PHOENIX (AP) 鈥� Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma have met on women’s basketball’s biggest stage the past few years with a national championship on the line.
Now they’ll play a game earlier as South Carolina and UConn tip off in the Final Four on Friday. UCLA and Texas play in the second national semifinal game of .
The Huskies and Gamecocks played last season for the title and UConn came away with an for the school’s 12th national championship. UConn also beat South Carolina during the 2024-25 regular season.
鈥淭his is a different South Carolina team than the one we played last year,鈥� Auriemma said. 鈥淥ur two wins against them last year don鈥檛 really mean anything going into tomorrow. The way (the championship game) was played has no bearing on tomorrow. They have added some really key pieces. I think they鈥檙e a much better team than they were last year.鈥�
The Gamecocks also feel last season’s games are in the past and don’t have much bearing on Friday’s rematch. The two teams didn’t play during the regular season for the first time in more than a decade.
鈥淚 just remember getting beat by 20, honestly,鈥� South Carolina guard Raven Johnson said. “We got new players in. This is their first time experiencing the Final Four. I think Coach Staley, the other coaches, are doing a good job of keeping the main thing the main thing and keeping us ready when the moment is here.”
UConn has continued winning since the championship game, going 38-0 this season so far. They enter the Final Four undefeated for the ninth time and are riding a 54-game winning streak. Sensational sophomore Sarah Strong, who was honored as the on Thursday, is a big reason why.
Last ride for Fudd
Azzi Fudd is trying not to think about how her UConn career will end this weekend either with another championship or a loss. She’s focused on staying in the moment. The guard will be a potential lottery pick in the WNBA draft in a few weeks.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e been kind of in denial thinking about how this is my last weekend. I know, but I haven鈥檛 really accepted that yet,鈥� said Fudd, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four last year. 鈥淚鈥檓 really just trying to enjoy every single moment. … I鈥檓 trying not to think about that. I mean, I feel like this program has left such an impact on me, I can鈥檛 even begin. I don鈥檛 know. I don鈥檛 know. I have no idea (smiling).鈥�
Fudd has been healthy this season and has been of the tournament. She’s averaging 17.5 points while shooting 48.5% from the field, 45.5% from the 3-point line and 95.5% from the foul line.
鈥淚f we win tomorrow and if we win Sunday, Azzi will be crowned one of the greatest of all time. If we don鈥檛 win tomorrow and we don鈥檛 even get a chance to play on Sunday, she鈥檚 going to feel like this was a disappointing year for her,鈥� Auriemma said. 鈥淚 try to make it that it鈥檚 November, don鈥檛 think about January. Hey, it鈥檚 January, don鈥檛 think about March. Let鈥檚 just enjoy what we鈥檝e got right now.鈥�
For the Hall of Fame coach, getting to the Final Four was all that Fudd had to really do.
鈥淥nce we won, once we beat Notre Dame to get here, to me Azzi鈥檚 job was done,鈥� he said. 鈥淲hat happens here the next game, that鈥檚 all just bonus. 鈥機ause getting here is the hard part, you know?鈥�
Not playing like freshmen
UConn’s Blanca Quinonez and South Carolina’s Agot Makeer have raised their play in the NCAA Tournament. Quinonez is averaging 17.3 points in the NCAAs 鈥� second to Strong. She also averaging 4.8 rebounds, 2.5 steals and 1.3 blocks. Auriemma has been impressed with her confidence.
鈥淗er belief in herself I think is one of the things that separates her. I think a lot of kids today, they don鈥檛 necessarily have that belief. They don鈥檛 necessarily have that level of confidence,鈥� Auriemma said. 鈥淭hey walk around like they do, but they really don鈥檛. Hers is real. I think it鈥檚 infectious, you know?鈥�
Staley sees similar characteristics in Makeer, who had a career-high 18 points in the Elite Eight win over TCU.
鈥淔or us, Gotti thinks highly of herself and her talents, which she should,鈥� Staley said. ‘I think that is the thing that propelled her to play like she鈥檚 playing, is she thinks very highly of herself.”
Both Quinonez and Makeer missed time this season with injuries. UConn’s young star had shoulder issues and Makeer had ankle problems and a concussion. Now they are healthy and playing well.
鈥淚 feel like my mindset changed. Starting in the SEC Tournament, I just started approaching games differently,鈥� Makeer said. 鈥淎nd I feel like it wasn鈥檛 just one-dimensional thinking. I just wanted to go and do whatever I can to get the team to win. So just in this tournament, I鈥檝e just thought whatever I can do to get this team a win is what I need to do.鈥�
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