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With Texas and UConn winning on Monday, the 2025 Final Four is set. The Longhorns and Huskies join UCLA and South Carolina in Tampa Bay as the last teams vying for the national title.
Here is how Texas and UConn were able to win their Elite Eight games:
Texas toasts TCU
No. 1-seed Texas defeated the No. 2-seed TCU 58-47 to advance out of the Birmingham 3 Regional. It is the first time Texas has reached the Final Four since 2003.
Longhorn star Madison Booker was elite in this contest, scoring 18 points, grabbing six rebounds and earning two steals. Rori Harmon also came up big as the only other Texas player to score in double figures, scoring 13 points in the win.
For TCU, it was all about Hailey Van Lith. She did the best she could and scored 17 points. As she struggled from the field, shooting just 3-for-15, she did most of her damage from the charity stripe, going 10-for-11 from the free throw line. While HVL’s and TCU’s tournament run ends in the Elite Eight, it has to be considered an overall success since this is the furtherest the Horned Frogs have ever advanced in the NCAA Tournament.
Texas controlled the game from the opening tip. They never trailed and led by as many as 14 points, ending the game with a double-digit victory to earn (another) matchup with South Carolina in the Final Four.
UConn ends USC’s run
No. 1-seed USC valiantly competed without JuJu Watkins, but the underdog story died when No. 20-seed UConn defeated them, 78-64.
Paige Bueckers continues to write her storybook ending, scoring 31 points in the win. Sarah Strong was unstoppable inside. She had 22 points and a whopping 17 rebounds against the Trojans. With that performance, Strong became only the second Husky to score more than 600 points as a freshman; the other UConn alum to have achieved the feat is the great Maya Moore.
Rayah Marshall did her best to keep USC in this one, leading the team with 23 points in the loss. Kiki Iriafen played every minute, but struggled offensively; Iriafen had 10 points on 3-for-15 shooting.
Without Watkins, USC didn’t have enough firepower to keep up with UConn. But despite the obvious disadvantages, the Trojans didn’t just roll over and die in this game. They went on an 11-0 run to end the third quarter, giving them a fighting chance in the fourth. However, in the final frame, UConn showed its dominance, starting the quarter on an 11-2 run. Bueckers and Azzi Fudd spearheaded the run, and USC was unable to make it a game again.
It’s been a long road for Bueckers, who has dealt with injuries and disappointments at UConn, but now she is just two wins away from her main collegiate objective: a national title. To get there, she and UConn will have to take down top-seeded UCLA in the Final Four.
Key takeaways
The Final Four is set. This weekend will be one for the ages.
On Friday, April 4, No. 1-seed Texas will play No. 1-seed South Carolina (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), followed by No. 2-seed UConn competing against No. 1-seed UCLA (9 p.m. ET, ESPN). The title game then will take place on Sunday, April 6. With the quality of teams remaining, we’re sure to get some great games.
