Final Four takeaways: UConn's 2-way dominance, Edwards steps up for South Carolina
theScore runs down the top storylines and developments from Friday's Final Four games and what it all could mean moving forward.
UConn's offense stays hot
Although Paige Bueckers had an off night with her shot, UConn's offense remained a buzz saw. The Huskies recorded 85 points on 55% shooting, including a 7-of-16 clip from downtown. They manufactured their offense in various ways, scoring 34 points in the paint, 13 on the fast break, and 11 off second chances against UCLA's top-10 defense.
Top-ranked recruit Sarah Strong led the attack with 22 points, eight boards, and two assists. She joins Breanna Stewart and Maya Moore as the only freshman in school history with 20 or more points in a Final Four game, per ESPN's Alexa Philippou. Strong also matched Moore and Bueckers for the most 20-point contests (14) by a UConn freshman in the last 25 seasons. The 6-foot-2 forward ran the floor in transition, drained threes off the pick-and-pop, and showed her ball-handling skills when she ran off the 3-point line.
Azzi Fudd was just behind Strong with a 19-point effort following subpar showings in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight. She asserted herself from the opening tipoff, scoring the game's first points on a strong take to the rim and converting six of her first eight field goals. Fudd punished the Bruins' drop coverage with her jumper and capitalized on give-and-go plays with her bigs. She scored and assisted on 22 points in the first half, matching UCLA's point total in the first 20 minutes. Strong, Fudd, and Bueckers alone outscored the Bruins' total output.
It's hard to see Bueckers struggling for a second straight game. But the Huskies can at least take comfort knowing that Strong or Fudd can pick up the slack.
UCLA flustered by UConn's defense
The talk surrounding UConn's explosive offensive trio of Bueckers, Strong, and Fudd has certainly been warranted. But the Huskies have been equally elite all season on the defensive end. Going into Friday's game, they allowed the fewest points in the nation (52 points per contest) and ranked fourth in opponent field-goal percentage (34.6%).
UCLA posed a challenge with Wooden Award finalist Lauren Betts spearheading the NCAA's fourth-best offense, per Bart Torvik. However, the Bruins failed to establish any rhythm as the Huskies constantly created havoc. UConn tallied 27 points off turnovers and limited UCLA to 0.77 points per possession. The Huskies' full-court pressure sped up the Bruins' guards, leading to a number of errand passes in the backcourt. UCLA had trouble just delivering an entry pass into Betts on the low block, with UConn's guards often deflecting attempts to feed the 6-foot-7 center.
Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma did a great job mixing man-to-man and zone defenses against Betts. Redshirt freshman Jana El Alfy was the unsung hero. She made Betts catch the ball as far away from the basket as possible, broke up a pair of entry feeds, and used her length to make each shot difficult. When UConn shifted to a zone, it allowed multiple defenders to collapse on Betts in the paint. The Bruins star still had a respectable showing, but none of her teammates registered double digits in scoring.
UCLA didn't have the inside-outside balance it had in the previous round, making 4-of-16 attempts from deep and putting up only 14 points on 21% shooting outside of the paint.
Edwards rises to the occasion
South Carolina's strength in numbers has been the foundation of its success all season. The Gamecocks have multiple players who can take over a game on any given night and don't rely on one individual to do the heavy lifting. Their top point-getters - Joyce Edwards and MiLaysia Fulwiley - come off the bench and lead the NCAA's highest-scoring reserve unit (40.6 points per contest).
That formula hasn't changed in the Big Dance. Four different scorers have led South Carolina during its Final Four run, including Edwards, who again took command in the national semifinal versus Texas. The point forward managed just 15 points in her previous three NCAA Tournament games but bounced back against the Longhorns with 13 points, 11 boards, six assists, and one steal. Edwards is the second freshman in Final Four history to register at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five dimes in one contest, according to Philippou.
Edwards played a significant role in the Gamecocks' 15 fast-break points, making hit-ahead passes to set up teammates in transition and taking the ball coast-to-coast. She also facilitated some of the team's half-court offense, and her quickness off the bounce was a mismatch for Texas' post players. Edwards led a balanced effort from the reserves, who poured in 35 points after mustering a season-low nine points against Duke in the Elite Eight.
Booker's early fouls prove costly
The margin of error is slim against a team of South Carolina's caliber, which made a strong start crucial for Texas. The Longhorns came out of the gates with the right game plan, establishing leading scorer Madison Booker in the mid-range. The reigning SEC Player of the Year had her way early, knocking down her first three shots within the opening seven minutes.
But Booker went to the bench with 3:04 remaining in the first quarter after picking up her second foul. When she checked back in at the 5:01 mark of the second frame, the Gamecocks had outscored Texas by six points. Booker was on the court for only three more minutes when she picked up her third foul. She subsequently sat for the remainder of the first half, allowing South Carolina to turn a two-point deficit into a three-point halftime lead.
The Gamecocks never looked back from there as they broke the game open with a 20-9 scoring run in the third quarter. Booker never regained her early rhythm, scoring four points on 2-of-7 shooting in the second half. So much of the Longhorns' offense runs through Booker. When South Carolina took her away, that effectively ended any chances of a Texas upset.