Ladies’s March Insanity: What to know in regards to the Remaining 4 groups

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Having hassle? Click on right here. The NCAA Ladies's Basketball Match is all the way down to its remaining 4 groups, as one of the best gamers left will battle for the possibility to be the primary champion of the post-Caitlin Clark period.

Final yr's ladies's championship sport made historical past by garnering extra viewers than the lads's title sport for the primary time ever. Now, with out Clark, this yr's class of championship contenders has the tall job of making an attempt to maintain the highlight on the ladies's sport.

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UConn will face UCLA, and Texas will face South Carolina within the spherical.

Here's a breakdown of the gamers trying to battle for that highlight within the remaining two rounds:

UConn and Paige Bueckers UConn guard Paige Bueckers, #5, runs via the scholar part at Gampel Pavilion after a sport in opposition to South Dakota State within the second spherical of the NCAA faculty basketball match on Monday, March 24, 2025 in Storrs, Connecticut. (AP Picture/Jessica Hill)

UConn famous person Paige Bueckers has arguably taken Clark's place as the most important star in ladies's faculty basketball this yr.

Bueckers has an opportunity to do what Clark by no means did – win a nationwide championship. The 23-year-old Minnesota native will certainly lean on her religion in God as she seems to be to realize that aim.

Bueckers has been one of the crucial outspoken gamers within the sport in terms of crediting her Christian religion, having referenced it numerous occasions whereas recovering from a torn ACL in August 2022. She thanked God whereas main UConn to the Remaining 4 final yr, and this yr, she noticed that pattern unfold to different gamers within the sport.

"Yeah, I feel individuals are extra outward of their religion and extra comfy speaking about it," Bueckers instructed Fox Information Digital at a press convention on Feb. 19 when requested if she sees embracing Christianity changing into extra widespread in ladies's basketball and sports activities as an entire.

"I really feel just like the extra you see it the extra populized it turns into, and the extra comfy everyone comes with it," she added. "However yeah, I undoubtedly suppose it is rising by way of being outspoken about it."

If Bueckers' religion is rewarded on this yr's March Insanity run, and she or he leads UConn to the championship, she is going to make her mark on essentially the most embellished historical past in ladies's faculty basketball.

UConn already has 11 nationwide championships relationship again to 1995, and is taken into account essentially the most outstanding dominant dynasty within the sport. So the stress is on Bueckers to take care of that customary, a minimum of as soon as, earlier than she graduates. UConn final gained the title in 2016, and this system's present championship drought is its longest since successful its first title 30 years in the past.

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After that, Bueckers will look to problem Clark within the execs, as she is projected to be the No. 1 general choose on this yr's upcoming WNBA Draft.

Texas and Madison Booker Madison Booker, #35 of the Texas Longhorns, reacts in the course of the second half in opposition to the TCU Horned Frogs within the Elite Eight spherical of the NCAA Ladies's Basketball Match at Legacy Area on the BJCC on March 31, 2025 in Birmingham, Alabama. (Sarah Stier/Getty Photos)

The Longhorns are led by star Madison Booker, who already has expertise in high-stakes competitors, particularly whereas representing her nation.

The Mississippi native has already gained three gold medals in Worldwide Basketball Federation (FIBA) youth tournaments. Booker helped the US win a gold medal on the 2021 FIBA Underneath-16 Ladies's Americas Championship in Mexico, the place she averaged 6.2 factors and 6.7 rebounds per sport.

The very subsequent yr, on the 2022 FIBA Underneath-17 Ladies's World Cup in Hungary, she averaged 5.6 factors, 4 rebounds and a pair of.3 assists per sport en path to a gold medal.

The next yr, on the 2023 FIBA Underneath-19 Ladies's World Cup in Spain, she averaged 7.2 factors and 5 rebounds per sport for her third gold for the U.S.

This yr, Booker was thought of the most effective gamers in ladies's basketball, successful SEC participant of the yr and incomes AP First-Group All-American honors. She did all of it on the age of 19, as she won't even flip 20 till the match is over.

Not like UConn and Bueckers, Booker and Texas are on the lookout for a a lot rarer feat of their historical past.

Texas has solely ever gained the nationwide championship as soon as, again in 1986. This system has been a perennial March Insanity contender all through its historical past and has even made it to the Elite Eight in three of the earlier 4 years, however they misplaced every time.

Now, the Longhorns are again within the Remaining 4 for the primary time since 2003. Booker is trying to channel her gold medal success representing her nation to nationwide championship success representing the good state of Texas.

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Defending champion South Carolina Then-President Joe Biden walks with Daybreak Staley, coach of the College of South Carolina Ladies's basketball staff, for an occasion within the East Room of the White Home in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024, to welcome the College of South Carolina Gamecocks Ladies's basketball staff and rejoice their 2023-2024 NCAA championship season. (AP Picture/Susan Walsh)

South Carolina head coach Daybreak Staley is trying to remind everybody who's in cost in ladies's faculty basketball.

Staley is searching for for repeat titles after defeating Clark within the nationwide championship sport final season, her fourth title general. The staff is within the Remaining 4 for the fifth straight yr and has additionally confirmed it might overcome the shortage of a single famous person participant like Bueckers and Booker, however also can overcome distractions as effectively.

Final season, Staley led her staff to the title regardless of prompting controversy when she spoke in assist of trans athletes in ladies's basketball.

Throughout a press convention, OutKick’s Dan Zaksheske requested Staley her ideas on the burning challenge, and Staley didn't disguise her ideas.

"Sure, sure. So, now the barnstormer individuals are going to flood my timeline and be a distraction to me on one of many largest days of our sport, and I am OK with that. I actually am," she stated. "I am of the opinion of, in case you're a girl, it's best to play. If you happen to think about your self a girl, and also you wish to play sports activities or vice versa, it's best to have the ability to play. That is my opinion."

Nonetheless, like Bueckers, Staley additionally had no downside sharing her religion both, thanking God after successful final yr's title.

"We serve an unbelievable God," Staley stated after the sport.

"That is the unlikeliest group to do it. And generally, I imply, God is humorous like that. He’s humorous. He rips your coronary heart out, and He makes you imagine. He makes you imagine the unimaginable."

This yr's staff will lean on a gaggle that doesn't have a family title famous person, however a deep lineup of budding stars, together with Joyce Edwards, Chloe Kitts and MiLaysia Fulwiley.

Quiet juggernaut UCLA <img src="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/04/1200/675/gettyimages-2207224938.jpg?ve=1&tl=1" alt="UCLA Bruins players celebrate their 72-65 win over the LSU Lady Tigers to advance to the Final Four during the Elite Eight round of the 2025 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Spokane Arena on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington." width="1200" height="675"/> UCLA Bruins gamers rejoice their 72-65 win over the LSU Woman Tigers to advance to the Remaining 4 in the course of the Elite Eight spherical of the 2025 NCAA Ladies's Basketball Match held at Spokane Area on March 30, 2025 in Spokane, Washington. (Tyler Schank/NCAA Images through Getty Photos)

UCLA completed the common season because the No. 1 ranked staff in all the nation after a dominant 34-2 marketing campaign.

For a faculty that has traditionally been outlined by males's basketball success, the ladies's program has had no higher alternative to say its spot within the solar than this yr. UCLA has by no means gained a ladies's nationwide championship, and this will probably be its first Remaining 4 look ever.

Head coach Cori Shut has quietly and patiently constructed a juggernaut of ladies's basketball since taking on this system in 2011.

UCLA had not performed in a regional since 1999 once they employed her. By her fifth season, UCLA was again within the Candy 16, and the Bruins have missed solely two regionals since. It's the most profitable run this system has skilled within the NCAA period.

Now, the fruits of her 2022 recruiting class are coming to fruition, with stars Kiki Rice, Londynn Jones and Gabriela Jaquez set to make a run at historical past.