South Carolina snapped UConn's 54-game winning streak with a 62-48 victory, and texas vs ucla ended with UCLA beating Texas 51-44, setting a championship matchup between the Gamecocks and Bruins.
The Gamecocks leaned on defense to take the semifinal, holding UConn to 31 percent shooting and the Huskies' lowest point total of the season, 48 points.
Joyce Edwards and Raven Johnson took primary defensive assignments on Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, forcing UConn into cold shooting and turnovers, and on the 53 plays Edwards was the final defender on Strong, UConn shot 11-of-44 and committed eight turnovers.
South Carolina received 16 points and 11 rebounds from senior Ta'Niya Latson and 14 points from freshman Agot Makeer, who has scored in double figures in all five NCAA tournament games after limited regular-season production, and Edwards added 11 points and eight rebounds while setting the school season scoring mark with 760 points.
South Carolina's offense was uneven, shooting 37.5 percent, but the Gamecocks compensated by outrebounding UConn 47-32 and enjoying an 18-6 free throw advantage, details that helped blunt missed shots late in the game.
Tempers flared after the final horn as coaches Geno Auriemma and Dawn Staley engaged in a heated sideline exchange, with Staley reported to have stormed away repeating I'll beat Geno's ass, and Auriemma saying he had waited for Dawn for like 3 minutes before the pregame handshake.
UCLA Wins Defensive Duel And Moves To Championship
UCLA reached the title game with a 51-44 defensive win over Texas, holding the Longhorns to 31 percent shooting while four Bruins starters scored in double figures.
Senior center Lauren Betts led UCLA with 16 points and 11 rebounds, and Kiki Rice added 11 points, including four key free throws in the final minute that helped seal the victory, while Gabriela Jaquez and Gianna Kneepkens each scored 10.
Texas struggled from the floor, with junior All-American Madison Booker shooting 3-of-23 for six points and no Texas starter finishing in double figures; Kyla Oldacre led the Longhorns off the bench with 11 points and seven rebounds.
UCLA weathered a late Texas press, regained composure, and relied on a late block by Betts and Rice's free throws to preserve the margin, leaving the Bruins and South Carolina as the final two teams in the tournament.
