NCAAW: UConn is ready to return to the mountain top

UConn women’s basketball making it to the NCAA championship game used to be as inevitable as the sun rising. Breanna Stewart led the Huskies to four-consecutive national championships from 2013 to 2016, leaving a legacy that will likely never be replicated. Since Stewart departed from Storrs, UConn has faltered, thanks to everything from injury to the parity of the women’s college basketball.

Then came Paige Bueckers.

The basketball phenom won both National Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year during her first year at UConn. The next two seasons were then filled with injury for Bueckers, along with most of her teammates. For the first time in over a decade, UConn lost a Sweet 16 game, as Bueckers was out recovering from an ACL injury. She returned for her redshirt junior season in 2023-24, leading the Huskies to a Final Four game despite Azzi Fudd then being out with her own ACL recovery. UConn lost to Iowa in a close battle, and Bueckers decided to come back to Storrs for her redshirt senior season.

It feels like Bueckers is back playing to best of her ability this season, but especially this March Madness tournament. We already know it’s her last ride—she has confirmed she will be declaring for the WNBA Draft later this month. It’s raised the stakes, as this is now her last chance to win a National Championship.

There are certainly greats in the game that never achieved that national title, Caitlin Clark being the most recent. Yet, it’s something everyone wants.

Bueckers’ last push to that achievement starts with a Final Four game against UCLA. The No. 1-overall seed comes along with a 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts, who dominates the post and leads the Bruins. Of course, slowing down Betts will be of the utmost importance when it comes to game planning for UConn, but UCLA has other threats as well. There is Kiki Rice, who has averaged 12.9 points per game this season. Gabriela Jacquez and Timea Gardner also stepped up in UCLA’s Elite Eight game against LSU.

UConn freshman Sarah Strong will be a big part in both stopping Betts and fighting back against her in the post. Strong is skilled beyond her years, and her craftiness in the paint, in combination with her ability to shoot the 3, makes her a dangerous opponent. Fudd only scored eight points against USC in the Elite Eight, but she has the ability to dominate a game as well. She scored 27 points against Arkansas State to kick off UConn’s tournament run; she also scored 28 points against South Carolina earlier this season.

The Huskies also have role players in Ashlynn Shade and KK Arnold. Arnold has a 76.4 defensive rating per Her Hoops Stats, which puts her in the 99th percentile nation-wide. She adds to UConn’s locked in defense. Shade is a sharp-shooter, shooting 41.3 percent from distance this season, which is the 96th percentile. The Huskies’ grad transfer from Princeton, Kaitlyn Chen, may not be the flashiest player, but she can provide essential buckets at the best of times. She is also someone with a great handle and playmaking vision, allowing Bueckers to play off the ball at times.

The key to UConn winning against UCLA is making sure all of these factors are working together at the same time. UConn is hardest to beat when the offense and defense are both clicking, with multiple of their stars simultaneously contributing to their effort. Their Final Four matchup may be even more daunting than their national championship matchup—should they get there.