62-48 Statement: South Carolina Buries UConn’s Repeat Dreams in Phoenix



In a rematch of the 2025 national championship game—where UConn routed South Carolina 82-59—the Gamecocks delivered a statement of revenge. Dawn Staley’s squad (36-3) stunned the previously undefeated defending champions UConn (38-1) with a stifling defensive masterclass, snapping the Huskies’ 54-game winning streak and advancing to the NCAA title game for the fourth time in five years.

The game was a low-scoring, grind-it-out affair from the start, far from the high-octane offenses both teams typically displayed (each averaging over 87 points per game entering the matchup). Quarter 1 ended tied at 15-15. UConn edged ahead in the second, taking a slim 26-24 halftime lead as both sides combined for just 35% shooting and 14 turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

South Carolina flipped the script after intermission. The Gamecocks opened the third quarter with a decisive 12-2 run to seize control. They pushed the lead to double digits at 40-30—the largest deficit UConn had faced all season. The Huskies briefly rallied with three straight three-pointers (including one from All-American Azzi Fudd) to close within 40-39, but Tessa Johnson answered with the final four points of the quarter, giving South Carolina a 44-39 edge heading into the fourth.

The fourth quarter belonged entirely to the Gamecocks’ defense. South Carolina held UConn to just nine points and went on an 11-0 run that effectively sealed the outcome. UConn’s stars were neutralized: Sarah Strong, the AP Player of the Year, finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds but shot a dismal 4-for-16. Azzi Fudd managed only eight points on 3-for-15 shooting. Overall, the Huskies shot a season-worst 19-for-61 (31.1%) from the field—the fewest points they had scored in a game since 2022.

South Carolina was led by Ta’Niya Latson with 16 points and Agot Makeer with 14, including a crucial third-quarter three-pointer from the top of the key. The Gamecocks’ balance, toughness, and defensive intensity proved too much for a UConn team that had cruised through the season largely unchallenged.

Post-game tensions boiled over as UConn coach Geno Auriemma confronted South Carolina’s Dawn Staley on the court, leading to an animated exchange before Auriemma headed straight to the tunnel without the customary post-game handshake. Staley later expressed confusion about the incident but emphasized moving forward.

For South Carolina, the victory exorcised last year’s title-game demons and set up a national championship appearance on Sunday against the winner of Texas-UCLA. For UConn, the dream of a repeat and a perfect season ended in Phoenix. In a season defined by dominance, the Huskies finally met a team that could match—and exceed—their physicality and resolve. South Carolina’s 62-48 triumph will be remembered as one of the most satisfying upsets in recent women’s college basketball history.

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