UConn are back on top of women’s basketball, winning their 12th national championship by routing defending champion South Carolina 82-59 on Sunday behind Azzi Fudd’s 24 points.
Sarah Strong added 24 points and 15 rebounds while Paige Bueckers had 17 points in her final game with the Huskies.
“Well, it’s amazing to have three players, three people like that on the same team,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “And Sarah, you would think Sarah was graduating the way she plays, right? All three of them complement each other so well. They all have such unique skill sets.”
Bueckers capped her stellar career with the Huskies’ first championship since 2016, ending a nine-year title drought for the team. That was longest barren stretch for Auriemma and his Huskies since the team won their first championship in 1995 led by Rebecca Lobo.
Since then the Huskies have had dominant championship runs, including in the early 2000s led by Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, 2009-10 with Maya Moore and finally the four straight from 2013-16 with Breanna Stewart. All were in attendance in Florida on Sunday to see the Huskies’ latest title.
“These players make me want to hang in there every day … It’s been a long time since I’ve been this emotional [after a game],” said Auriemma.
Finally healthy, Bueckers – the expected No 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft – delivered for the Huskies throughout their championship season.
It was the only thing missing from her incredible UConn career that was slowed by injuries. She was the first freshman to win AP Player of the Year before missing much of her sophomore season with a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear. She then tore an ACL before the next season.
Auriemma and Bueckers hugged as the Huskies sealed their victory. Asked what he had said to his star player, Auriemma replied: “I love you, that’s all I could say.”
UConn closed the first half of Sunday’s game up 10 points and then put the game away in the third quarter behind Fudd, Strong and Bueckers. The trio combined for 23 of the team’s 26 points in the quarter. UConn were up 50-39 with 3:21 left in the period before closing with a 12-3 run to put the game away.
Fudd and Strong got it started with back-to-back threes, and the rout was on. Auriemma subbed Bueckers, Fudd and Strong out with 1:32 left. Bueckers and Auriemma had a long hug on the sideline, having finally gotten the championship that he so wanted for her.
Dawn Staley’s team were trying for a third title in four years and fourth overall. It would have tied her with Kim Mulkey for third most behind Auriemma and former Tennessee Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt, who had eight.
The Huskies’ last title game appearance came in 2022 when Staley’s team beat UConn to start the Gamecocks’ current run of success, a game that ended Auriemma’s perfect record in title games.
