By Doug Feinberg
Birmingham, ala. – the Final women 4 is filled with star players, top -seeds and historical programs.
This week there will likely be no ash put in Tampa, Florida, in No. 1 seed South Carolina, Ucla and Texas within the national semi -finals. You will likely be accompanied by the competition to win the whole lot, the 2 -speed Uconn, who played the very best of each team last month and last month a team in Southern California excluded who’s best sought That was missing his best player.
Trainer Dawn Staley and the defending champion Gamecocks make their fifth trip in a row in the ultimate Four and are two victories of becoming the primary which have won 4 since Uconn from 2013 to 2016.
South Carolina will compete for the fourth time in a semi -finals for the fourth time against the Southeasters Conference Conference in a semi -finals. Uconn will play in the opposite UCLA.
The huskies are again within the last 4 and a record course for the second time in a row, and Star Paige Bueckers desires to bring coach Geno Auriemma his twelfth title and the primary since this four-goal.
The top seeds -Ucla plays for the primary time within the last 4 NCAA tournaments of ladies. The Bruins won a national title in 1978 within the pre-Ncaa era of ladies's basketball, led by Ann Meyer's Drysdale, and returned to the ultimate next 12 months.
This success had not passed the NCAA before this season.
No program for the last 4 was greater than the Huskies from Auriemma, which had a record run of 14 consecutive last 4 appearances, which were recorded in 2023. Her 11 national titles are most of a team.
Here is a take a look at the matchups:
South Carolina against Texas
The teams separated two regular season meetings and won on their home fields. The Gamecocks took the rubber game and won the title of the SEC tournament by 17 points. The Gamecocks have won three titles previously eight years, but this 12 months's squad was tested within the post -season. They won each games in Birmingham regionally with 4 points and exceeded Maryland and Duke.
In their victories over Texas this season, the Gamecocks found the Longhorns below 30%. Texas shot 44%when South Carolina was defeated.
“Tones of experiences from which you can strips and from the Texas coach Vic Schaefer.” I actually have to learn and be different. That is the thing together with your team, Dawn's teams. You know that you simply get the identical of you that you furthermore may need to convey for others. They develop into hard, aggressive, physically. If you don't have a bonus within the fight, it won't be much fun. “
There are many star power in both teams, with Rori Harmon and Madison Booker Texas, while Joyce Edwards, Chloe Kitts and Milaysia Fulwiley are the top players for the GameCocks.
Texas has been in the last four for the first time since 2003. Schaefer was the fifth coach who brought at least two teams to the final Four and joined Marianne Stanley, Gary Blair and Kim Mulkey. C. Vivian Stringer brought three schools to the national semi -finals. Schaefer led the state of Mississippi to the championship games in 2017 and 2018.
Uconn against UCLA
The Bruins have a dominant post player in 6-foot 7-Lauren Betts, which could no longer be stopped in the tournament. In the second round she had successive 30-point games, 10-R-Bound games and the Sweet 16. She played bad problems in the elite and ended with 17 points, seven rebounds and six blocks.
Uconn has to seek out a strategy to decelerate. While Betts was dominant, no player was higher than Bueckers, who clearly drove to finish her incredible college profession with a national championship.
She had just a little help with Azzi Fudd and newcomer Sarah Strong, who put together probably the greatest seasons for one player at school history at school history.
Originally published:
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