On Sunday, April 6, the University of Connecticut Huskies defeated University of South Carolina 82-59 in the NCAA women’s basketball tournament championship. The Huskies, who went 37-3 overall this season, continued on the outstanding legacy of the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball program after a nine-year championship drought and multiple years of injuries and roster setbacks.
Senior Azzi Fudd put up 24 points by the end of the match, earning her the title of Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament.
“This championship means everything […]. Let’s run it back next year!” Fudd exclaimed following the team’s victory on Sunday.
Fudd will be returning for her fifth and final season with the Huskies next year as the program hopes to go back-to-back with championship wins, a feat only achieved by the Huskies themselves in 2009-10, University of Southern California and University of Tennessee.
Redshirt senior Paige Bueckers, a standout guard who was just drafted by the Dallas Wings with the No.1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft, put down 17-points and secured herself her first ever National Championship in her fifth year at UConn. Bueckers faced a freshman year diminished by the impacts of COVID-19, and a second year ACL injury that rendered her unable to play for the remainder of the season. Nevertheless, Bueckers has received national recognition for her skill and inspiring collegiate basketball journey, establishing her as one of the top players to ever come out of UConn’s program.
“It’s been […] a great summary of what we have been this entire season of being a team, staying connected, on any given night it can be anybody’s night,” Bueckers said following the big win. “And how we play as a team, and I think that was just a great showing for that between last game and this game. So it’s extremely fitting.”
While there is no question that the sheer amount of work, stamina and passion have been a predominant factor in the success of the Huskies this season, there is also a great deal of credit due towards the individual who guided this team to their outstanding victory.
The Huskies have been coached by legend Geno Auriemma since 1985, and this season marks his 40th with the team. A tenured member of the University of Connecticut’s Athletics Program, Auriemma now has twelve championships under his belt and has established himself as one of the best college basketball coaches in history. He has also been a coach for the U.S. Women’s National team, landing himself in the prestigious basketball Hall of Fame.
“I just kept thinking, something good has to happen, because if we were going to lose, it would have been before now,” Auriemma said. “I don’t think the basketball gods would take us all the way to the end — they’ve been really cruel with some of the kids on this team. They’ve suffered a lot of the things that could go wrong in their college careers as an athlete. So they don’t need any more heartbreak. So they weren’t going to take us here and give us more heartbreak. I kept holding on to that. I’m glad they were rewarded.”
Auriemma’s 2024-2025 squad is one that had not experienced a UConn championship in any of their years at the school. The importance of winning the final was not only significant in terms of the player’s setbacks experienced in the past few years, but also for the long-lasting legacy of UConn Women’s Basketball as a whole.
“Maybe what this [championship] means is that there were a lot of people that didn’t think it would ever happen. There are a lot of people that hoped it would never happen. I’m glad we were able to get to that spot that Connecticut has occupied. In the last 30 years, I don’t know that any program has meant more to their sport than what UConn has meant to women’s basketball,” Auriemma said.
Indeed the program means a great deal to the women’s basketball world, but also to the Connecticut community who gets to share a slice of the Huskies’ victory this spring. The team’s accomplishments were celebrated Sunday, April 13 in downtown Hartford during a victory parade, where the coaches, players and staff gathered to give speeches, meet fans and celebrate with their community — including Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.
“The UConn women’s basketball team has proven that they are the best in the nation, and now it’s time for Connecticut to give them the victory celebration they have earned,” Lamont said.
With a championship game that left no room for questioning who was the dominant force this season in NCAA women’s basketball, the Huskies have solidified themselves as not just champions, but as a reminder that good things come to those who overcome adversity in the pursuit of greatness.
