Courtney McKeen ’27
Sports Editor
The UConn Huskies took home the NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship on April 6 after defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Women’s March Madness final. This marks the program’s 12th NCAA tournament championship in just the last 30 years, making them the team with the most tournament wins. All of their wins have been under the same head coach, Geno Auriemma, who has been with the program since 1985.
The championship concludes a successful year for the Huskies, who boasted an impressive 37-3 overall record this season, and remained undefeated with a perfect 18-0 in the Big East. Although they had a near-perfect season, they entered the tournament as a #2 seed. They then won their six tournament games by an average of more than 30 points.
Their path to victory started with a 69 point triumph over Arkansas State, and a 91-57 win against South Dakota State. After beating Oklahoma in the Sweet Sixteen and USC in the Elite Eight, they were set to face #1 seed UCLA in the Final Four. Despite the tough matchup, the Huskies defeated the Bruins in a stunning 34 point win to earn their spot in the championship game against South Carolina.
The 82 points in the final were scored largely by freshman Sarah Strong, senior Azzi Fudd, and senior Paige Bueckers. Bueckers, who scored 17 points in the championship, is a top prospect for this year’s WNBA draft. She has won numerous awards and honors including the prestigious Wade Trophy, which is awarded to the best upperclassman women’s college basketball player. This season, she averaged 19.8 points a game, the most of any UConn Husky in program history. In the Sweet Sixteen game against the Oklahoma Sooners, she scored 40 points, also a school record. With 477 points in the NCAA Tournament throughout her career, she is the top points scorer in program history.
Azzi Fudd, also a senior, has been another strong player on the team. She has averaged 13.3 points per game during her collegiate career and has been named to the 2025 Big East All-Tournament Team. Sarah Strong, a freshman forward on the team, was a top recruit for the Huskies. In just her first season she has averaged 16.4 points per game, and it is certain that she will be a player to watch in the coming years. Fudd and Strong each scored 24 points in the championship game after contributing an average of 13.6 and 16.4 points per game, respectively.
The Championship brought a well deserved end to a hard fought season. With some of the top players and coaches in the country, it is clear that this was a well earned victory.
Featured image courtesy of Sportsnet
Web Edited by Zexuan Qu ’28
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