Latest news with #VicSchaefer
CNN
04-04-2025
- Sport
- CNN
Texas takes on South Carolina and UConn plays UCLA in women's Final Four
Update: Date: Title: Texas enters tonight's game on a magical run Content: The Texas Longhorns are in their fourth Final Four and first since the 2002-03 season. Texas' offense has been a key reason for their run throughout this year's tournament, led by forward Madison Booker who's averaging 16.5 points per game on 50% shooting from the field. And although Vic Schaefer's team will come in on a wave of positivity, the Longhorns face a stiff test against South Carolina as they look to win their second national championship. The teams split their two SEC regular season meetings, but Texas lost its two games to the Gamecocks by a combined 36 points, including a 64-45 hammering in the SEC championship game. Both of those loses came in the state of South Carolina – in Columbia and Greenville. Update: Date: Title: South Carolina looks to continue its run of dominance Content: The first Final Four matchup sees last year's champion seeking to continue the defense of its title. The South Carolina Gamecocks have become the team to beat in women's college basketball in recent years, with head coach Dawn Staley building the team into a perennial winner. The Gamecocks are aiming to cement their dynasty by winning their third title in four years, thereby becoming the fourth team to win back-to-back national titles, joining Tennessee, Southern California and UConn. Many of the team's former star players now ply their trade in the WNBA – such as A'ja Wilson, Aliyah Boston and Kamilla Cardoso – and the current Gamecock squad has been taking advantage of the ties with those talented alums. 'Relationships are important no matter where you go in life. To be able to talk to alumni and former Gamecocks, it helps our program a lot because they've been through it,' guard Te-Hina Paopao told reporters on Thursday. 'They speak life into us. And (Markeshia Grant) helped us during the season with team bonding and just bringing us closer together and just having that involvement with everyone on the team. And it's helped us greatly and we learn from it. And we've continued to use those team-bonding moments to help us in the long run and experience like this.' Update: Date: Title: Here's the matchups, times and channels for tonight's games Content: It's finally time for the Final Four! Here's the schedule for tonight's action:
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Final Four 2025 live updates, scores: South Carolina faces off against Texas for spot in NCAA tournament final
The women's Final Four has arrived, and it's all going down in Tampa on Friday night. First up, South Carolina will continue its quest to become the first repeat national champions since UConn won four straight from 2013 to 2016. It would be the Gamecocks' third title in four seasons, as they also won in 2022. But Vic Schaefer's Texas squad won't go down quietly, with redshirt senior Rori Harmon leading the way. In the nightcap, UConn's Paige Bueckers will continue her final push for a national championship, the sole mountain she has yet to climb in her collegiate career. But the Huskies will have to go through UCLA, which has been dominant all season (and all tournament) after winning the Big Ten Tournament in early March. Advertisement How to watch the women's Final Four No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 1 Texas Time: 7 p.m. ET TV channel: ESPN No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 UCLA Time: 9:30 p.m. ET TV channel: ESPN Follow along below for live reaction, highlights and more from Yahoo Sports:
NBC Sports
04-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Women's Final Four brings powerhouses UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina to Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. — Three of four teams in the women's Final Four are No. 1 seeds. None of the four have lost more than three games this season. All but one have been the top-ranked team in the country at some point. That's how strong the national semifinals are this year, with powerhouses UCLA, Texas, South Carolina and UConn competing in Tampa, Florida, for a national championship. 'Whoever gets through this semifinal and final will have done it against the best of the best,' said Texas coach Vic Schaefer, who has led his second school to the Final Four after getting Mississippi State there in 2017 and 2018. 'So I think for all of us, we all understand it. It's hard to do.' UCLA, South Carolina and Texas are No. 1 seeds. UConn is a No. 2 seed but has certainly looked the part of a top-seeded team behind Paige Bueckers — perhaps the biggest star in the tournament who's the primary reason the Huskies are the betting favorite to win it all. Texas (35-3) and South Carolina (34-3) are scheduled to face each other for the fourth time this season in the first of two semifinals. UConn (35-3) will play UCLA (34-2) in the other. Here are a few things to know as the Final Four begins. Bueckers' last shot at a national championship Bueckers widely is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next month's WNBA draft. First, she gets one more shot at the national championship that has eluded her during her career. Bueckers earned AP All-America honors this season and was the Big East player of the year for the third time. She has UConn back in the Final Four for the second straight year after the Huskies were beaten by Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the semis last year. She has averaged 35 points in her last three March Madness games, including career highs of 40 points and six 3-pointers in the Huskies' 82-59 rout of Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. 'I think last year I got so caught up in the pressures and the stakes of it all,' Bueckers said, 'and trying to be perfect and worrying about the wrong things ... It's the last year regardless of what happens. So I'm just enjoying this last weekend.' Gamecocks trying to be first repeat champs since UConn Dawn Staley has her team in its fifth straight Final Four, and defending champion South Carolina is trying to become the first repeat national champion since the Huskies won four straight from 2013 to 2016. That Huskies four-peat was coach Geno Auriemma's last title, though he has the Huskies in the Final Four for a record 24th time. The Gamecocks, who went undefeated last season en route to the program's third title, beat Texas twice this season but have been on the ropes a bit during the tournament. The Gamecocks went back and forth with Maryland in the Sweet 16 before finally doing enough in the final few minutes to put it away. They beat Duke by four points in the Elite Eight despite their offense mostly being stymied. 'I think we experienced a lot of things we didn't experience last year,' said senior guard Te-Hina Paopao. 'Every time we lost or did something, we learned from that opportunity and have grown from that opportunity.' Star center Lauren Betts has UCLA in its first Final Four UCLA won a national title in 1978 in the pre-NCAA era of women's basketball but made its first Final Four in three tries. Lauren Betts has been one of the most impactful players of the tournament, leading the Bruins to the semis with 21.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 75% from the field. The 6-foot- 7 center had 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks against LSU in the Elite Eight despite sitting the entire second quarter in foul trouble. The junior's teammates have praised her growth this season. 'I think it's just me finally realizing the player I am,' Betts said. 'I think a lot of it has to do with not just the basketball side but the mental work that I've done this past season. ... Also I have to give a lot of credit to this program and the amount of confidence that they've given me.'
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Women's Final Four brings powerhouses UConn, UCLA, Texas and South Carolina to Tampa
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Three of four teams in the women's Final Four are No. 1 seeds. None of the four have lost more than three games this season. All but one have been the top-ranked team in the country at some point. That's how strong the national semifinals are this year, with powerhouses UCLA, Texas, South Carolina and UConn competing in Tampa, Florida, for a national championship. 'Whoever gets through this semifinal and final will have done it against the best of the best,' said Texas coach Vic Schaefer, who has led his second school to the Final Four after getting Mississippi State there in 2017 and 2018. 'So I think for all of us, we all understand it. It's hard to do.' UCLA, South Carolina and Texas are No. 1 seeds. UConn is a No. 2 seed but has certainly looked the part of a top-seeded team behind Paige Bueckers — perhaps the biggest star in the tournament who's the primary reason the Huskies are the betting favorite to win it all. Texas (35-3) and South Carolina (34-3) are scheduled to face each other for the fourth time this season in the first of two semifinals on Friday. UConn (35-3) will play UCLA (34-2) in the other. The championship game is on Sunday. Here are a few things to know as the Final Four begins. Bueckers' last shot at a national championship Bueckers is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in next month's WNBA draft. First, she gets one more shot at the national championship that has eluded her during her career. Bueckers earned AP All-America honors this season and was the Big East player of the year for the third time. She has UConn back in the Final Four for the second straight year after the Huskies were beaten by Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the semis last year. She has averaged 35 points in her last three March Madness games, including career highs of 40 points and six 3-pointers in the Huskies' 82-59 rout of Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. 'I think last year I got so caught up in the pressures and the stakes of it all,' Bueckers said, 'and trying to be perfect and worrying about the wrong things ... It's the last year regardless of what happens. So I'm just enjoying this last weekend.' Gamecocks trying to be first repeat champs since UConn Dawn Staley has her team in its fifth straight Final Four, and defending champion South Carolina is trying to become the first repeat national champion since the Huskies won four straight from 2013 to 2016. That Huskies four-peat was coach Geno Auriemma's last title, though he has the Huskies in the Final Four for a record 24th time. The Gamecocks, who went undefeated last season en route to the program's third title, beat Texas twice this season but have been on the ropes a bit during the tournament. The Gamecocks went back and forth with Maryland in the Sweet 16 before finally doing enough in the final few minutes to put it away. They beat Duke by four points in the Elite Eight despite their offense being mostly stymied. 'I think we experienced a lot of things we didn't experience last year,' said senior guard Te-Hina Paopao. 'Every time we lost or did something, we learned from that opportunity and have grown from that opportunity.' Star center Lauren Betts has UCLA in its first Final Four UCLA won a national title in 1978 in the pre-NCAA era of women's basketball but made its first Final Four in three tries. Lauren Betts has been one of the most impactful players of the tournament, leading the Bruins to the semis with 21.2 points and 8.7 rebounds per game while shooting 75% from the field. The 6-foot- 7 center had 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks against LSU in the Elite Eight despite sitting the entire second quarter in foul trouble. The junior's teammates have praised her growth this season. 'I think it's just me finally realizing the player I am," Betts said. 'I think a lot of it has to do with not just the basketball side but the mental work that I've done this past season. ... Also I have to give a lot of credit to this program and the amount of confidence that they've given me.' ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. Alanis Thames, The Associated Press
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Women's Final Four power rankings: Who's winning? UCLA, South Carolina, UConn or Texas?
The women's Final Four is a culmination of the season, careers and collegiate legacies. It provides the ultimate platform to elevate and highlight how each team was built to achieve this elite final stage of the year. South Carolina and UConn are both in consecutive Final Fours. The Gamecocks won it all last season and seek to take home the national championship trophy for the third time in four seasons. They won the first championship in 2022, a dominant performance against the Huskies, and UConn looks to get back to the title game for the first time since then. UConn is aiming to win the crown for the first time since 2016, sending program icon Paige Bueckers out on a high note. Advertisement Texas reached the final weekend for the first time under coach Vic Schaefer after knocking on the door in past seasons. The Longhorns haven't been to the Final Four since 2003 and won their lone national championship in 1986. UCLA brings new blood to the table, reaching their first Final Four in the NCAA era, although winners of a championship in the AIAW. Who will win it all in Tampa? Who looks most primed to do so? UCLA Bruins The Bruins have the strongest foundation in the Final Four, resting on the shoulders of Lauren Betts' two-way dominance. She's a constant scoring threat, demanding attention at all times and punishing defenders in the paint. She alters opponents' approach to the game before the ball is tipped. What's stood out for UCLA throughout the tournament and the season has been the roster adaptability, always finding ways to tweak and adjust in games to solve problems presented by opponents. Gabriela Jaquez and Timea Gardiner played crucial roles against LSU after quieter performances against Ole Miss in the Sweet 16, combining to hit nine of UCLA's 10 3-pointers. Coach Cori Close's team just has the feel of the program best built to handle whatever is thrown at it in Tampa, and the Bruins have shown up throughout the Big Dance against tough competition. Connecticut Huskies Paige Bueckers has dominated the NCAA Tournament, scoring 30-plus points in the last three games, including a 40-point outing against Oklahoma in the Sweet 16. Kaitlyn Chen showed her March experience in one of her finest games against USC as she shouldered the load in a matchup where Azzi Fudd struggled to find her offense. Sarah Strong adapts and morphs to each game and has a strong case as the most versatile player in the tournament — and really, in college basketball as a whole. UConn executes on defense with just enough role players alongside its stars to mix and match depending on the game plan. The Huskies have two of the best shot-making guards in Bueckers and Fudd. While UConn is talented, it will be significantly undersized against UCLA. That isn't everything, but opponents with length that can switch and make things difficult in the halfcourt (Tennessee, USC during nonconference play and Notre Dame) have taken UConn into deep waters. The Huskies will likely need another sensational performance from Bueckers to advance to the final. South Carolina Gamecocks Similar to UCLA, the Gamecocks have thrived with multiple players stepping up in different moments. The Elite Eight hero for South Carolina was Sania Feagin, as she turned into a go-to player against Duke's smothering defense. The Gamecocks have veterans who have been in these situations before, and they have a strong baseline on both sides of the ball. Freshman Joyce Edwards can be the separator for the Gamecocks to earn another trip to the championship. Edwards has been understandably quiet in the Big Dance, stifled by some top-notch defenses and not shooting as well as she typically has. A strong game from her against Texas, which she played well against in SEC competition, seems like a necessity given the challenges the Longhorns present with their size. Texas Longhorns The Longhorns played inspired defense to smother TCU in the Elite Eight, holding the Horned Frogs to their lowest scoring total and least efficient game this season, shooting just 26.7 percent. That's not an easy feat considering that TCU had the second-most potent offense in the country, per Basketball Reference. Having two true centers (Taylor Jones and Kyla Oldacre) who can block shots and hold it down as post scorers is a cheat code for Texas as they enact constant interior pressure. Can the Longhorns hit enough shots along with that defensive edge and impact on the glass? Texas didn't lose a regulation game this season if it scored more than 50 points. The two games they didn't … both came against South Carolina. Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. UCLA Bruins, South Carolina Gamecocks, Connecticut Huskies, Texas Longhorns, Women's College Basketball, Bracket Central, Women's NCAA Tournament 2025 The Athletic Media Company
