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UConn's women's hoops squad are champions for a 12th clip - and the archetypal successful astir a decennary - aft emphatically defeating South Carolina 82-59 successful the nationalist title connected Sunday.
In what was lone the storied program's 2nd rubric crippled quality since 2016, the Huskies prevented Dawn Staley's radical from winning their 3rd rubric successful 4 years.
Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong some led the mode with 24 points, while Paige Bueckers - expected to beryllium the No. 1 wide prime successful this month's WNBA Draft, besides had 17 points and six rebounds.
The trio checked retired of the crippled with astir 90 seconds remaining arsenic the assemblage successful Tampa gave them a monolithic ovation and Bueckers shared a hug with her manager Geno Auriemma.
'I emotion her, that's each I tin say,' helium said connected ESPN erstwhile asked astir the moment.
'About 2 months ago, this squad fell successful emotion with each other... they fell successful emotion with each other, the process,' helium continued.
Fudd, who added 5 rebounds and 3 steals successful the game, was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four aft the win.
Paige Bueckers and Geno Auriemma shared an affectional hug aft she subbed retired of the game
Senior Azzi Fudd, who who volition instrumentality for a 5th play adjacent year, led the Huskies successful scoring
Dawn Staley's South Carolina were seeking a 3rd rubric successful 4 years connected Sunday
It had been 9 years since UConn and their legendary coach Auriemma had won a title, though Sunday's triumph further entrenched him arsenic the champion manager successful the past of women's assemblage basketball.
His 12 titles are present 4 much than the next-closest competitor, the late, large Tennessee manager Pat Summitt, who won 8 titles.
Staley, who has won 3 full titles with South Carolina, would person jumped to 3rd connected the all-time database with a triumph successful Tampa Bay.
The Gamecocks were competitory successful the archetypal half, arsenic they went into the interruption down 10, but the Huskies pulled distant successful the 2nd half.
Ultimately, lone 1 South Carolina player, Tessa Johnson, scored successful treble figures arsenic the Gamecocks discourtesy struggled severely successful the last 20 minutes of the game.
The Huskies´ past rubric crippled quality earlier this twelvemonth came successful 2022, erstwhile Staley´s squad bushed UConn to commencement the Gamecocks´ existent tally of success, a crippled that ended Auriemma´s cleanable grounds successful rubric games.
Bueckers ended her assemblage vocation connected a precocious arsenic the UConn women bushed South Carolina
UConn manager Auriemma won his 12th women's nationalist title connected Sunday
The lone UConn subordinate who saw important clip successful the rubric crippled 3 years agone against South Carolina was Bueckers, who played successful her past assemblage crippled this weekend.
The guard, who struggled with injuries earlier successful her assemblage vocation - including a torn ACL successful 2022 - returned to signifier implicit the past 2 seasons earlier yet finishing her assemblage vocation with a title.
Earlier this week, she was named an All-American for the 3rd time, and looks acceptable to articulation the Dallas Wings, who ain the WNBA's archetypal wide pick.
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