Basketball Legacies at Stake for UConn and South Carolina Women; Men’s Bracket Follows Expected Path

NEW YORK (Reuters) – The stage is set for a thrilling climax to the women’s collegiate basketball season, as newcomers UCLA prepare to take on the powerhouse UConn in the Final Four, while Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks look to disrupt Texas’ impressive March Madness run, which marks their first Final Four appearance in over 20 years.

In a dominant performance, Paige Bueckers, the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft, scored 31 points on Monday to lead UConn past USC, ending their tournament hopes with a 78-64 victory. Meanwhile, Texas put an end to TCU’s Cinderella story, defeating them 58-47 and securing their first trip to the Final Four since 2003.

“We’ve got a whole lot of heart and a whole lot of toughness about us,” Bueckers told reporters. “We’re taking it one possession at a time. We’re staying present, staying in the moment, not worrying about the pressures or the stakes, because everybody’s dealing with it. Everyone is here to win a national title, and nobody’s here by accident.”

Following Caitlin Clark’s record-shattering senior year with Iowa, the 2025 tournament now presents a tantalizing potential showdown between the two most decorated coaches in women’s basketball: Dawn Staley, who led South Carolina to titles in 2022 and 2024, and UConn’s Geno Auriemma. If Staley can guide the defending champions past Texas, a final between her and Auriemma could add another legendary chapter to their storied rivalry.

South Carolina narrowly edged Duke in a thrilling Elite Eight matchup, surviving a tense finish to win 54-50. Staley acknowledged the tough road ahead: “At this point, it’s not going to look pretty. But you have to play the kind of game that’s presented to you, and we’ll do that,” she said after the win.

The women’s Final Four will take place this Friday.

On the men’s side, the tournament has taken an unexpected turn, with the top four seeds – Florida, Auburn, Duke, and Houston – all reaching the penultimate stage for the first time in 17 years. This has added a fresh layer of excitement to a tournament that many initially thought would be uneventful.

The Guardian humorously noted the early rounds were “bereft of buzzer-beaters and big upsets,” while sportscaster Dan Patrick quipped, “I don’t want to say it’s been boring – it’s been a little more predictable than I’d like.”

Duke is favored to beat Houston in their first Final Four appearance since Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement in 2022, while Florida is tipped to defeat Auburn. Both matchups are scheduled for Saturday.

(Reporting by Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Ken Ferris)