The NCAA women’s tournament is heading to Phoenix for the national semifinals. With just four teams remaining, the focus is on which players will lead their teams to the championship game.
Strong Leads UConn’s Final Four Push
UConn’s Sarah Strong remains the top-ranked player in women’s college basketball. She has held the No. 1 spot since the preseason rankings. Strong guided the Huskies to their 25th Final Four appearance. This was achieved with two victories in Fort Worth Regional 1. The sophomore is aiming to emulate Breanna Stewart by winning four national championships in four seasons.
Charlie Creme notes that Strong’s performance against Notre Dame included 21 points and seven rebounds. While these numbers are typically considered outstanding, it seemed she was slightly off her game. Strong has set a high standard, making a 6-for-13 shooting performance seem like an off day. Defensively, Strong was effective in Fort Worth, Texas. She totalled 10 steals, five blocks and 16 defensive rebounds. Her defensive play was a catalyst in holding North Carolina and Notre Dame to 94 combined points.
UConn scored that many points in a game on 10 occasions this season. Creme believes Strong is the best defensive player in the country. Her defensive abilities might secure the Huskies their 13th national title.
South Carolina’s Balanced Attack
South Carolina’s balanced attack is a key factor in their Final Four appearance. Five Gamecocks players are featured in the rankings. They will face UConn in the semifinals, aiming to stop Sarah Strong.
Booker Shines for Texas
Madison Booker was named the most outstanding player in the Fort Worth Regional 3. The Longhorns defeated Kentucky and Michigan to advance. Booker had 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists against Kentucky. She also had 19 points and seven rebounds against Michigan. Booker is shooting 58.6% from the field in this NCAA tournament. She is averaging 22.5 points and 8.8 rebounds. Booker is also recognised as one of the team’s vocal leaders.
Michael Voepel reports that in their previous match-up, Texas beat UCLA 76-65 in November at the Players Era Championship in Las Vegas. Booker recorded 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists in that game.
Fudd’s Shooting Key for UConn
Paige Fudd’s shooting performance in the regionals (9-for-24) mirrored UConn’s overall performance. Her 23 points in the two games were fewer than the 34 she scored in Round 2 against Syracuse. However, Fudd scored eight of her 13 points against Notre Dame in the fourth quarter. This prevented any chance of an Irish comeback. She also contributed five assists and three steals against Notre Dame. Fudd was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player a year ago. She had 28 and 24 points in two games against South Carolina last season.
Semifinal Schedule
- The national semifinals are scheduled for 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, airing on ESPN.
- The championship game will be held on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET, broadcast on ABC.
The tournament is set to reach its climax with the remaining teams battling for the national title.