NCAAW: UConn is able to return to the mountain high

UConn girls’s basketball making it to the NCAA championship sport was once as inevitable because the solar rising. Breanna Stewart led the Huskies to four-consecutive nationwide championships from 2013 to 2016, leaving a legacy that may probably by no means be replicated. Since Stewart departed from Storrs, UConn has faltered, due to every part from harm to the parity of the ladies’s school basketball.

Then got here Paige Bueckers.

The basketball phenom gained each Nationwide Participant of the Yr and Freshman of the Yr throughout her first 12 months at UConn. The subsequent two seasons have been then stuffed with harm for Bueckers, together with most of her teammates. For the primary time in over a decade, UConn misplaced a Candy 16 sport, as Bueckers was out recovering from an ACL harm. She returned for her redshirt junior season in 2023-24, main the Huskies to a Remaining 4 sport regardless of Azzi Fudd then being out together with her personal ACL restoration. UConn misplaced to Iowa in a detailed battle, and Bueckers determined to come back again to Storrs for her redshirt senior season.

It seems like Bueckers is again taking part in to better of her means this season, however particularly this March Insanity event. We already understand it’s her final trip—she has confirmed she shall be declaring for the WNBA Draft later this month. It’s raised the stakes, as that is now her final probability to win a Nationwide Championship.

There are definitely greats within the sport that by no means achieved that nationwide title, Caitlin Clark being the newest. But, it’s one thing everybody needs.

Bueckers’ final push to that achievement begins with a Remaining 4 sport towards UCLA. The No. 1-overall seed comes together with a 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts, who dominates the publish and leads the Bruins. After all, slowing down Betts shall be of the utmost significance in relation to sport planning for UConn, however UCLA has different threats as properly. There’s Kiki Rice, who has averaged 12.9 factors per sport this season. Gabriela Jacquez and Timea Gardner additionally stepped up in UCLA’s Elite Eight sport towards LSU.

UConn freshman Sarah Robust shall be a giant half in each stopping Betts and combating again towards her within the publish. Robust is expert past her years, and her craftiness within the paint, together together with her means to shoot the three, makes her a harmful opponent. Fudd solely scored eight factors towards USC within the Elite Eight, however she has the flexibility to dominate a sport as properly. She scored 27 factors towards Arkansas State to kick off UConn’s event run; she additionally scored 28 factors towards South Carolina earlier this season.

The Huskies even have position gamers in Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold. Arnold has a 76.4 defensive ranking per Her Hoops Stats, which places her within the 99th percentile nation-wide. She provides to UConn’s locked in protection. Shade is a sharp-shooter, capturing 41.3 p.c from distance this season, which is the 96th percentile. The Huskies’ grad switch from Princeton, Kaitlyn Chen, is probably not the flashiest participant, however she will present important buckets at one of the best of instances. She can be somebody with an important deal with and playmaking imaginative and prescient, permitting Bueckers to play off the ball at instances.

The important thing to UConn profitable towards UCLA is ensuring all of those components are working collectively on the similar time. UConn is hardest to beat when the offense and protection are each clicking, with a number of of their stars concurrently contributing to their effort. Their Remaining 4 matchup could also be much more daunting than their nationwide championship matchup—ought to they get there.