Half of the Final Four is set. No. 1 seeds South Carolina and UCLA punched their tickets to Tampa, Florida, on Sunday.
The remaining two spots in the national semifinals of the 2025 women’s NCAA tournament will be decided Monday, when TCU takes on Texas (7 p.m. ET, ESPN) and UConn faces USC (9 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Sunday, the Gamecocks downed No. 2 seed Duke and the Bruins beat third-seeded LSU.
We’re tracking Sunday’s doubleheader from every angle, with live updates and analysis from courtside. Follow along as we break down every game of the Elite Eight.
Jump to: Relive the action | Full results and analysis
Van Lith brushes off doubters | What’s next for Duke, NC State
Final: UCLA 72, LSU 65
How UCLA beat LSU: Depth, shooting and defense. On a day when Lauren Betts was limited to a season-low 6 first-half minutes by foul trouble, and star guard Kiki Rice shot 1-of-7 from the field, the Bruins reached the Final Four for the first time in the NCAA era anyway because of contributions from their role players. Playing extended minutes in place of Betts, reserve Timea Gardiner knocked down five crucial 3-pointers and scored 15 points, her most since February. Gabriela Jaquez made another four triples and scored 16 points as UCLA shot 10-of-24 (42%) from beyond the arc, a far cry from last year’s 22% 3-point shooting (7-of-32) in a loss to LSU in the Sweet 16.
At the other end, the Tigers shot a combined 10-of-28 (36%) and had as many turnovers (10) as field goals across the second and third quarters as the Bruins rallied from an early deficit and built a lead as large as 14 points. Flau’Jae Johnson led a late LSU push, but the Bruins held on for the win.
The No. 1 factor that helped UCLA reach the Final Four: The 6-foot-7 presence of Betts, whose stat line Sunday (17 points, 7 rebounds and 6 blocks) qualified — remarkably — as an off night. After all, Betts had recorded consecutive 30-10 games in the round of 32 and Sweet 16, shooting a combined 29-of-33 from the field.
Betts’ emergence as an unstoppable force in the paint helped the Bruins level up after knocking on the door repeatedly. UCLA had reached the Sweet 16 six times in the past decade under Cori Close, including the Elite Eight in 2018, but this is the first time the Bruins have advanced to the Final Four since 1979 — prior to the NCAA sponsoring women’s basketball. Led by Hall of Famer Ann Meyers, UCLA won the AIAW national title in 1978 and returned in 1979.
The Bruins also used last year’s loss to the Tigers as an important measuring stick and changed the result this time around.
UCLA’s key in the Final Four: Continuing to focus on “going 1-0.” That has been Close’s talking point for avoiding looking ahead or stressing the magnitude of the moment for a program that hasn’t been this far in any of its players’ lifetimes. It’s possible the Bruins could face a familiar opponent in crosstown rival USC, the top seed in the opposite bracket entering Monday’s regional final, also in Spokane. If UConn knocks off the Trojans, however, UCLA will be at a significant experience deficit against Geno Auriemma, Paige Bueckers and the Huskies. Either way, the Bruins will surely treat Friday’s national semifinal as just another game for the team that earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. — Kevin Pelton
0:28
UCLA’s Lauren Betts is pumped up after and-1 falls
Lauren Betts lets out a celebratory yell after sinking an and-1 bucket.
Final: South Carolina 54, Duke 50
How South Carolina beat Duke: On guts, grit and veteran execution. In the fourth quarter, with the season on the line, coach Dawn Staley relied on her most experienced players — all seniors and juniors — who started the game. They also finished it.
As has been the case in recent years, depth has been a big strength of the Gamecocks this season. But against Duke’s suffocating defense, Staley wanted her most experienced players to lead them to a fifth consecutive Final Four. South Carolina survived some offensive dry spells and some frustrating moments when it seemed Duke had more energy.
Post players Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin combined for 26 points and 12 rebounds. Kitts, who was the SEC tournament MVP, made two free throws with five seconds left that sealed the win.
0:27
South Carolina celebrates clinching Final Four spot over Duke
South Carolina celebrates as time expires in its 54-50 victory over Duke in the Elite Eight.
The No. 1 factor that helped South Carolina reach the Final Four: It comes down to the program staples Staley has established in leading the Gamecocks to three national championships. She instills a mentality that South Carolina will play to the buzzer and make fewer mistakes when the stakes are highest. And for the most part, the Gamecocks have done that this season, especially late in their wins over Maryland (Sweet 16) and Duke.
Staley also has adjusted to different mentalities from her Final Four teams over the past decade. She knows that a lot of heat and fire from her doesn’t work as well with this year’s group as it did with some past teams. Staley’s ability to hold high standards but still be flexible is a big part of why we will see South Carolina in the Final Four again.
South Carolina’s key in the Final Four: Getting more from its younger players. The Gamecocks were able to outlast Duke despite scoring just 54 points and not getting much from their young stars. Sophomores MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson and freshman Joyce Edwards combined to score just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting with seven turnovers. As reliable as South Carolina’s starting vets — Kitts, Feagin, Bree Hall, Te-Hina Paopao and Raven Johnson — are, it seems likely the Gamecocks will need their young players to contribute a lot more to get two wins in Tampa, Florida. — Michael Voepel
This post was originally published on this site