TAMPA, Florida — The women’s 2025 Final Four in Tampa was just as hot as the weather.
The final games of a March Madness tournament that captivated so many fans with amazing baskets, phenomenal storylines and even better players brought everything but the kitchen sink to Amalie Arena. The Final Four lived up to the hype, setting the stage for a national championship game that will likely be of epic proportions. The South Carolina Gamecocks and UConn Huskies faithful filled the air with so much noise that earplugs probably wouldn’t have mattered. (Much to the dismay of Texas Longhorns and UCLA Bruins fans.)
For South Carolina, the young freshman phenom Joyce Edwards was a driving force behind the Gamecocks’ victory over Texas, propelling Dawn Staley’s squad to another national championship appearance as she strolled the sidelines in a fitting South Carolina-colored Gucci track suit.
Then, there’s UConn, which had a pack of Huskies in double figures, including freshman sensation Sarah Strong, as it outhustled UCLA in nearly aspect. Unfortunately, it was never a close game for the Bruins, who folded like fresh laundry under the Huskies defensive pressure.
The first games of the Final Four are complete. Let’s review which teams looked the best under the lights, and which teams crumbled when the pressure was on. Here are the winners and losers from Friday’s Final Four games:
Winner: South Carolina freshman Joyce Edwards
Joyce Edwards leads South Carolina in scoring. So when she only scored 15 combined points in the past three March Madness matchups before Friday’s faceoff with 1-seed Texas it was a major cause for concern. However, Edwards more than answered the call when the Gamecocks were in early foul trouble.
Edwards was fearless, and her confidence level seemingly increased midway through the game. It was apparent the Longhorns had no answer for her when she broke out a silky euro step mid-play. Unfortunately, she didn’t make the basket after (there was a foul) but for her to attempt something like that spoke volumes. She finished the night with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Loser: The paper South Carolina coach Dawn Staley rolled up
When South Carolina came out flat against fellow No. 1 seed Texas, sheets of paper everywhere trembled in fear. One of their dear beloved cousins was rolled up early by Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley and never saw its original form the rest of the matchup.
The Gamecocks eventually righted the ship with their signature defense and transition offense, shifting the momentum well into the second half. However, despite being up by as many as 15 ...
