TAMPA, Fla. – The national championship matchup is set after commanding wins from South Carolina and UConn in the Final Four on Friday.
It'll be a rematch of the 2022 NCAA Championship game on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, ABC) at Amalie Arena. The No. 1 seed Gamecocks (35-3) beat Texas 74-57, and the No. 2 seed Huskies (36-3) beat UCLA 85-51 to advance.
South Carolina beat UConn 64-49 in the 2022 final, the only other time they met in the championship game.
UConn handed the Gamecocks a 87-58 loss during the regular season, snapping their 71-game win streak in Columbia, South Carolina. It was also the largest margin in a home loss for South Carolina since 2008.
Here's what you need to know about the rematch.
Battle of the freshmen: Joyce Edwards vs. Sarah Strong
The championship matchup with feature arguably the two best freshmen in the country. UConn's Sarah Strong and South Carolina's Joyce Edwards both play significant roles for their teams.
It's no surprise the freshmen have helped lead their teams to the national championship game — there were signs a year ago of the dominance to come. Strong, the No. 1 recruit of the 2024 class, and Edwards, the No. 3 recruit in the 2024 class, were co-MVPs of the McDonald's All-American game last April.
Strong is the second-leading scorer for the Huskies, behind senior star Paige Bueckers. The 6-foot-2 forward averages 16.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. Strong had 22 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block Friday.
Edwards leads the Gamecocks in scoring off the bench. The 6-3 forward averages 12.7 points, five rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 21 minutes per game. Edwards bounced back from a three-game slump Friday, logging 13 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a steal.
Both players are confident with the ball in their hands and impact every area of the game. How each freshman performs in the first national championship game of their careers will heavily influence the outcome.
Can South Carolina become first repeat champion since 2016?
No team has repeated as national champions since UConn won four straight titles from 2013-16.
South Carolina had the chance to repeat during the 2022-23 season, but it fell in the Final Four. ...
