Three No. 1 seeds will be in the Final Four of the women's NCAA Tournament, with semifinal games Friday night.
But, it's that pesky No. 2 seed favored to win the title in Tampa, Florida and this group is led by a superstar from Hopkins, Minnesota - Paige Bueckers - who is hoping to bring a title back to Storrs, Connecticut.
UConn (35-3) takes on overall number one seed UCLA (34-2), in the late game Friday (8 p.m. locally). And while Bueckers is pursuing her first national title after a storied career at UConn, the Huskies might be favored because of standout players to help her out in Azzi Fudd and freshman Sarah Strong.
In seasons Bueckers has been (at least somewhat) healthy, her Huskies have reached the Final Four all four times. A torn ACL cost her the 2023 season and the Huskies made a rare non-appearance in the Women's Final Four, a spot that had been nearly guaranteed in head coach Geno Auriemma's tenure there.
Bueckers became a star at an early age - by 8th grade she was playing with the varsity. Hopkins went to three straight state tournaments with Bueckers and lost before an unbeaten championship her junior year in 2019. It was almost a foregone conclusion they would repeat in 2020 - but the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the tournaments in Minnesota and across the country.
When Bueckers arrived in Connecticut, she was the biggest women's recruit in the country and she delivered immediately. A Final Four appearance, and the National Player of the Year award as a freshman.
But it's "appearances" that have become the legacy, something Bueckers is desperate to change. When it comes to UConn women's basketball, it is championship banners that cement your legacy.
Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Tina Charles, Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, Napheesa Collier, Swin Cash - these are all names Bueckers now sits next to in the storied history of UConn basketball. The only difference between all of those former stars and Paige? A national title (or a few in some cases).
During the Sweet Sixteen win over Oklahoma, a close game going to the fourth quarter, Auriemma nearly pleaded with Bueckers to take the game over during his ESPN in-game interview with Holly Rowe. Known for being almost too unselfish, Auriemma has been outspoken in saying if Bueckers is going to get UConn a title, she has to be aggressive and take over when needed.
"There are times where she has the ball and the defense, they know she's not going to shoot it," he said, looking nearly exasperated.
She finished with 40 points. Bueckers put on a show in the fourth quarter where she scored 19 of the team’s 23 points in the quarter, helping UConn pull away for a blowout win.
But Bueckers continues to be unselfish, even when she is drowning jumper after jumper. After beating USC in the Elite Eight last weekend - when she scored 31 points, her third straight tourney game over 30 - Bueckers was asked by ESPN's Holly Rowe about her "epic scoring run" and what she is appreciating about her game right now.
She had nothing but good things to say - about her teammates.
"My teammates. Sarah Strong, she played amazing tonight, everybody, everybody was amazing," she said. "It takes a village and that's what everybody's doing."
Bueckers now sits two wins away, for the fourth time in her career. Her teammates will have to play well for UConn to win. But it will be Bueckers' game on the court that will ultimately decide if she leaves Tampa Bay with a banner, cutting down a net, and adding to the storied history of UConn. Or if she'll head to the WNBA unable to close her career holding the trophy.
It's pressure for sure.
But Bueckers will not shy away from it. "Anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment...the pressure is a privilege," she said.
Games to watch
Texas (35-3) vs. South Carolina (34-3), Friday 6 p.m. CT. An all-SEC showdown and the teams are familiar with each other even though the Longhorns are new to the league this season. The teams split two regular-season meetings but the Gamecocks beat Texas for the SEC Tournament title by 17 points.
UConn (35-3) vs. UCLA (34-2), Friday 8 p.m. CT. UCLA will ride the play of Betts, who has been virtually unstoppable during the tournament. Paige Bueckers is pursuing her first national title after a storied career at UConn but the Huskies have standout players to help in Azzi Fudd and freshman Sarah Strong.
How can I watch the tournament?
Every game of the women’s tournament will be aired — here is a schedule — on ESPN's networks and streaming services with the championship game on ABC.
Who are the favorites?
The top four betting favorites going into the Final Four were (in order): UConn, South Carolina, Texas and UCLA, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Who is playing?
There were 31 automatic bids that went to conference champions and they were combined with 37 at-large picks by the NCAA selection committee. Selection Sunday unveiled the bracket matchups.
When are the games?
The Final Four is in Tampa on Friday on Friday night, with the championship game at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday. A year ago, the the title game drew a bigger television audience than the men’s title game for the first time, with an average of 18.9 million viewers watching undefeated South Carolina beat Iowa and superstar Caitlin Clark.