. This year's rookie's would likely be locked into the old CBA's rookie-scale salaries that begin around $70,000. There will also be two additional teams in 2026 with the Toronto Tempo and currently unnamed Portland expansion team. The Gamecocks are headed back to the national championship game. South Carolina rolled past Texas for a second straight time in the first game of the night. The Gamecocks will now take on either UConn or UCLA on Sunday.
Boston Globe
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Champion South Carolina reaches fifth straight women's Final Four after battling through Duke's defense
'It is not going to look pretty. It's not. There's stretches in each game that does not look pretty,' Staley said. 'Some of it's not going to look as smoothly as us coaches and players envision. How we practice. But you certainly have to get down and play the kind of game that's presented in front of you. We'll do that. If we're not scoring a lot of points, we'll up our defense.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up South Carolina did just that, and Staley's top-seeded Gamecocks are two wins away from becoming the first team to repeat as champions since UConn won four straight from 2013-16. South Carolina will play the winner of the Texas-TCU game that takes place Monday night. Advertisement The Final Four is Friday night in Tampa, Fla. Related : Second-seeded Duke was looking to get to its first national semifinals since 2006. That team lost in overtime to Maryland in the title game at TD Garden. The Blue Devils women were also looking to join the men's program in the Final Four. South Carolina (34-3) was stymied for most of the game by Duke's stingy defense. The Gamecocks came in averaging 80.5 points, but points were difficult to come by Sunday. 'I thought they forced us into taking some bad shots that almost ended our season, really, especially in the first half,' Staley said. COUNT IT 😤😤 — NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessWBB) The game was tied at 46 when Sania Feagin, who finished with 12 points, hit a jumper to put the Gamecocks ahead with 4:21 left. Kitts, who was named the Most Outstanding Player of the region, added two free throws 42 seconds later to make it 50-46. Toby Fournier, who led Duke with 18 points, scored with 3:21 left to get the Blue Devils (29-8) back within two. Advertisement The Blue Devils trailed, 52-50, with 29.8 seconds left when South Carolina's Bree Hall was called for an offensive foul on an inbound play, giving Duke a chance to tie or take the lead. Duke worked the clocked down before Ashlon Jackson airballed a 3-pointer from the wing with 7 seconds left. Hall got the rebound and South Carolina called timeout. 'Went with the ball in Ashlon's hands as she had been making plays for us in the fourth quarter out of the ball screen,' Duke coach Kara Lawson said. 'She tried to make a play and just missed it.' Related : Kitts was fouled with 5.7 seconds left and calmly sank both free throws to seal the win, much to the delight of a majority of the 11,252 fans in attendance who traveled to Alabama. Duke turned over the ball on the ensuing inbound play and the Gamecocks ran out the clock. 'A lot of things we asked our players to do and they delivered in a big way,' Lawson said. 'It wasn't enough. Hold your head high, you competed. They competed as hard as you could. As a coach that's all you can ask.'
