TAMPA — Katie Fudd stood in the stands and watched her daughter, Azzi, complete her redemption tour. She wore a white T-shirt with blue lettering that read, “Fudd around and find out.”
South Carolina certainly found out Sunday afternoon.
Fudd was unstoppable en route to a game-high-tying 24 points, leading Connecticut to an 82-59 victory over the defending champion Gamecocks that earned the Huskies a record-extending 12th NCAA women’s basketball championship. The senior guard, whose career before this season had been clouded by injuries, was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player.
“I really don’t have words to describe what today felt like and what the rest of the day is going to feel like,” Fudd said. “Today was an amazing accomplishment, to do it with this team.”
Next to Fudd the entire way has been her longtime friend Paige Bueckers, the three-time all-American and former national player of the year who had accomplished everything at Connecticut except for winning a national title. Like Fudd, Bueckers also survived a torn ACL that took away her junior year. As confetti poured from the ceiling of Amalie Arena, the two stars stood on the corner of a raised stage and shared a moment together as fans cheered. Shortly before that, they stood near the sideline in a deep embrace, swaying back and forth.
Bueckers, who finished with 17 points, six rebounds and three assists, etched her place even more deeply among U-Conn. royalty, much of which was in attendance Sunday. Breanna Stewart, Stefanie Dolson, Aaliyah Edwards, Maya Moore, Rebecca Lobo, Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi were all in the building as the Huskies claimed their first title since 2016.
Connecticut’s decisive victory ended South Carolina’s bid to join U-Conn., Tennessee and USC as the only programs to win consecutive titles since the NCAA women’s tournament began in 1982. The Gamecocks have been a No. 1 seed in the past five tournaments, making the Final Four each time and winning championships in 2022 and 2024 after the first title in program history came in 2017.
As time ticked away and Coach Dawn Staley called her seniors to the bench for a final round of applause from the Gamecocks fans, tears streamed down the players’ faces. Bree Hall tried to console Raven Johnson, who had a towel over her head. Te-Hina Paopao sat to their right with the same dejected tears rolling out of red eyes. After Hall stopped, the emotions overwhelmed her, and her sobs could be heard from the seats behind the bench.
“There’s no other women’s college basketball student-athlete [who] has what they have, experienced what they’ve experienced, won as much as they’ve won,” Staley said, “and that’s championships and that’s games.”
“It was them that built this, and it’s them that will go out again as the most winningest class, I’m going to venture to say, in the country. I’m proud of them.”
Freshman Joyce Edwards and sophomore Tessa Johnson led South Carolina with 10 points apiece off the bench. Those two players, plus Milaysia Fulwiley, Chloe Kitts and possibly Raven Johnson, should return to give South Carolina another loaded team next season.
“I hope they’re crying,” Staley said about the underclassmen. “I hope they’re boo-hooing because from crying they have emotion about losing, [and that] makes you work hard in the offseason. Makes you look at it and really analyze what the separation is from their program and our program and how we close the gap with that.”
The start of Sunday’s game featured both teams knocking down shots at a blistering pace. The Gamecocks, however, would never lead again after falling behind 13-11; the Huskies closed the first quarter with an 11-3 run. Connecticut extended its lead to 36-26 at halftime and 62-42 after the third quarter and eventually led by 32.
“Let’s go, Huskies!” echoed through the area as U-Conn. pulled away.
“This is one of the most emotional Final Fours and emotional national championships I’ve been a part of since that very first one” in 1995, Connecticut Coach Geno Auriemma said. “In the last 30 years, I don’t know that any program’s meant more to their sport than what U-Conn. has meant to women’s basketball. So I feel good about that.”
The feeling of the finish line came as Bueckers hit a cutting layup and drew a foul, then made the free throw to push the Connecticut lead to 73-44 with 7:45 remaining. She lay on the court, clenched her fists and let out a roar that drew chants of “M-V-P! M-V-P!” When she checked out of the game for the final time with 1:32 left, she and Auriemma shared a hug that seemingly lasted an eternity.
“Just gratitude for all that Coach has meant to me,” Bueckers said, “and how much he’s shaped me to the human I am, to the basketball player I am throughout this entire five years. And just putting it all together in one hug what our journey has been together.”
Bueckers later stood on a ladder under the basket and thrust a hand in the air, holding a piece of the freshly cut net as she closed her eyes and shrieked. She came into the postgame news conference with the entire net draped around her neck.
Sunday also provided a taste of what life without Bueckers at Connecticut could look like. Fudd is returning next season, and Sarah Strong, who finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds, will be a sophomore. The duo will be expected to form one of the most dynamic pairings in college basketball, intent on extending the Huskies’ return to the top of their sport.
“Being able to do it with this group is so incredible,” Fudd said. “Just this season, the ups and downs of the season, but the past four years, this group has been through so much adversity together. To be able to do this for our seniors, I really don’t have words to describe what this feels like, what it means to me, but I’m super grateful and I’m super proud of this entire team.”
