UConn’s big three shine in dominant semifinal victory

“The best teams we’ve ever had at Connecticut, they were three-pronged,” Auriemma said. “ … And people would ask me, what makes [those teams] so special? I said, ‘Well, we have the absolute best point guard, we have the absolute best center and then we have the best player in the country.’ So when you can come at people with those three things, and you have a chance to win every single game you play, and we’re fortunate that we have something like that [this season]. We won’t know until later on whether it’s the equivalent of that, whether we’ve got something like that going for us right now.”

Fast forward to April, in the Final Four against top-seeded UCLA, and it appears that is exactly what the Huskies have going for them in the talented trio of Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong. In the largest margin of victory in NCAA Final Four history, the Huskies slayed the Bruins in a blowout 85-51 win. It was never close, and UConn looked unbeatable with its stars shining under the brightest lights. In his opening statement following the Huskies dominant performance, Auriemma wasn’t stingy with his praise as he sat alongside the 2025 iteration of UConn’s three-pronged monster.

“I think our guys played about as hard as any group of kids can play, but I don’t think we made a mistake the entire evening, especially on the defensive end. I’m just incredibly proud of these guys and what they were able to do and how it was a complete team effort led by these three, obviously,” Auriemma told reporters.

All No. 1 recruits in their high school recruiting classes, Bueckers (class of 2020), Fudd (2021) and Strong (2024) have put the Huskies in position to win a 12th national championship on Sunday afternoon against South Carolina. For a program accustomed to unfathomable success, a win would break an eight-season championship drought.

“Going into this weekend, we felt we had the best opportunity that we could have in the last five, six years, seven years, maybe, six years, I don’t know — and that it wasn’t relying all on one person and that person had to play exceptionally outstanding game in order for us to win it all,” Auriemma said.

Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine

Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.

Last season, although Bueckers willed the team to the Final Four and a near-upset of Iowa, the team’s lack of depth ultimately did them in. They needed Bueckers to deliver every night to be in a position to win, and the margin for error was slim. On Friday, despite Bueckers’ uncharacteristic 7-for-17 shooting from the field, the Huskies dominated due to the elite performances of Strong and Fudd, as well as the reliability of their bench.

“If Paige had 16 [points] last year, we wouldn’t have made it to the Final Four. If Paige has the kind of game that she had today in the previous couple of years, it would be almost impossible for us to win. And yet today, you know, look what happened,” Auriemma said.

To accompany Bueckers’ 16 points, Fudd added 19 and Strong contributed a team-high 22 points along with eight rebounds. Strong in particular showed the nation why, as just a freshman, she was named to the ten-player WBCA All-American list. In her first Final Four appearance she was one of the most poised players on the court.

“Sarah is an incredible player, but I think that’s something that impresses me the most about her is just how mature she plays and how even-keeled she is,” Fudd told reporters. ” … She looks at her opponent as just another game that night. Doesn’t matter where we are, what stage we’re on.”

In each season Bueckers has competed in the NCAA Tournament, the Huskies have reached the Final Four. Each time, they’ll fallen just short of an elusive title. On Sunday against the Gamecocks, in a rematch of the 2022 national championship game, Bueckers has one more shot for a collegiate title alongside a UConn team characterized by its talent and depth.

“We’ve certainly played each other a number of times in big, big games. We’ve already played each other once in a national championship game. So it does feel like the two most prominent programs right now in women’s college basketball are playing for the right to be national champions,” Auriemma said of the matchup against South Carolina.

“And we both deserve it. They deserve to be here. We deserve to be here. They have every right to win Sunday. We have every right to win Sunday. Past performances, what happened last year isn’t going to be a factor on what happens Sunday. Our 11 national championships aren’t going to help us win on Sunday.”

It’s true — unlike in past iterations of the UConn dynasty, there will be no trio of Kara Wolters, Rebecca Lobo and Nykesha Sales; or Renee Montgomery, Tina Charles and Maya Moore; or Breanna Stewart, Morgan Tuck and Moriah Jefferson. The Huskies are focused solely on this season and this roster.

“We’re not worried about the past. … I mean, every single day you walk into the gym, you’re trying to live up to the standard of playing UConn basketball, but you’re not comparing yourself to other teams, to players before,” Bueckers said. “Obviously you want to fill their shoes and make them proud and wear the UConn jersey with pride.”

If history is any indication of the future, this year’s trio of Bueckers, Fudd and Strong may just write their own championship chapter in the proud program’s annals of talented trios.

Your business can reach over 3 million women’s sports fans every single month!

Here at The Next and The IX, our audience is a collection of the smartest, most passionate women’s sports fans in the world. If your business has a mission to serve these fans, reach out to our team at editors@thenexthoops.com to discuss ways to work together.