Congratulations to the UConn Huskies!
The UConn women’s basketball team won the NCAA Championship game against South Carolina on April 6th. The team’s 12th NCAA win was led by Paige Bueckers, Sarah Strong, and Azzi Fudd. It is no secret that Bueckers has been hunting for the national championship ring since the loss in 2022 to South Carolina. The Huskies hadn’t won the women’s national title since 2016, and this past season, it seemed as though nothing would stop them from winning this title.
The biggest indicator that UConn was “in it to win it” was when they beat South Carolina during the regular season in Columbia, SC, and broke South Carolina’s record of winning 71 games at home. March Madness is not new to having upsets. Some of the biggest news coming out of these games was when Juju Watkins, a player on the USC Trojans, tore her ACL during the first quarter of the Sweet Sixteen. With Juju being so important to the USC team, they lost in the Elite Eight to UConn.
The biggest breakout star for the UConn team this season was Sarah Strong, who is a freshman. She scored 114 points in the NCAA tournament, which is the most ever made by a freshman. Strong finished off the championship game with 24 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and two steals.
Azzi Fudd finished with 24 points, five rebounds, one assist, and three steals. Fudd was named the 2025 Most Outstanding Player. Paige Bueckers had 17 points, six rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and one steal. That adds up to 65 points between just the three of them.
The UConn Huskies are coached by Geno Auriemma, who has been the head coach for the women’s basketball team at UConn for the past 40 years. Geno is now the oldest coach to have won a national title for both women’s and men’s basketball. Some notable alumni coached by Geno include Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, and Breanna Stewart. Each has had an extremely successful career in the WNBA.
Bueckers is now finished with her college career and is waiting for the WNBA draft, which projects her to be the number one pick. As the projected number one pick, she would be going to play for the Dallas Wings. Other players that have entered the draft include, Aneesah Morrow from LSU, Sonia Citron from Notre Dame, Kiki Iriafen from USC, Shyanne Sellers from Maryland, Te-Hina PaoPao from South Carolina, and Saniya Rivers from NC State.
Azzi Fudd, Flau’jae Johnson, and Olivia Miles, who are also eligible to declare for the WNBA draft, have opted to continue their college careers. Miles, who has previously played for Notre Dame, entered the transfer portal and has committed to TCU, instead of the declaring for the draft. This was surprising to many people considering that she was the projected number two pick.
While the 2024-2025 college basketball season has come to an end, it is important to remember that the WNBA draft is next Monday, April 14th on ESPN at 7:30pm EST.
Congratulations again to the UConn Huskies!