SPOKANE, Wash. — After four days at Spokane Arena, the Women’s NCAA Tournament Final Four is set.
On Monday night, the No. 2 seed UConn Huskies punched their ticket to Tampa, Florida, with a 78-64 win over the No. 1 seed USC Trojans, who were without star player JuJu Watkins.
For the Huskies, it was their star, Paige Bueckers, stepping up once again, putting up 31 points against the Trojans just two days after she scored 40 points in UConn’s 82-59 win over Oklahoma on Saturday in the Sweet 16.
For Bueckers, this moment was exactly what she envisioned when she decided to return for an extra year.
“Just being back here, going to the Final Four, getting to continue the season as long as possible. You want to continue to play throughout April,” Bueckers said. “So definitely what I envisioned when I said I wanted to come back.”
Azzi Fudd, who missed her junior season due to injury, emphasized the team’s resilience and chemistry as key factors in their postseason run.
“Not easy, and this team, we’ve been through so much together,” Fudd said. “So to see us clicking and seeing us playing the way we’re playing, seeing the ball moving, seeing the ball going in the hoop. It’s been incredible so far, and we’re ready to keep it going.”
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma acknowledged the unique journey of each Final Four team he has coached, crediting his players for carrying the program forward.
“Every journey is different. Every team that goes to the Final Four at UConn is different. Every kid’s opportunity is different,” Auriemma said. “They get to write their own unique story. At some point, I’m just along for the ride because it’s really, really on their shoulders that all this happens.”
Bueckers echoed that sentiment, expressing both excitement and determination as the Huskies prepare for the next challenge.
“We’re extremely excited to go to the Final Four. We don’t take it for granted,” Bueckers said. “There’s four teams left out of hundreds in the TAs. So just so grateful, but we know the journey isn’t done. We want our story to continue as long as possible, and we have business to finish. So we want to enjoy this, soak it up, be proud of each other. That was extremely hard to do what we just did, but continue on the mission.”
UConn stands as the only non-No. 1 seed in either the men’s or women’s Final Four this year. The Huskies made a statement by opting not to cut down the nets after their regional victory, choosing instead to save that celebration for a national championship.
For the Final Four in Tampa from the Spokane Regional, No. 1 UCLA will face No. 2 UConn on Friday at 6 p.m., while No. 1 South Carolina and No. 1 Texas from the Birmingham Regional will play at 4 p.m. that same day.
.