Bueckers Sends UConn to Final Four with Win Over USC

Summary:

• Paige Bueckers scored 31 points and had six assists in the UConn Huskies’ 78-64 win against the USC Trojans.
• The victory secured the Huskies’ 16th Final Four appearance in 17 years.
• USC, missing star JuJu Watkins due to injury

Since she made it to UConn, Paige Bueckers has been determined to win a national championship. After three previous March Madness NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament runs fell short, the 23-year-old now has one last chance to see her dream come to reality.

The Edina, Minnesota-born star was seen shining brightly in the Spokane 4 Regional final, where she scored 31 points and provided six assists.

Her performance helped lift the No. 2 seed Huskies to a 78-64 victory over No. 1 seed USC.

The win secured UConn its 16th Final Four appearance in 17 years and its 24th overall. As the likely No. 1 overall pick in next month’s WNBA draft, Bueckers has propelled the Huskies to the Final Four every season she has played.

USC, without its star player JuJu Watkins, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the second round, put up a good fight but couldn’t overcome the deficit.

Senior Rayah Marshall stepped up in her absence, posting 23 points and 15 rebounds. The loss ended the Trojans’ quest for their first Final Four berth since 1986.

Next, UConn will meet No. 1 overall seed UCLA in a national semifinal Friday in Tampa, Florida, where they open as an 8.5-point favorite, according to ESPN BET odds.

Third on UConn’s All-Time Scoring List

Paige Bueckers’ latest scoring outburst moved her past Napheesa Collier for third place on UConn’s all-time scoring list.

Per ESPN Research, she also joined elite company, becoming only the second player since 2000 to score 30 points on at least 50% shooting in three consecutive NCAA tournament games, matching Jackie Stiles’ 2001 feat at Southwest Missouri State.

Defensively, the Huskies disrupted USC’s rhythm throughout the game, forced 10 turnovers in the first half, and limited the Trojans from beyond the arc, leaving them without a three-pointer until midway through the third quarter.

USC’s 14-point halftime deficit was the largest they had faced since last season.

Meanwhile, UConn’s sharpshooting played a key role. The Huskies knocked down 10-of-22 shots from three-point range, the first time all season that USC allowed an opponent to make double-digit threes.

Freshman Strong Made History

Freshman Sarah Strong made history as the first UConn freshman to record a 20-point, 10-rebound game in the Elite Eight or later.

The 19-year-old born in Madrid, Spain, carried the Huskies early, scoring 10 of their 14 first-quarter points as they erased an early 11-5 deficit and built a lead as large as nine.

Although UConn dominated much of the first half, USC fought back in the third quarter. Talia von Oelhoffen’s 10-point surge helped the Trojans trim a 19-point gap to just five entering the fourth quarter.

Graduate student Azzi Fudd, who struggled early with 0-for-9 shooting, found her touch late, scoring eight fourth-quarter points, including two clutch three-pointers.

Kaitlyn Chen sealed the win in the closing minutes with two key layups. She finished with 15 points, marking her third-highest total of the season in her first year at UConn after transferring from Princeton.