The 2024-25 women's college basketball season ended Sunday when the UConn Huskies defeated Dawn Staley's South Carolina Gamecocks, 82-59, to win the national championship in Tampa.
UConn won its record 12th NCAA Tournament under coach Geno Auriemma, and the program's first since winning four straight from 2013-16. The Huskies finished the season 37-3 overall.
As for coach Kristy Curry and the Alabama Crimson Tide, Sarah Ashlee Barker and teammates had a memorable run this season, advancing to the second round of the tournament before a 111-108 double-overtime loss to the Maryland Terrapins.
Barker scored a program-record 45 points, becoming a March Madness star and the talk of social media after her sensational night against Maryland. She made 17 of her 25 shots from the field and sank three clutch free throws with 0.7 seconds left as Alabama forced a second overtime period.
The Crimson Tide finished the season 24-9 overall and were 10-6 in SEC play. In the final USA TODAY Sports Women's Basketball Coaches Poll, released Monday, Alabama finished the 2024-25 season ranked No. 21.
The Tide were ranked one spot below the No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels (22-11), who advanced to the Sweet 16, and one spot ahead of No. 22 Oklahoma State (25-7).
SEC teams dominate Power Four conferences in final Women's Basketball Coaches Poll
Led by runner-up South Carolina (35-4), a total of eight SEC teams finished in the final Coaches Poll Top 25. The Texas Longhorns, who the Gamecocks defeated in the Final Four, finished No. 4 with Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers (31-6) at No. 8.
Outside of the top 10, the Oklahoma Sooners (27-6) finished No. 11, with the Kentucky Wildcats (23-8) at No. 13 and the Tennessee Volunteers (24-10) at No. 16. Ole Miss edged Alabama at No. 20.
The ACC and Big 12 had the second-most teams ranked in ...