UConn stomps UCLA by Final Four record 34 pts.

TAMPA, Fla. -- In Paige Bueckers' last collegiate game, she volition person the accidental to bash what she ever dreamed of doing with UConn -- triumph a nationalist championship.

The presumptive No.1 wide prime successful this month's WNBA draft, Bueckers and the Huskies demolished No. 1 wide effect UCLA 85-51 successful the nationalist semifinal, the largest borderline of triumph successful NCAA Final Four history, to beforehand to the program's 13th nationalist rubric crippled appearance. UConn moves onto Sunday's rubric crippled against defending champion South Carolina, which it bushed earlier this play successful Columbia.

The Bruins finished the play 34-3 and bowed retired of the tourney aft making their archetypal Final Four appearance.

While Bueckers' rubric pursuit fuels the Huskies, UConn's dominance connected Friday came much from her teammates. Freshman Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd combined for 41 points, portion Bueckers, who totaled 105 points successful her 3 erstwhile games -- had a quiescent nighttime by her standards with 16 points connected 7-for-17 shooting (0-for-3 from 3).

It's that precise endowment and extent astir Bueckers, who'll look successful her 2nd nationalist rubric game, that manager Geno Auriemma has said passim this play volition springiness the Huskies their champion changeable astatine winning their 12th wide title and archetypal since 2016, erstwhile they won they four-peated.

The crippled was efficaciously implicit successful the archetypal half, erstwhile UConn dominated connected some ends of the level and took a 42-22 halftime lead. The Huskies swarmed defensively, forcing 14 Bruins turnovers and holding players extracurricular of UCLA prima Lauren Betts (11 points) to 5-for-14 shooting from the field. Betts paced UCLA with 26 points connected 11-for-18 shooting, whereas nary teammate finished with much than 8 points.

Things were conscionable arsenic creaseless connected the different end. UConn's discourtesy flowed astir of the way, scoring disconnected aggregate modulation plays featuring jaw-dropping passes that near the Amalie Arena assemblage successful awe.

Coming disconnected an off-night successful the Elite Eight with 8 points, Fudd delivered connected her committedness to permission that mediocre show successful Spokane. Aggressive from the tip, she enactment up 19 first-half points, astir matching the Bruins' full successful the archetypal 20 minutes. The Huskies improved to 25-1 successful Fudd's vocation erstwhile she scores 15 oregon much points.

Strong carried the Huskies successful the 2nd half, scoring 14 of her 22 points. She became the 3rd UConn freshman with astatine slightest 20 points successful a Final Four game, joining Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart.

By the extremity of the 3rd quarter, Fudd and Strong had arsenic galore points unneurotic arsenic UCLA did arsenic a squad (37).

The Bruins concisely got the shortage beneath 20 points aboriginal successful the third, but the Huskies kept their ft connected the state from there.