UConn senior star Paige Bueckers turned the Elite Eight into her personal showcase on April 1. Facing USC, she dropped 31 points, drilling four 3-pointers in a 78-64 win. Her back-to-back long-range shots late in the second quarter broke the game open, sending the Huskies to their 24th Final Four.
March 30 marked a turning point for UCLA. In a tense 72-65 Elite Eight victory over LSU, the Bruins secured their first Final Four trip ever.
Defending champion South Carolina faced a test on March 30 against Duke in the Elite Eight. Scoring only 54 points, their second-lowest total in tournament history, they still gutted out a 54-50 win.
The championship game on April 6 was UConn’s moment. Taking down South Carolina, the Huskies grabbed their 12th national title. Freshman Sarah Strong showed her shooting skills while Paige Bueckers controlled the game with her all-around presence.
UCLA’s Lauren Betts became a force in the tournament’s earlier rounds. She posted back-to-back 30-point, 10-rebound games, peaking with 31 points on 15-of-16 shooting in a 76-62 Sweet 16 win over Ole Miss on March 28.
