Women's March Madness: Final Four Recap

 

Sending the two best teams in the country to the National Championship game, these two Final Four matchups showed the fire, competitiveness, and heart that comes with being at the top.

Two Games: One Goal

Togetherness Prevails as South Carolina Outplays UConn

With their seasons on the line, both teams came out strong as the game was tight in the first half. Serah Williams got UConn started early with their first four points and sparked the little scoring of Sarah Strong who put up 8 points in the first half. Remaining fairly silent with just 2 points in the first half was the Huskies' Azzi Fudd who would only go on to score 8 points in the entire game. On South Carolina's end, Ta'Niya Latson was running it for the Gamecocks, keeping them behind just 2 points in the first half and contributing 6 points of her own and 16 total in the matchup to lead South Carolina to the victory. With the scoring contributions of Agot Makeer, Tessa Johnson, and Joyce Edwards, the Gamecocks were able to outscore the Huskies by 16 points in the second half. The double figure scoring from these four players proved that all the Gamecocks needed was a handful of consistent scorers to accompany their dominant defense. No masterclass from a singular player was needed to win and that is something Coach Staley is not only proud of but also stands by. Because there were so many contributions from the South Carolina squad as a whole, Coach Staley's Gamecocks could let their defense do the talking as they shut down UConn's Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd. Holding off UConn's star duo to just 20 points combined was huge and put the rest of the Huskies into panic mode. Despite their many efforts, even the strong 12 points from Ashlynn Shade or 7 points from Blanca Quinonez were not enough for UConn as South Carolina took the 62-48 victory.

UCLA Outlasts Texas to Make Their First National Championship Game

Facing off for the second time this season, UCLA was looking to beat Texas when it mattered most. On November 26, 2025, the Texas Longhorns took the 76-65 over the UCLA Bruins thanks to a 26-point masterclass from Rori Harmon. Hoping to beat the odds and continue their dreams at a National Championship, UCLA came into this Final Four matchup hungry and held Texas to a season low 6 points in the first quarter. Key to UCLA's dominance was the contributions that came from multiple players. Alleviating any extra pressure from the Bruins' star center, Lauren Betts was the double-figure scoring of Gianna Kneepkens, Kiki Rice, and Gabriela Jaquez. The ability of these three players to not only score but facilitate the ball allowed for Betts to comfortably put up a 16-point 11-rebound double-double to lead the Bruins to a 51-44 victory. That said, it wasn't that simple. Despite the scoring struggles of both Rori Harmon and Madison Booker who combined for just 14 points, the Texas Longhorns didn't let UCLA go on big scoring runs, thus keeping them in the game. With just over a minute remaining in the game, Texas was able to come within 3 points of UCLA with a clutch steal from Rori Harmon leading to a bucket from Jordan Lee. Capitalizing on UCLA's misses during one of the final possessions, Madison Booker came down with a rebound and had a chance to put Texas within 1-point with a layup or even tie the game with an and-one or three-pointer. That said, Booker took the ball to the basket right at 6'7" Lauren Betts, getting her shot blocked. UCLA would gain possession leading to Texas fouling to stop the clock, ultimately losing the game.

The Last Dance

In the final game of women's college basketball and the 2026 NCAA Tournament, UCLA will take on South Carolina on April 5, 2026, at 3:30 pm EST in the National Championship game. This contest will be made very interesting if South Carolina can continue their great defensive efforts and shut down the scoring of UCLA's Lauren Betts, Kiki Rice, and Gabriela Jaquez. Similarly, I am curious to see how UCLA's defense holds up to South Carolina's speed and tempo with players like Ta'Niya Latson and Raven Johnson pushing the pace up and down the court. Will UCLA come out victorious and win their first National Championship in program history, or will Coach Dawn Staley's Gamecocks get their lick back after losing in the same game just a year ago?