UConn Romps Past South Carolina to Cap Blistering Championship Run
TAMPA, Fla. — The University of Connecticut is back at the zenith of women's college basketball.
The Huskies convincingly won their 12th national championship Sunday, 82-59, in front of 19,777 fans at Amalie Arena. All 12 of those titles have come with coach Geno Auriemma at the helm, but this one marks the program's first since 2016.
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The win also cemented star guards Azzi Fudd and Paige Bueckers as two of UConn's all-time greats. Fudd recorded 24 points and five rebounds and was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Bueckers, the likely No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, tallied 17 points and six boards. Freshman sensation Sarah Strong added 24 points, 15 rebounds and five assists in an inspired effort. Strong set a freshman record with 114 points in this year's NCAA Tournament.
"You don't prepare speeches for something like this," Auriemma said. "... How can you describe the emotions that you would feel if it went the wrong way for us when there's so much riding on this game for a lot of people, a lot of people at UConn and mostly for Paige being her last opportunity to do this? ... I'm glad they were rewarded. This is one of the most emotional Final Fours and emotional national championships I've been a part of since that very first one."
Connecticut Huskies guard Azzi Fudd leads a fast break against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the national championship game of the women's 2025 NCAA Tournament at Amalie Arena on Sunday.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
UConn (37-3) gradually and systematically imposed its will against South Carolina during the entire game, slowly constricting the Gamecocks with clutch shooting and tough defense. The Huskies outscored the Gamecocks in all four quarters, just as they did against UCLA in Friday's blowout win in the national semifinals.
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"Today was an amazing accomplishment to do it with this team," Fudd said. "Yeah, I scored a lot of points but I just did what my teammates — they sent me great screens, got me the ball. I didn't get outside of myself. I read what the game was giving me. It could have been Sarah or Paige scoring the most. So I just did what I knew I was capable of. My teammates trusted me. Shout-out to them for putting me in that position and believing in me."
Huskies fans knew the drill. They cheered louder and louder as the game progressed. They roared "Let's go Huskies" throughout and serenaded Bueckers with "MVP" chants when she took a free throw early in the fourth quarter. Ultimately, they rose to their feet for a standing ovation when Bueckers and Fudd checked out of the game with 1:32 remaining. When the clock expired moments later, Huskies players dogpiled in jubilation on the court in front of their bench as confetti fell from the rafters.
UConn guard Paige Bueckers operates with the ball as South Carolina guard Raven Johnson defends Sunday.Thien-An Truong / ISI Photos / Getty Images
"So many emotions," Bueckers said. "Gratitude was the main one, of the journey, of the ups and downs, and everything that it took to get to that point and just overwhelming joy and just so happy for every single person who was a part of this journey. Just to be able to sum it up in a few words, joy and gratitude would be forefront."
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The nine-year championship drought was UConn's longest since Auriemma guided the Huskies to their first national title in 1995. UConn added championships in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Huskies have lost the championship game only once, against South Carolina in 2022. Now, with the 2025 title in hand, the UConn women have passed the UCLA men's program for the most national championships in major college basketball.
South Carolina (35-4) got off to a good start in defense of its 2024 national title but was unable to sustain that momentum. Joyce Edwards and Tessa Johnson led the Gamecocks with 10 points each off the bench.
"Here's where I must say much respect to UConn," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. "They did a masterful job in executing on both sides of the basketball. And at the same time, I have to say goodbye to a senior class that had a historical impact on our game and our program and our conference and our city and our state."
UConn forward Sarah Strong shoots the ball as South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards defends Sunday.Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Staley, who has guided the Gamecocks to five consecutive Final Fours, said she hopes her players remember the sting of losing in the championship game and use it as motivation next season.
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"I hope they're crying," Staley said. "I hope they're boo-hooing, because from crying they have emotion about losing that makes you work hard in the offseason. Makes you look at it and really analyze what the separation is from their program and our program and how we close the gap. ... I hope they have a desire to get back here to to do all the things it takes to play in the national championship game and to deliver the blows that's needed to win."
UConn outshot South Carolina from the field, 48.4% to 34.4%, and outrebounded the Gamecocks, 40-36. The Huskies recorded 18 assists to South Carolina's nine. They made 18-of-21 free throws. They outscored South Carolina in the paint, 36-26. They held the Gamecocks 21 points below their season average.
Ultimately, it all added up to national championship No. 12 for Auriemma and the UConn women.
"I do think that each championship is a building block, and the legacy is all those blocks placed on top of each other," Auriemma said. "And I don't know that one — well the bottom one holds everything up, but the first one — I don't think any other one means more to the legacy. ...
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"I'm glad that we were able to get to that spot that Connecticut has occupied — not that we had to win a championship, but in the last 30 years, I don't know that any program's meant more to their sport than what UConn has meant to women's basketball, so I feel good about that."
UConn Huskies players celebrate after winning the national championship at Amalie Arena on Sunday.Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
UConn's path to the 2025 national championship
NCAA first round: Connecticut 103, Arkansas State 34
NCAA second round: Connecticut 91, South Dakota State 57
Sweet 16: Connecticut 82, Oklahoma 59
Elite Eight: Connecticut 78, Southern California 64
Final Four: Connecticut 85, UCLA 51
National championship: Connecticut 82, South Carolina 59
Related: UConn Blasts UCLA in Women's Final Four, Aims for Title No. 12
Related: South Carolina Overwhelms Texas in Women's Final Four, Punches Ticket to Title Game
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