Women's NCAA title game predictions: Will UConn or South Carolina win rematch?

Two of the astir ascendant programs successful women's assemblage hoops implicit the past decennary volition determine the 2025 NCAA title. South Carolina, the defending nationalist champion, has won 3 titles successful that stretch: 2017, 2022 and past twelvemonth portion going undefeated.

UConn won its astir caller NCAA rubric -- and 11th wide -- successful 2016. The Huskies person reached the Final Four 24 times. That includes each twelvemonth since 2008 but for 2023, erstwhile prima defender Paige Bueckers missed the play with an ACL injury.

The Gamecocks and Huskies person met earlier successful the nationalist title game, successful 2022 successful Bueckers' hometown of Minneapolis. South Carolina won 64-49; the Gamecocks person taken 5 of their past 7 matchups with UConn.

But successful their astir caller gathering connected Feb. 16 astatine South Carolina, UConn dominated 87-58. Both teams won their nationalist semifinals handily Friday present astatine Amalie Arena successful Tampa, Florida.

Which squad mightiness person the borderline Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC)?

UConn seems to person deed its stride implicit the past month. What did the Huskies bash to highest astatine the close time?

Voepel: The younger/less experienced players matured well. This is Bueckers' 4th Final Four; you knew she would beryllium astatine her champion now. But respective different players proved they were acceptable for the brighter spotlight successful March and April.

"We person little acquisition passim the lineup than immoderate of the different [Final Four teams]," UConn manager Geno Auriemma said. "We person had teams that were young, but they besides [had more] important older players. Paige is the lone upperclassman that's been done this for 4 years."

But Auriemma referenced freshmen Sarah Strong (22 points, 8 rebounds successful the 85-51 semifinal triumph implicit UCLA) and Jana El Alfy (6 points and 8 rebounds), on with second-year defender KK Arnold (9 points vs. UCLA) arsenic players who are showing up large present contempt their youth. And adjacent though defender Kaitlyn Chen is simply a fifth-year senior, this is her archetypal Final Four aft transferring from Princeton. She has had her large moments successful this NCAA tournament, too.

Does South Carolina person capable discourtesy to bushed UConn?

Voepel: The Gamecocks bash person capable discourtesy -- if they don't marque the mistakes that UCLA did successful the semifinals against UConn. The Bruins turned implicit the shot excessively much, they didn't look acceptable for UConn's gait of play, and their discourtesy became one-dimensional successful relying connected halfway Lauren Betts (she scored 26 of the Bruins' 51 points).

"I deliberation radical underestimate however rapidly we play," Auriemma said. "If you're not capable to get buckets connected your end, the unit that we enactment connected you due to the fact that we support scoring is conscionable demoralizing. I deliberation we drawback immoderate radical by surprise. I don't deliberation we'll drawback South Carolina by surprise."

The Gamecocks had 10 players people against Texas, with 35 points coming from the bench. If South Carolina repeats that benignant of extent and versatility, it volition beryllium pugnacious for adjacent UConn to defend.

Adelson: This is what South Carolina volition archer you: Its defence helps its offense, and truthful that people volition let the Gamecocks to marque this a game. Coach Dawn Staley mentioned this Saturday: Not having a go-to subordinate doesn't needfully spell doom and gloom due to the fact that their extent is truthful good.

"It's conscionable old-school hoops wherever you're conscionable playing to your strengths, and our spot is our depth, our quality to play together, to play linked up," Staley said. "And I deliberation a staple for america has been our quality to support due to the fact that the discourtesy volition sometimes spell disconnected connected a travel connected its own. And our mainstay has been our quality to support and travel up with schemes that volition assistance america done those stretches wherever we've got a lull from an violative standpoint."

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Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi interruption down UConn-South Carolina matchup

Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird articulation Scott Van Pelt to interruption down what went close for UConn successful its Final Four triumph implicit UCLA and preview its nationalist title crippled against South Carolina.

What acquisition from the teams' February gathering could beryllium an X origin Sunday?

Voepel: South Carolina players called their antiaircraft effort successful that crippled "embarrassing," and Staley didn't fto them hide it.

"Practice was precise hard that [next] week; Coach turned it up," defender Raven Johnson said. "It was similar a acquisition crippled for us. We didn't consciousness similar ourselves retired there. Now we person to travel retired and amusement them who we truly are."

The Gamecocks person not mislaid since falling to UConn. One much triumph volition springiness them 13 successful a enactment and the program's 4th NCAA title.

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Geno Auriemma: South Carolina volition privation revenge for regular-season loss

Geno Auriemma joins Scott Van Pelt to sermon UConn's Final Four triumph implicit UCLA and its upcoming matchup against South Carolina successful the nationalist title game

One crushed UConn volition triumph again

Voepel: The Huskies could person excessively overmuch discourtesy from their large 3 of Bueckers, Strong and Azzi Fudd for the Gamecocks to overcome. They combined for 57 points against UCLA, outscoring the Bruins by themselves. A akin show from that trio could springiness UConn its 12th championship.

Adelson: Indeed, arsenic Auriemma has said, it's not each connected Bueckers anymore to present a championship. UConn has the endowment and extent to get it done.

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Highlight: Edwards leads 1-seed South Carolina's dominance implicit 1-seed Texas

Joyce Edwards registers 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to assistance the Gamecocks unopen down the Longhorns, 74-57, clinching their accidental astatine back-to-back nationalist titles.

One crushed South Carolina volition beryllium capable to alteration the ending

Adelson: There is simply a crushed South Carolina began the play ranked No. 1. With a squad afloat of players who person been successful this spot before, the Gamecocks person what it takes to win. They volition beryllium the archetypal to admit they play arsenic underdogs. They volition beryllium the archetypal to admit they wanted different changeable astatine UConn because, arsenic MiLaysia Fulwiley said, "We beryllium them one." They volition beryllium the archetypal to admit they privation to marque past and repetition arsenic nationalist champions. Wait, is that 3 reasons? Needless to accidental this volition beryllium a highly motivated squad acceptable to play its champion basketball.

Voepel: Defense. UCLA guardant Janiah Barker lamented Friday astir the Bruins' issues against the Huskies: "We virtually conscionable gave them immoderate they wanted. We fto them get truthful comfortable."

South Carolina has elite defenders astatine each position; that's a staple for the Gamecocks and a large portion of however they person dominated the SEC for the past decade. As we've talked about, that defence didn't amusement up successful the regular-season gathering against UConn. But likelihood are that it volition connected Sunday.

Which squad volition triumph the championship?

Adelson: UConn. The Huskies person better, much accordant shooters. Even though they accidental defence wins championships, the amended discourtesy volition win.

Katie Barnes: UConn. The Huskies are playing their champion hoops astatine the close time.

Alexa Philippou: UConn. While the Gamecocks looked amended against Texas than they did earlier successful the tournament, the Huskies consciousness similar a freight bid barreling toward the championship. The crippled should beryllium overmuch person than February's gathering -- and if South Carolina gets successful a spread early, it volition respond overmuch amended than UCLA did Friday. But UConn's operation of Bueckers, Fudd and Strong volition beryllium the difference, and Bueckers volition triumph a title successful her last collegiate game.

Voepel: South Carolina. I've stuck with the Gamecocks to repetition each season. This crippled seems precise apt to beryllium overmuch person than South Carolina's 3 erstwhile NCAA last wins: by 12 vs. some Mississippi State successful 2017 and Iowa successful 2024, and by 15 vs. UConn successful 2022. This could travel down to the last minute. If it does, that's wherever the Gamecocks' defence could travel up large for the astir important play.