Paige Bueckers Shines with 31 Points, Leading UConn to NCAA Final Four Glory!

Paige Bueckers and her UConn teammates recently secured a spot in the Final Four, but they didn’t celebrate by cutting down the net. Their mindset is clear: They’re not finished yet.

With a standout performance, Bueckers scored 31 points, leading her team to a 78-64 victory over Southern California. Unfortunately for USC, they missed their star player, JuJu Watkins, who is recovering from an ACL injury.

UConn is set to face UCLA in Tampa, Florida, while the other semi-final will feature a matchup between defending champions South Carolina and Texas. This will be an exciting weekend for college basketball fans.

Freshman Sarah Strong also contributed significantly, scoring 22 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. UConn, with a remarkable history of 11 national titles under coach Geno Auriemma, is looking to cement their legacy further. Their last championship was back in 2016.

Reflecting on their journey, Bueckers expressed, “We’ve got a whole lot of heart, and a whole lot of toughness about us. We play well together.” This teamwork has been crucial, especially given the challenges they’ve faced this season.

Rayah Marshall led USC with 23 points and 15 rebounds, but they struggled against UConn, much like last year in the Elite Eight when they faced the same opponent. Fans had hoped for a thrilling rematch between Bueckers and Watkins, but injuries changed the dynamics.

Bueckers started slowly, scoring only two points in the first quarter, but she exploded with 11 points in the final period. She humbly noted, "None of it would happen without the team."

As a senior and three-time Big East player of the year, Bueckers has set her sights on the championship after falling short last year against Iowa. In her last three tournament games, she has averaged 35 points, showcasing her remarkable skill and determination.

In another semi-final, Texas reached the Final Four for the first time since 2003, defeating TCU 58-47. This marks a significant achievement for coach Vic Schaefer, who has experience from his time with Mississippi State. Interestingly, Texas’s current 35 wins exceed those of their championship team from 1986.

As the championship game approaches, the excitement continues to grow. Last year’s women’s title game even outperformed the men’s in viewership, drawing an average of 18.9 million viewers. It’s clear that women’s college basketball is capturing the attention of fans across the nation.

For more insights on the rising popularity of women’s sports, you can read this report from the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Source link