Three years ago, the University of Connecticut (better known by the moniker UConn) was promptly beat by the University of South Carolina. For Dawn Staley’s USC Gamecocks, it was the start of the dynasty. For the Huskies, it was the end of an era.
Since UConn’s first NCAA championship appearance in 1995, they had been a perfect 11-0 in title games. Coach Geno Auriemma was the winningest coach in college basketball history. He had turned a nowhere college town in Storrs, Connecticut into the dream destination of any young girl with basketball dreams.
But in 2022, this meant nothing. South Carolina was simply the better basketball team. The final score was 64-49; UConn didn’t lead once in the entire game.
South Carolina would be even more impressive over the next two seasons. In 2023, the Gamecocks went undefeated until the Final Four, where they fell to runners-up Iowa, who were led by Divion 1’s all-time leading scorer, Caitlin Clark. The next year, South Carolina had a 38-0 record, and this time, nothing could stop them. They got their revenge on Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in the national championship game, completing their perfect season. This was the second time in women’s college basketball history that a school was undefeated in consecutive seasons. The last time it happened: the University of Connecticut in 2009-2010.
For UConn, the championship loss forced Geno Auriemma to contemplate retirement as he experienced various health problems. Paige Bueckers, who was the first woman to win the Naismith Award as a freshman, missed the entire 2022-2023 season due to a torn ACL injury. That year, the Huskies lost to Ohio State in the Sweet Sixteen; this was the first time in sixteen years that they’d failed to reach the Final Four.
The 2023-24 regular season was much of the same story, as UConn’s roster was plagued by injuries from top to bottom. Ever relentless, however, they were able to muster a Final Four appearance before losing to Iowa on a controversial offensive foul call.
This year, however, UConn was back like they’d never left. With a healthy roster, they finished third in the regular season AP Poll. The Huskies had a 31-3 record, but there were still concerns about their ability to perform against top teams. They lost to their greatest rivals, Notre Dame, in South Bend, before losing by 2 points against USC nine days later. Their last loss came in February to #19 Tennessee, a moment that Auriemma and Bueckers would later define as the turning point in their season.
Although South Carolina also had three regular seasons losses (one of which was a brutal 30-point loss to UConn), the media was more confident about their ability to perform in March, as the Gamecocks had twelve wins against ranked opponents. For their impressive resume, they were named a one-seed in the NCAA Tournament. En route to the final, they had nervy wins against Maryland and Duke, only eking out a 4-point victory in both games; their 74-57 win over Texas in the Final Four was more decisive.
As for UConn, they looked infallible throughout the entire tournament. Their margin of victory over the first three rounds was +126 points; Paige Bueckers had a career-high 40-points against Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen. In the Elite Eight, the Huskies faced their first one-seed, USC, in a repeat of last year’s matchup. UConn won 78-64 – a less astonishing scoreline than their early victories but still an impressive win over an impressive opponent. UConn dominated UCLA in the Final Four, 85-51, and the National Championship was set. UConn and South Carolina would face off in a rematch of 2022’s final.
The first quarter was fairly even with several lead changes. South Carolina got out to a quick start but quickly got cold from the floor, and neither team was able to make a three. By halftime, however, UConn had gained momentum. With twenty minutes played and twenty minutes to go, the Huskies led 36-26. The Huskies put the game away in the third quarter, with Azzi Fudd, Sarah Strong, and Paige Bueckers combining for 23 of the team’s 26 points in the period. UConn led by twenty with one quarter left to play, and the only thing separating UConn from the trophy were the formalities.
A minute and a half after UConn’s starters had subbed off to an emotional ovation, the buzzer sounded. Final score: UConn 82-South Carolina 59. The UConn Huskies were National Champions once again.
