Twelve. Literally a dozen national titles.
The University of Connecticut (UConn) women’s basketball team captured its 12th national championship April 6, defeating the University of South Carolina Gamecocks 82-59.
The Huskies, led by a balanced offensive effort and asphyxiating defense, secured their first title since 2016, ending a nine-year hiatus.
The Huskies’ 12th championship ties them with UCLA’s men’s program for the most in NCAA basketball history.
Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and freshman Sarah Strong combined for 65 points, propelling UConn (35-3) to a wire-to-wire win.
In her final collegiate game, Bueckers finished with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists. Fudd added 24 points, including 11 in a crucial third quarter.
Strong, the tournament’s standout newcomer, recorded a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds, breaking an NCAA Tournament freshman scoring record.
“You don’t prepare speeches for something like this,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said. “I just kept thinking something good has to happen because if we were going to lose, it would have been before now. The basketball gods wouldn’t take us all the way here just to give us more heartbreak.”
South Carolina (33-3), seeking its third title in four years, struggled offensively, shooting 34% from the field.
Joyce Edwards led the Gamecocks with 10 points, while Tessa Johnson and Milaysia Fulwiley each added nine.
The Gamecocks were held to 4-of-16 from beyond the arc and committed 11 turnovers.
“Much respect to UConn. They did a masterful job executing on both sides of the ball,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “At the same time, I have to say goodbye to a senior class that had a historical impact on our game, our program and our state.”
UConn set the tone from the jump, closing the first period with a 19-14 lead. The Huskies extended their advantage to 36-28 by halftime, courtesy of a late jumper by Ashlynn Shade.
The third quarter proved pivotal, as Fudd’s scoring outburst and Strong’s interior supremacy ballooned UConn’s lead to 62-42 entering the final quarter.
South Carolina never threatened in the final period, with UConn’s lead ballooning to 32 points. The Huskies shot 48.4% from the field and outrebounded the Gamecocks 40-36.
For Bueckers, the win marks the fulfillment of a career defined by resilience. The fifth-year senior, who battled injuries and setbacks, embraced Auriemma emotionally during the waning moments of her collegiate career.
“I told him (Geno) I loved him, and he told me he hated me,” Bueckers said, invoking a laugh. “But we both love each other, even though we hate each other some days. This is one of the most emotional championships I’ve been a part of.”
Auriemma reflected on the journey, calling it a “crusade” to return UConn to the pinnacle of the sport.
“When you make the decision you’re not finished yet, and then years go by, people start telling you UConn isn’t UConn anymore,” Auriemma said. “This one means as much as any we’ve won.”
South Carolina’s seniors, including Bree Hall, depart with two national titles.
Hall praised her team’s resilience and expressed confidence in the program’s future: “They will be back here — next year. I’m saying it.”
For UConn, the victory reaffirms its place among the sport’s elite. Auriemma, now the oldest coach to win a Division I basketball title at 71, kidded “All those other coaches had the good sense not to stick around until they were 71.”
Contact Multi-Media & Senior Sports Reporter Noral Parham at 317-762-7846. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more sports from the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
Noral Parham is the multi-media & senior sports reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder, one of the oldest Black publications in the country. Parham has worked with various leagues to provide a diverse perspective in sports, including the Big Ten, Big East, IHSAA, IndyCar, MLB, NHRA, NFL, NBA, WNBA, WWE and the Olympics. Prior to joining the Recorder, Parham served as the community advocate of the MLK Center in Indianapolis and senior copywriter for an e-commerce and marketing firm in Denver.
