PORTLAND, Ore. — After being a spectator a year ago, Paige Bueckers is headed back to the Final Four after scoring 28 points and lifting UConn to a 80-73 win over Southern California in the women’s NCAA Tournament on Monday night.
Bueckers outdueled fabulous USC freshman All-American JuJu Watkins, sparking a decisive run over the final five minutes that sent third-seeded UConn (33-5) to its 23rd national semifinal, the most of any school.
Leading 65-64, the Huskies scored 11 straight points, including seven from Bueckers and a three-point play from Aaliyah Edwards to finally put away the top-seeded Trojans (29-6).
UConn will face Caitlin Clark and Iowa on Friday in Cleveland.
Edwards finished with 24 points, and this Final Four trip will rank as one of the most unlikely in coach Geno Auriemma’s 39-year tenure.
Beset by injuries that left them with only eight healthy players — including the loss of two starters — the Huskies managed minutes, fouls and exhaustion to win their regional final a year after seeing a string of 14 straight Final Four appearances snapped.
Bueckers was sidelined by a major knee injury last year when that streak ended. She was determined to get the Huskies back to that stage, and did it by hitting 11 of 23 shots and finishing with 10 rebounds and six assists.
A day after the NCAA belatedly realized the 3-point line at one end of the court at Moda Center was 9 inches shorter than the other, the Trojans and Huskies played on a corrected floor — albeit with the incorrect line still visible — with the final spot in Cleveland at stake.
And it was the Huskies celebrating at the end, although it was a shaky finish. UConn missed six free throws in the final minute and let a 12-point lead dwindle down to five.
Watkins concluded her freshman year by scoring 29 points, but UConn made it difficult for her to get clean looks at the rim with regular double-teams and constant switching of defenders.
Watkins took about 15 minutes to score the eight points needed to move past former San Diego State star Tina Hutchinson for the most by a freshman in NCAA history. Watkins’ 3-pointer at the top of the key midway through the second quarter gave her the record.
Watkins missed eight of her next nine shots and UConn built a 12-point lead midway through the third quarter. USC rallied to pull even at 59-59 with 7:21 left after five quick points from Watkins and McKenzie Forbes’ fourth 3-pointer of the game, but the Huskies pulled away late.
Forbes finished with 24 points and Rayah Marshall had 11 for the Trojans, who were seeking their first Final Four appearance since 1986.
UP NEXT
Considering the stage it’ll be played on, the matchup between Bueckers and Clark will get even more attention than facing Watkins in the Elite Eight.
News
The Entire Internet Is Destroying Angel Reese And Her Podcast Following Her Sketchy Interview With Travis Kelce’s Ex-Girlfriend Kayla Nicole
Angel Reese has been taking heat on social media following the newest episode of her ‘Unapologetically Angel’ podcast. Kayla Nicole and Angel Reese (Photo via Unapologetically Angel/YouTube) The Chicago Sky forward had Travis Kelce’s ex-girlfriend Kayla Nicole on this week, and they took a…
Kim Mulkey Reveals Why She Calls Angel Reese “ROTY” Despite the Fact That the Award Went to Caitlin Clark
Former LSU Tiger and current Chicago Sky rookie has impressed everyone in her first WNBA season. Both Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark had standout seasons, captivating fans and drawing significant attention to women’s college basketball. Clark’s impressive performances earned her the Rookie of the…
“She’s the white Angel Reese” – WNBA fans torn over Mercury’s Sophie Cunningham attacking Kamala Harris, aligning with MAGA
WNBA fans shared their two cents on Phoenix Mercury star Sophie Cunningham for aligning with the Republican party. This comes on the back of the guard taking to Instagram to share a story of Kamala Harris’ podcast appearance where she took…
VIDEO: The arena went crazy when CC and Kelsey did this! Caitlin Clark & boyfriend Connor McCaffery along with Kelsey Mitchell on sidelines for Pacers vs Grizzlies preseason game
2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark was spotted sitting on the sidelines with her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery. The two watched the preseason game between the Indiana Pacers and Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. Clark’s Indiana Fever teammate Kelsey Mitchell sat with the…
Caitlin Clark Was Suspiciously Missing As Boyfriend Connor McCaffery Attended Wedding & Dropped An Interesting 4-Word Message
Caitlin Clark was nowhere to be found as her boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, attended a wedding. Caitlin Clark and Connor McCaffery (Photo via Instagram) Last Friday, Iowa freshman Austin Ash shared photos from a wedding on his Instagram account, in which Connor McCaffery was…
VIDEO: Social Media Detectives Think They Found A Clip Of A Much-Younger-Looking Angel Reese In Tiny Orange Bikini, And Everyone Is Asking The Same Question
An old video of Angel Reese wearing very, very little and showing off a whole lot has surfaced on social media this weekend, and fans have been making all sorts of comments. Angel Reese (Photos via @crazyleaks0/X) Reese played out her first…
End of content
No more pages to load