The Connecticut Huskies won their record 12th national championship Sunday, throttling the South Carolina Gamecocks 82-59 in a rematch of the 2022 title game.
The Gamecocks were looking for their second straight championship and third in four years but were denied by the Huskies, who dominated them offensively.
Connecticut was led by senior guard Azzi Fudd and freshman forward Sarah Strong, who combined to score 48 points on 19-of-32 shooting. Senior guard Paige Bueckers, the presumptive No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, scored 17 points in her final college basketball game.
South Carolina simply could not keep up offensively. The Gamecocks’ leading scorer was Joyce Edwards, but she shot only 33.3% from the field. The SEC Sixth Woman of the Year, MiLaysia Fulwiley, was held in check, scoring six points off the bench.
Both teams started hot offensively, trading buckets for much of the game’s first five minutes. The pace and high-scoring nature seemed to favor the Huskies, however, and that proved to be true over the course of the game.
As play continued, Connecticut’s scorers remained hot while the Gamecocks couldn’t find answers on either end of the floor. The Huskies led by five after the first quarter, by 10 after the second and then by 20 after the third.
The win adds to Connecticut’s record championship total, which was already an NCAA-best 11 before Sunday. And not only did the Huskies win their first title since 2016, but they also avenged the program’s only ever loss in the final round of the tournament.
The Gamecocks, meanwhile, were denied their fourth championship. While South Carolina was in its fifth straight Final Four, it was not as dominant as last year’s undefeated champ, which finished the year 38-0.
The title is especially meaningful for Bueckers’ legacy. In her career at Connecticut, Bueckers beat six No. 1 seeds in the tournament. Despite having multiple injury-plagued seasons, she will end her collegiate career as the Huskies’ third all-time leading scorer.
Fudd, on the other hand, will forgo a professional career this summer and remain at Connecticut for a chance to repeat in her final season. She was a difference maker in the backcourt with Bueckers, posting multiple big scoring nights in the postseason.
Strong’s return will also be a boost. Her 114 points in the tournament were the most by a freshman in Division I history.
Both teams, led by legendary coaches in Geno Auriemma (Huskies) and Dawn Staley (Gamecocks), figure to be major players come tournament time next season. South Carolina hasn’t been knocked out before the Final Four since 2019, while Connecticut has missed only one Final Four since 2008.