Paige Bueckers carries UConn to record 24th women’s Final Four with 78-64 win over USC

By Canadian Press on March 31, 2025.

SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Paige Bueckers carried UConn to its record 24th Final Four of the women’s NCAA Tournament, scoring 31 points Monday night in a 78-64 victory over Southern California, which couldn’t overcome the loss of injured star JuJu Watkins.

UConn (35-3) heads to Tampa, Florida, to face overall No. 1 seed UCLA on Friday.

Freshman Sarah Strong added 22 points and 17 rebounds for the second-seeded Huskies, who have won a record 11 NCAA titles, all under coach Geno Auriemma. Their most recent championship was in 2016, the last of a run of four straight.

Rayah Marshall scored 23 points for top-seeded USC (31-4) which also lost to UConn in the Elite Eight last year when Watkins was a freshman.

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Anne M. Peterson, The Associated Press