Tampa, Fla. – Results have been decided for a long time uconn Coach Geno Auriemma called a timeout with 1:32 left to remove the star from the game that would make the defending champion dominant 82-59 victory South Carolina For the Husky’s unprecedented 12th national title.
As a senior Page Booker Getting off the court and ending her college career with her own elusive first title, she and Auriemma shared a long and emotional embrace of their celebration of coming together.
“So many emotions,” said Bueckers, who wears one of the nets that has been cut from Sunday’s match around the neck. “Thanks was the main thing, and it was a journey of all the ups and downs that we needed to reach that point. It was just an overwhelming joy and I am very happy for everyone who is part of this journey.”
For decades, the best women’s basketball players have come to UConn and won national titles. This was Bueckers’ last chance. At the same time, 71-year-old Auriemma hasn’t won since 2016, and nine years without UConn titles are forever.
“My journey has become her in so many words,” he said.
Auriemma said every year, those closest to him thought that UConn should have retired in 2016 after winning four straight wins. For all the dynasty successes the Husky had, he didn’t know if there was another title, and he was not alone.
“There were a lot of people who didn’t think it would happen. There were a lot of people who wanted it never to happen,” Orienma said. “We’re happy to have reached the place that Connecticut occupied. We don’t know that the program means more for their sport than UConn has intended for women’s basketball over the past 30 years.”
And like that, the Husky became champions again, but not just Aurienma and Bueker, they brought them back to the top. The best player in the tournament was guard. Azzi FuddSeeing the Huskys stomped South Carolina, they scored 24 and 11 points in the third quarter, building a growing lead to 32 points. Freshman Forward Sarah Strong He was just as solid, finishing with 24 points, 15 rebounds and five assists to finish off an incredible debut season.
The Husky did something he had never seen before in his previous championships in 11, beating three No. 1 seeds along the way. They were the second species in their area, defeating USC to advance to the Final Four, snatching the No. 1 seed at UCLA on Friday, then beating Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, the coach of a team that was about to become the first recurring champion of the sport since UConn in 2016, has never lost in three previous championship games and said he hopes to get a stab with the player who is back.
“I hope they’re crying,” Staley said. “I hope they’re booing because they have feelings about losing, from crying, [it] Let them work hard during the offseason. It lets you see that and really analyze what their program is and what separates them from our program, and how we fill in the gap between it.
Staley has great hopes for her program in the near future, but she understands the commitment and buy-in needed from players to achieve her ultimate goal of winning the title.
“They are extremely talented and have had great experience playing at this level, so I hope they’ll come back here and do everything they need to do to play in the National Championship Game and give the batting they need to win,” Staley said.
Both teams are expected to have a talented lineup next season. The main scorers for South Carolina on Sunday were freshman Joyce Edwards and sophomore guard Tessa Johnson. For UCONN, FUDD announced this week that he will be returning with the Husky another year, despite knowing it was likely his first round pick in the WNBA draft.
But Sunday was about his coach returning to the top and thanking Booker for helping him take him there.
“He told me he loved me. I told him I didn’t like him, but we’ll love each other one day,” joked Booker.
Auriemma said the Bueckers were both “enthuscivious” and “smart.” For five years, he’s like an orchestra conductor, selfishly controlling all his practice and games, whether he has the ball or not. Almost 50 years apart, they had countless serious conversations and plenty of light conversations, but at that moment they were more prominent than anything, enjoying the final seconds of their championship victory.
“Today, all the emotions that have been built within me came out, they came out, and they came out, and I think it was the first of five years that has come out in her,” Auriema said of Booker. “Five years later, I’ve never seen her scream. She might deny it, but she’ll miss me.”
Greg Auman is an NFL reporter for Fox Sports. He had spent 10 years before Buccaneers for Tampa Bay Times and athletics. You can follow him on Twitter @gregauman.
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