April 5 (UPI) — UConn’s devastating defensive pressure and a rabid offensive pace perplexed UCLA, as the Huskies dismantled the No. 1 overall seed Friday for a spot in the 2025 NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament title game.
Senior guard Azzi Fudd poured in all 19 of her points in the first half of the 85-51 Final Four blowout in Tampa, Fla. Freshman forward Sarah Strong scored 22 points for the Huskies, who never trailed.
“I just had confidence and faith that at some point, I said we were going to be a good team in March,” Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said on the ESPN broadcast.
“But I don’t think anybody prepares for something like this. … Every single kid that stepped on the floor tonight played about as well as I would expect them to play. It was really a joy to watch.”
The second-seeded Huskies will face the reigning champion South Carolina Gamecocks, a No. 1 seed, in the title game Sunday in Tampa.
The Huskies outshot the Bruins 55% to 38.5%. They also made 43.8% of their 3-pointers, compared to the Bruins’ 25% clip. The Huskies forced 19 Bruins turnovers en route to the first Final Four win by at least 30 points in the history of the NCAA Division I women’s basketball tournament.
Fudd, Strong and the Huskies edged the Bruins 27-5 in points off turnovers and 13-4 in fast break points.
Strong got the Huskies off to a hot start, scoring eight points in the first quarter. The Huskies ended the frame on a 14-5 run and carried a 23-13 lead into the second quarter.
The Bruins (34-3) continued to struggle over the next 10 minutes, while Fudd heated up for a dozen points in the second quarter. The Bruins, who totaled 14 turnovers in the first half and didn’t make a 3-pointer for the first 15 minutes, trailed 42-22 at halftime.
Strong poured in 10 in the third quarter, helping the Huskies outscore the Bruins 16-13 for a 60-37 lead to start the fourth.
The Huskies (36-3) outscored the Bruins 25-14 over the final 10 minutes to earn a spot in the national final for a record-tying 13th time. They are 11-1 in their previous 12 appearances.
Senior guard Paige Bueckers scored 16 points for the Huskies. Fellow All-American Lauren Betts totaled a game-high 26 points for the Bruins. No other Bruins player eclipsed eight points.
The Huskies will face the Gamecocks at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday at Amalie Arena. The game will air on ABC.
“We’ll have our hands full,” Bueckers said of the matchup with the South Carolina.
