Entering the national title game on Sunday, the UConn Huskies were strong favorites, but plenty of South Carolina women's basketball fans were hoping that Dawn Staley would be able to coach up a masterclass and lead the SEC powerhouse to an upset.
South Carolina won the title last season and it was ready to defend its crown. Unfortunately, the UConn defense has been suffocating throughout the game and Azzi Fudd has been unstoppable. At the end of the third quarter, the Huskies were up 62-42, something no one expected.
Right before the fourth quarter got underway, Staley was interviewed by ESPN's Holly Rowe and she didn't hold back in letting everyone know what was on her mind. Essentially, she made it clear that her players had no answers for the Huskies. She added that she wasn't sure how to turn things around too:
Dawn Staley sounds so defeated, lol. All she had to say was "we had a nice run, but these girls whoopin' our @#$ and I ain't got no answers".
— Steven (@S_D_Brown1218) April 6, 2025
Dawn Staley saying “I don’t know” when asked who SC can turn to for offense is…concerning.
— Zena Keita (@itszenakeita) April 6, 2025
SC has to dig deep to try and make something of this game.
UConn has fully dominated South Carolina in the NCAA women's title game
Midway through the fourth quarter, UConn's lead reached 30 points. Again, who in the world saw this coming? UConn simply could not be stopped. As you might have been able to guess, Paige Bueckers was also fantastic, living up to her hype of being one of the best players in the game.
Sarah Strong was also superb for the Huskies. As for the Gamecocks, there simply was no offensive consistency. The Gamecocks had plenty of good looks throughout the day, but the shots that would normally fall for them just would not on Sunday.
While fans were dreaming of another natty arriving, it simply wasn't meant to be for the squad. With that said, it doesn't take away anything from what USC was able to get this season, posting 35 wins. This team is going to be among the best out there as long as Staley is running the show.
The Gamecocks have won two of the last four national titles, reaching the Final Four in five straight campaigns. In this one, though, we just have to tip our cap to UConn for how it performed.