In a stunning display of dominance, the UConn Huskies dismantled the UCLA Bruins 85-51 in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
The Huskies, led by freshman Sarah Strong’s 22 points, Azzi Fudd’s 19 points, and Paige Buecker’s 16 points, showcased why they remain women’s basketball royalty as they punched their ticket to Sunday’s championship game against South Carolina.
Following their commanding performance, head coach Geno Auriemma and stars Bueckers, Fudd and Strong addressed the media in a post game press conference. Their comments provided insight into the team’s mindset, their defensive masterclass, and what lies ahead as they seek to end UConn’s nine-year national championship drought.
“A Complete Team Effort”: Huskies’ Defensive Masterclass Stuns UCLA
Auriemma opened the press conference with uncharacteristic humility, admitting the dominant win was “somewhat unexpected.” Despite UCLA’s talent, Auriemma praised his team’s flawless execution.
“I don’t think we made a mistake the entire evening, especially on the defensive end,” Auriemma said.
This defensive masterclass held UCLA, a team that was averaging 73.8 points, to just 51.
Bueckers echoed her coach’s sentiments, attributing their success to defensive intensity.
“We knew coming in, we didn’t think we played our best team game yet,” Bueckers said. “To be able to put it all together on a night like this where we’re playing against a really good UCLA team, it’s very rewarding.”
Fudd emphasized the team’s aggressive mindset throughout the contest.
“My mindset tonight was just to be aggressive, whatever that meant, starting on the defensive end,” Fudd explained. “Having teammates that are always on you to shoot the ball makes it pretty easy, they’re giving me great looks, setting me great screens.”
Strong, the freshman standout who led all scorers with 22 points, maintained her trademark composure despite the massive stage. Bueckers praised her roommate’s maturity.
“She just contributes to winning in so many different ways,” Bueckers said. “She’s so cool, calm and collected on the court, but as her roommate, she’s pretty wild off the court!”
Championship Showdown
With their sights now set on South Carolina, Auriemma acknowledged the challenge ahead while reflecting on the significance of this matchup.
“It does feel like the two most prominent programs right now in women’s college basketball are playing for the right to be national champions,” Auriemma noted. “We both deserve to be here.”
When asked about the nine-year championship drought, Bueckers dismissed the narrative of pressure from UConn’s storied past.
“We are not worried about the past,” Bueckers said. “Every single day you walk into the gym, you’re trying to live up to the standard of playing UConn basketball, but you’re not comparing yourself to other teams or players before.”
Auriemma shared a similar perspective on pursuing a 12th national championship.
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“If we win a 12th national championship, I don’t know that has any impact on my life whatsoever other than it makes me feel that I’m still able to have an impact at my age and for how long I’ve been doing it,” Auriemma said.
With 20,000-plus fans in attendance for their semifinal victory, the players recognized the broader significance of the moment for women’s basketball.
“It’s really rewarding to be in this arena at this stage of the tournament, playing with these stakes and in this environment,” Bueckers said. “It was amazing for women’s basketball the turnout, the support, just the display of basketball at a really high level.”
As the Huskies prepare for their championship showdown, Auriemma’s confidence in his team’s depth was evident.
“Going into this weekend, we felt like we had the best opportunity that we could have in the last six years maybe,” Auriemma reflected. “It wasn’t relying all on one person, we have more pieces that’s obviously the majority of the reason why we’re here.”
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