What happened last time Geno Auriemma's UConn faced Dawn Staley, South Carolina in the NCAA Championship game?

The 2025 NCAA women's basketball championship game between UConn and South Carolina tips off Sunday at 3 p.m. ET. It will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, and air live on ABC, with streaming available on ESPN+.

At the center of the matchup are two legendary coaches - Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma - whose basketball journeys have been intertwined for more than 30 years.

In 1991, Auriemma’s Huskies made their first Final Four appearance. Waiting for them was No. 2 seed Virginia, led by a fierce point guard named Dawn Staley. Virginia won that game, and the rivalry quietly began.

While many greats came before them, few have done more to push the modern women’s game forward than Auriemma and Staley. This year, UConn enters its 24th Final Four, while South Carolina is back on the biggest stage after taking down UConn in its last title meeting.

So, what happened the last time UConn faced South Carolina in the NCAA Championship game. That came in April 2022. South Carolina dominated from the start, jumping to a 22–8 first-quarter lead and never looking back.

The Gamecocks beat UConn 64–49, handing Auriemma his first loss in 12 national title games. Senior guard Destanni Henderson dropped a career-high 26 points to lead the charge.

The win also made history, as Staley became the first Black coach (men’s or women’s) in Division I basketball to win multiple national championships.

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The South Carolina Gamecocks knew the moment

South Carolina stormed into second straight title game after taking down Texas in the Final Four.

The Gamecocks have been here before, not just in the Final Four, but trailing with everything on the line. For the fourth time this tournament, South Carolina dug deep and delivered.

After a slow start, they flipped the switch and pulled away for a commanding 74-57 win over Texas on Friday night at Amalie Arena.

Now 35-3, South Carolina will meet UConn (36-3) on Sunday, chasing its third national championship in four years and another under coach Dawn Staley.

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