It wasn’t another record-setting outing from Paige Bueckers, but the Huskies still picked up a historic win on Friday night.
Now, Bueckers and No. 2 UConn will have a shot at claiming their first national championship in nearly a decade.
The Huskies, thanks to a huge first half from Azzi Fudd, rolled over No. 1 UCLA, 85-51, in the Final Four on Friday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. That officially set up a rematch against South Carolina in the national championship game on Sunday afternoon. It was the largest win margin in a Final Four game in history.
Bueckers, who has scored at least 31 points in each of the last three games, was held to just 16 points in Friday’s blowout win. This time, though, it was all Fudd and Sarah Strong.
Fudd scored all 19 of her points in the first half to help UConn build a 42-22 lead at the break. She scored or assisted on 22 of UConn’s first-half points, too, which matched the Bruins’ total points at the time. UCLA also had 14 turnovers in the first half — which is what the Bruins have been averaging per game throughout the tournament. The Bruins gave up 19 points off those turnovers, too, and made just 10 field goals as a team in the first half. Half of those made field goals came from Lauren Betts.
While Bueckers only had six points in the first half, her lone assist in the first 20 minutes was incredible.
Huskies hustling, we love to see it
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) April 5, 2025
📺 ESPN pic.twitter.com/flDSbAh0td
Fudd didn't score in the second half, but Strong took her place. Strong finished with a team-high 22 points, 10 of which came in the third quarter, and eight rebounds to power the Huskies to the dominant win. UCLA couldn’t cut into the deficit at all in the second half, and it managed just four field goals in the third quarter. From there, UConn quickly wrapped up the game in the final 10 minutes.
Lauren Betts led the Bruins with 26 points and five rebounds in the loss. She was the only player on the team to hit double figures. They shot just 20-of-52 from the field as a team and had 19 total turnovers. It was UCLA's fewest points scored all season. The Bruins, who were the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, were playing in their first-ever Final Four.
