UConn, the program with the most Final Four appearances in women’s college basketball history, is set to make its 24th trip to the national semifinals on Friday in Tampa, Fla., where they will face UCLA a first-time Final Four participant under the NCAA banner. However, as Bruins head coach Cori Close pointed out, this isn’t actually UCLA’s first Final Four appearance.
“Many people say it’s the first in UCLA history, but that’s not quite right,” Close explained, referencing the Bruins’ run in the 1978 Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) tournament. That year, UCLA not only reached the Final Four but also won a national championship. Close made sure to acknowledge the contributions of past players like Debbie Haliday and Denise Curry, saying, “I just want to give them their flowers.”
Now, a new generation of Bruins is looking to leave its mark, with center Lauren Betts already making NCAA Tournament history. In the second round and Sweet 16, she posted back-to-back games with over 30 points, a field goal percentage above 80%, and at least 10 rebounds becoming the only Division I player in the past 20 years to do so.
During UCLA’s 72-65 Elite Eight win over LSU, Betts faced intense defensive pressure, often double- or triple-teamed, but still managed 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting. She also delivered in the clutch, assisting Gabriela Jaquez on a pivotal three-pointer that helped seal the victory. “Gabs and I always play off each other, so that was pretty normal,” Betts said.
To take down No. 2 UConn (35-3), UCLA (34-2) will need another well-rounded team effort against the sport’s most accomplished program. If there’s one player who has been just as dominant as Betts in this tournament, it’s UConn star guard Paige Bueckers.
Bueckers has been on a tear, scoring at least 31 points in three consecutive tournament games. She matched her career-high with 34 points in UConn’s second-round win over South Dakota State, then set a program NCAA Tournament record with 40 points in the Sweet 16 against Oklahoma. In the Elite Eight, she put up 31 points to lead the Huskies past USC, who played without their own star, JuJu Watkins.
With both Betts and Bueckers averaging over 20 points per game, their semifinal matchup could make up for the missed chance of a Bueckers-Watkins showdown in the Elite Eight.
For Bueckers, this is another defining moment in what UConn head coach Geno Auriemma described as the most scrutinized career of any player he has coached in his 11 national championship-winning tenure.
“I don’t think I’ve ever coached anyone in this generation who’s had to handle this level of scrutiny and pressure,” Auriemma said. “For her to receive all that attention, carry those expectations, and still perform it’s remarkable.”
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