Women’s March Madness | Women’s NCAA Championship 2025 | UConn vs. South Carolina
The stage is set for a historic clash between two women’s college basketball powerhouses as South Carolina and UConn prepare to battle for the 2025 NCAA title on Sunday. This highly anticipated championship matchup features the defending champions South Carolina against a UConn program hungry to end its nine-year title drought. Both teams convincingly won their semifinal games and now face each other in a rematch of their 2022 championship showdown.
The Championship Matchup
The 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship will feature two of the most dominant programs of the past decade. South Carolina, the defending national champion, has claimed three titles in recent years (2017, 2022, and 2024), including last year’s perfect season. UConn seeks its 12th national championship—and first since 2016—which would extend its record as the program with the most NCAA women’s basketball titles.
The championship game is scheduled for Sunday, April 6, at 3 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. This marks the second time these two powerhouses have met in the national championship game; their previous title game matchup in 2022 saw South Carolina triumph 64-49 in Bueckers’ hometown of Minneapolis.
Path to the Final
Both teams showcased their dominance in the Final Four:
South Carolina defeated Texas 74-57 in their semifinal matchup. Te-Hina Paopao led the Gamecocks with 14 points, while freshman Joyce Edwards contributed significantly with a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds). The win puts South Carolina in position to become the first team since UConn (2013-16) to win back-to-back championships.
UConn demolished UCLA 85-51 in their semifinal, setting a record for the largest margin of victory in Final Four history. Freshman Sarah Strong led the Huskies with 22 points and 8 rebounds, while Azzi Fudd added 19 points (all in the first half) and Paige Bueckers contributed 16 points.
Team Analysis: UConn Huskies
UConn enters the championship game with tremendous momentum and offensive firepower. The Huskies have won 14 straight games since their February 6 loss to Tennessee. After their semifinal victory, they’re the betting favorites to win the championship according to oddsmakers.
Key Players
UConn’s success revolves around three exceptional offensive talents:
Paige Bueckers: The senior star guard is widely considered the top player in college basketball and likely first pick in the 2025 WNBA draft. This will be her last collegiate game, adding emotional significance to her pursuit of an elusive national championship.
Sarah Strong: The freshman sensation has been remarkable, scoring 22 points with 8 rebounds in the semifinal victory. She became just the third UConn freshman to score 20+ points in a Final Four game and her versatility creates matchup problems for opponents.
Azzi Fudd: The graduate student has been a critical component of UConn’s success, particularly with her three-point shooting. She scored all 19 of her points in the first half against UCLA and was instrumental in UConn’s regular-season win over South Carolina with 28 points.
Strengths and Strategy
UConn boasts the nation’s most efficient offense, ranking first in offensive rating (119.6) and second in effective field goal percentage (57.8%). Their three-point shooting is particularly dangerous, with the Huskies connecting at 38.3% from beyond the arc (5th nationally).
“I think people underestimate how quickly we play,” Auriemma noted. “If you’re not able to get buckets on your end, the pressure that we put on you because we keep scoring is just demoralizing.”
Team Analysis: South Carolina Gamecocks
The defending champions enter the title game with experience, defensive prowess, and exceptional depth. The Gamecocks have not lost since their February defeat to UConn and would secure their 13th consecutive victory with a win on Sunday.
Key Players and Depth
Unlike UConn’s star-centric approach, South Carolina relies on balance and depth:
Joyce Edwards: The freshman forward recorded a double-double (13 points, 11 rebounds) in the semifinal victory against Texas and has been a standout performer throughout the tournament.
Te-Hina Paopao: Led the team with 14 points in the semifinal win over Texas.
South Carolina’s depth is perhaps their greatest weapon – they had 10 different players score against Texas, with 35 points coming from the bench. This balanced attack makes them difficult to defend and gives them fresh legs throughout games.
Strengths and Strategy
Defense has been South Carolina’s calling card under head coach Dawn Staley. “Our mainstay has been our ability to defend and come up with schemes that will help us through those stretches where we’ve got a lull from an offensive standpoint,” Staley explained.
The Gamecocks’ players view their February loss to UConn as motivation. Guard Raven Johnson recalled, “Practice was very hard that [next] week; Coach turned it up. It was like a lesson game for us. We didn’t feel like ourselves out there. Now we have to come out and show them who we really are.”
Historical Context and February Matchup
The championship game represents the 16th meeting between these two storied programs, with UConn holding a 10-5 all-time advantage. However, South Carolina has won five of their past seven matchups with UConn.
Their most recent encounter on February 16 at South Carolina saw UConn dominate with an 87-58 victory. In that game, Azzi Fudd scored 28 points for the Huskies. South Carolina players described their defensive effort in that game as “embarrassing,” and it serves as motivation for Sunday’s rematch.
This will be their third meeting in the NCAA Tournament and second in the championship game.
Coaching Matchup
The game features two of the sport’s most successful coaches:
Geno Auriemma (UConn) seeks his 12th national championship in his 24th Final Four appearance. His program has never lost in the national championship game except once—to South Carolina in 2022.
Dawn Staley (South Carolina) aims for her fourth national championship in her 17th season leading the Gamecocks. She has never lost in the championship game.
Interestingly, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and UConn assistant coach Tonya Cardoza were teammates at Virginia.
Expert Predictions
Predictions for the outcome are mixed, though many experts are leaning toward UConn:
ESPN analysts Andrea Adelson, Katie Barnes, and Alexa Philippou all predict UConn to win, while Michael Voepel favors South Carolina.
Alexa Philippou explains her UConn prediction: “While the Gamecocks looked better against Texas than they did earlier in the tournament, the Huskies feel like a freight train barreling toward the championship. The game should be much closer than February’s meeting… But UConn’s combination of Bueckers, Fudd and Strong will be the difference.”
Michael Voepel, predicting a South Carolina victory, notes: “This game seems very likely to be much closer than South Carolina’s three previous NCAA final wins… This could come down to the final minute. If it does, that’s where the Gamecocks’ defense could come up big for the most important play.”
Key Factors That Could Decide the Championship
Several elements could prove decisive in determining the national champion:
Three-Point Shooting
UConn’s proficiency from beyond the arc contrasts sharply with South Carolina’s approach. The Huskies attempt significantly more three-pointers (36.2% of shots vs. South Carolina’s 26.2%) and convert at a higher rate (38.3% vs. 33.7%). In their February meeting, UConn made 13 three-pointers while South Carolina hit just 3, creating a 30-point differential that nearly matched the final margin.
Defensive Intensity
South Carolina’s defense has been their foundation all season, and they’ll need to perform significantly better than in their February loss. UCLA’s Janiah Barker noted after their semifinal loss to UConn: “We literally just gave them whatever they wanted. We let them get so comfortable.” South Carolina must avoid making the same mistake.
Experience and Motivation
While UConn has the more experienced star in Bueckers, South Carolina has more championship experience as a program. The Gamecocks are playing with the motivation of avenging their February loss. As MiLaysia Fulwiley put it, “We owe them one.”
Conclusion
Sunday’s championship game promises to be a fascinating contrast of styles and strengths. UConn brings offensive brilliance led by its trio of stars, while South Carolina counters with defensive excellence and remarkable depth.
The regular season meeting suggests UConn has the upper hand, but South Carolina’s improvement since that loss and their championship pedigree make them dangerous opponents. Whether Paige Bueckers can cap her college career with an elusive championship or South Carolina can secure back-to-back titles will be determined in what should be one of the most compelling women’s NCAA championship games in recent memory.
As ESPN’s Voepel predicts, “This could come down to the final minute” – a fitting conclusion to what has been an extraordinary season for women’s college basketball.