Top 5 reasons why Paige Bueckers will derail Dawn Staley's back-to-back title aspirations
Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies are set to face the South Carolina Gamecocks in the National Championship Game today at 3 p.m. ET. Despite being the lower-seeded team, the Huskies enter the contest as favorites. These are the top five reasons why Bueckers and the Huskies could very well end Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks' hopes of winning back-to-back titles.
Top 5 reasons Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies will win the National Championship Game
#1 Paige Bueckers dominates the National Championship Game
The biggest reason the Huskies win the National Championship can be their star player Paige Bueckers. She is the presumptive No. 1 pick in the 2025 WNBA draft and has looked like it throughout the tournament.
Although she took a step back in the Final Four, only putting up 16 points against the UCLA Bruins, she had at least 31 points in her previous three games. For UConn to win, Bueckers needs to be the best player on the court and dominate like she usually does.
#2 Geno Auriemma shows his coaching experience
Dawn Staley has had plenty of experience, coaching the Gamecocks since 2008. However, Geno Auriemma has coached the Huskies to 11 National Championships as well since taking over in 1985. He is viewed as the greatest coach in women's college basketball history and if he has his team backing up his plays, it will be hard for Staley to match his tactical ability.
#3 The Huskies force the Gamecocks to play isolation basketball
The Gamecocks do not have a go-to scorer and instead rely on a balanced offense. If the Huskies can force the Gamecocks to play isolation basketball, it will be hard for them to be successful.
#4 Huskies have the best offensive trio among teams that reached the Final Four
Paige Bueckers often gets all the attention, but the UConn Huskies have the best trio of offensive players among the teams that reached the Final Four. It can be a viable argument that Paige Bueckers, Sarah Strong, and Azzi Fudd are the biggest big three in college basketball.
#5 They have shown they can beat South Carolina this season
This is not the first time these teams have faced each other this season. UConn defeated South Carolina 87-58 on February 16th in a dominant performance. If that game is any indication as to how the National Championship Game will go, it is good news for the Huskies.