PHOENIX – Just last April, the UConn Huskies blew out the South Carolina Gamecocks in the National Championship game in Tampa Bay.
Fast forward to a year later, these two teams will face each other again. This time, these rivals face off in the semifinals of the Women’s Final Four in Phoenix on Friday.
UConn on Undefeated Season and What They Need to do to advance
As the Huskies look to repeat as champions, ESPN play-by-play announcer Ryan Ruocco told The Local W about what stands out to him on both ends of the court.
For him, UConn’s success starts on the defensive end.
The Huskies lead the nation in defensive rating with 66.0 per game.
“They have an incredible defense,” Ruocco said Thursday. “When we talk about UConn so often, first and foremost, we think about the rhythmic offense, the way they share the ball, which stands out, and they can score it. And they have some incredible offensive talent, but they are unbelievable on the defensive end.
“First and foremost, it’s going to be hard for teams to score against them. And that’s probably the part of their game that gets a little underrated at times.”
Led by senior guard Azzi Fudd and forward Sarah Strong, who is surging in her sophomore year, the Huskies are a hard team to beat. No one this season has found a way to conquer them as they’re 38-0 this season.
Even with the success UConn has had, Strong said she still has butterflies in her stomach when it comes to performing on the big stage.
“I definitely do get nervous,” Strong said. “I think it comes from excitement. But I don’t know, just back it up with like I know how confident my team, everyone is on the team, how hard we worked all year, all season, to be here individually and as a team.
“As soon as the ball tips off, it goes away immediately.”
South Carolina looks to seek revenge against UConn
South Carolina and UConn have a lot of history in the NCAA Tournament. This is the third time facing one another in the Final Four or beyond since 2022.
The Huskies won their most recent meeting, which happened in last year’s championship game.
The Gamecocks are hungry to get revenge on the Huskies in the semifinals. But that’s easier said than done.
“They need to continue playing the way they’ve been playing,” Ruocco said. “They’ve been on an incredible tear of late, and they’re gonna need Agot Makeer to perform as she did in the Elite Eight. They’re gonna need Raven Johnson to continue to take and make shots from the perimeter aggressively, and they’re probably gonna need Tessa Johnson to hit some threes as well.
“I think South Carolina is probably gonna have to have a game where they’re hot from three, and maybe UConn is a little cold from three.”
Senior guard Raven Johnson acknowledges what it takes to be successful at this level, having won two National Championships.
But the key this time lies with sophomore forward Joyce Edwards.
“I tell Joyce (Edwards) every day that she’s elite,” Johnson said. “Her ability to play make, to defend, she takes this team to another — she takes us here. Honestly, she can do everything. She can rebound. She’s also a leader, uses her voice a lot. She talks to me. She’s smart on and off the court. I think her intelligence when it comes to the game of basketball is really amazing. She sees plays before it even happens.”
The winner will advance to the National Championship game and will face the winner of UCLA/Texas.