Paige Bueckers just put together one of the coolest March Madness performances ever — 40 points, three steals, two blocks and six 3s in Connecticut’s frenetic comeback win over Oklahoma. Her follow-up could send her to the Final Four … or it could be the last time we see her in the Huskies’ white and navy. UConn is a sizable favorite against top-seeded USC, which chases its own ticket to championship weekend without injured star JuJu Watkins.
How to watch No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 UConn
- What: Spokane 4 Regional, Elite Eight
- Venue: Spokane Arena — Spokane, Wash.
- Time: 9 p.m. ET, Monday
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: Fubo (try for free)
- Watching in-person? Get tickets on StubHub.
The Huskies were beaten 24-15 in the second quarter of their Sweet 16 tangle with the Sooners. They finished the game with a 23-point win. Bueckers set the offense’s thermodynamics for the second half, and the team ended up with a 13th-consecutive blowout win. Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd had underwhelming final lines, but each is capable of taking over should Bueckers ever lose her rhythm.
Through 37 games, UConn still has the No. 1 offensive and defensive ratings in the country. They are looking just about unbeatable from end to end:
USC still rightfully harbors championship dreams, but the Watkins injury deflated national title momentum for this team. A stunning JuJu-less upset of Geno Auriemma’s Huskies would be valiant and instantly classic; the oddsmakers just don’t see it happening, with the Trojans tipping off as double-digit underdogs and around eight-to-one on the moneyline.
Lindsay Gottlieb’s group hung on against Kansas State in Friday’s late game, advancing with a 67-61 win off big nights from Avery Howell and Kennedy Smith. Howell was feeling it from behind the arc and has now hit four 3s in consecutive tourney tries. A surprise advancement to the Final Four starts with her and Smith overdelivering in the backcourt. Relentless defender Rayah Marshall can bother the fluid Huskies offense; native Angeleno and All-American talent Kiki Iriafen is phenomenal on the boards and will all but certainly improve upon her Sweet 16 dud (3-for-13 shooting, two turnovers to one assist).
Like Bueckers, Iriafen had a recent and memorable Madness outburst. She scored 36 points in 31 minutes in the second round, avenging the fallen Watkins against Mississippi State. She’ll need to rise to that level and then some against this locked-in UConn crew.
This matchup can also be streamed on ESPN+.
USC vs. UConn odds
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(Photo of Paige Bueckers: Steph Chambers / Getty Images)
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