The 2025 Women’s March Madness is coming to a close this weekend as the final four teams, the UCLA Bruins, the UConn Huskies, the Texas Longhorns, and the South Carolina Gamecocks battle for a spot in the championship this coming weekend. On Friday, April 4th at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, the semifinal teams will play each other, as the first game tips off at 7pm, and the second tips off at 9pm, about 30 minutes after the first game concludes. The championship game, taking place on Sunday, April 6 at 3pm, will feature the winners of the games, as they fight to be crowned the national champion.
South Carolina Gamecocks vs. Texas Longhorns
The South Carolina Gamecocks are the defending national champions, beating Iowa last year, and as they have already proved throughout their season, they could very well do it again. Coached by Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have been a dominant force throughout the tournament thanks to their talented roster and culture of the team. They face the Texas Longhorns, who are making their first final four appearance since 2003, as well as seeking their first national title since 1986. Led by Vic Schaefer, Texas has been reliant on Madison Booker, who has averaged about 18 points over the tournament, leading them to continuous victories. Though they are both one seeds, South Carolina is favored by 4.5 points, and South Carolina has a 2-1 record against Texas this season so far. When asked about the game, sophomore Zoe Palmer said, “I really hope Texas can pull out a win especially since they have not gotten this far in the tournament in years. They will have to play really well though and keep up the defense they have been working on for the entire season.”
UCLA Bruins vs. UConn Huskies
The other semi finals match includes the UConn Huskies, a powerhouse team coached by Geno Auriemma. They have reached the final four 16 times in the past 17 years, but their success this year is thanks to superstar player Paige Bueckers. Bueckers put up 31 points against USC last week, securing their spot in the semi finals as a 2 seed. UCLA, on the other hand, is a 1 seed, though, and is led by 2025 Werner Ladder’s Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year, Cori Close. Though the Bruins are not favored to win, they have a very talented roster, and the game will be a battle. When junior Courtney Hay was asked about the game and her thoughts on March Madness so far, she said, “I have really enjoyed watching all the games each week, and I am really excited for this game. UConn has been so fun to watch all year, and I really hope they pull out the win!”
