TAMPA, Fla.– The UConn Huskies clinched their 12th NCAA women’s basketball championship (the most in Division I history) on Sunday, April 6, defeating the South Carolina Gamecocks 82-59 in front of 19,777 fans in the stands.
The victory for UConn capped off a dominant tournament run, reasserting the program’s place at the top of college women’s basketball.
This game was a rematch of the 2022 championship, when South Carolina beat UConn 64-49, but this time, UConn had the upper hand. UConn took control early in the game, ending the first quarter with a 19-14 lead and then stretching the score to 36-26 at halftime. By the end of the third quarter, UConn was cruising with a 20-point lead.
Azzi Fudd, a guard for UConn, had a total of 24 points, five rebounds, and one assist. Fudd was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. Paige Bueckers, in her final game as a college student, had 17 points, six rebounds, and three assists.
Bueckers, the face of UConn’s team in her time with the Huskies, was the heart and soul of this year’s squad and delivered yet another master-class performance. Bueckers is now third on the NCAA Tournament all-time scoring list as well as the most in UConn history with 477 points, sitting behind Chamique Holdsclaw (479) and Caitlin Clark (492) for the NCAA Tournament all-time list. Bueckers’ consistent leadership drew high praise from head coach Geno Auriemma.
“My journey became hers in so many ways,” Auriemma said at a press conference post-game. “All the emotions that have been building inside of me came out and they came out in her. Cause in five years at Connecticut, I’ve never seen her cry. And she might deny it, but she cried cause she’s gonna miss me.”
Sarah Strong, forward, set the record for the most points scored by a freshman in the NCAA Tournament. Strong had 24 points and 15 rebounds to her name. Strong also maintained five assists with three blocks and two steals.
“I felt like I did better than I was expecting,” Strong said. “That would not have happened without my teammates though.”
UConn ended the season with a 16-game winning streak and finished the tournament with 521 total points, including 167 during the Final Four, recorded the sixth most all time. Bueckers was subbed out in the final minute of the game, sharing an emotional embrace with Auriemma.
“It’s an overwhelming sense of gratitude,” Bueckers said. “Gratitude for all that coach has meant to me and how much he shaped me to the human I am, to the basketball player I am throughout this entire five years and just putting it all into one hug what our journey has been together.”
Fudd, who was a valuable asset in the UConn tournament, said she credits her teammates and faith with how well she played.
“Being able to let go, give it to god definitely takes that pressure I put on myself away,” Fudd said. “I did what I knew I was capable of. My teammates trusted me, so shout out to them for putting me in that position and believing in me.”
The road UConn took to get to the Final Four and championship was one that will be in the books for the University of Connecticut. With players like Fudd and Strong, the legacy of UConn’s women’s basketball team will continue as Bueckers makes her way into the big leagues.
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Thumbnail image caption: Kaitlyn Chen (left) celebrates with teammates after UConn’s 82-59 win over South Carolina in the 2025 NCAA women’s basketball national championship game at Amalie Arena on Sunday. Photo courtesy of Mariam Bernardini-Herrera.