PHOENIX — Throughout their summer training sessions, the South Carolina Gamecocks consistently showcased the final tally of their 2025 national championship defeat against the UConn Huskies on various monitors: UConn 82, South Carolina 59. This persistent visual cue propelled the Gamecocks during their offseason preparations, driving them to dedicate themselves to returning to the Final Four and achieving an altered outcome.
The Gamecocks are well on their path to accomplishing this objective, having successfully retaliated for that decisive loss along the way.
South Carolina triumphed over the previously unbeaten Huskies with a 62-48 victory on Friday, securing their spot in Sunday’s national championship contest. Their next opponent will be determined by the victor of the alternative national semifinal clash between top-ranked teams UCLA and Texas.
South Carolina, having also claimed championships in 2017, 2022, and 2024, now stands on the precipice of securing its fourth national crown. Such an achievement would elevate coach Dawn Staley to a select group of four coaches to have earned as many titles, joining the ranks of Geno Auriemma (12), Pat Summitt (8), and Kim Mulkey (4).
UConn’s impressive run of 54 consecutive victories, extending from the previous season, along with their aspiration for successive championships, was brought to an end by this defeat. This marks the third occasion Auriemma has guided an unblemished team to the Final Four, only to miss out on a national championship.
South Carolina clinched victory in each of its initial four NCAA tournament matchups by a minimum margin of 25 points, arriving at the Final Four with a remarkable point differential of 161. This figure represents the greatest by an SEC team reaching the Final Four in NCAA tournament annals and the fourth greatest by any team overall.
However, the journey proved, predictably, more challenging on Friday. The Gamecocks maintained a significant advantage for much of the initial half, prior to permitting the Huskies to seize a 26-24 lead heading into halftime. Nevertheless, a powerful 16-4 surge by the Gamecocks immediately following the locker room break ultimately secured them a lasting lead, despite UConn remaining within a reachable range.
The Huskies narrowed the gap to a single point late in the third period, courtesy of three consecutive three-pointers, before South Carolina re-established a comfortable margin with four successive points from Tessa Johnson to conclude the quarter. The Gamecocks maintained their composure throughout the fourth period, converting a two-point advantage into a double-digit lead with merely 1:45 remaining, and limiting UConn to only four points during the concluding 6:37.
South Carolina ultimately outmatched the Huskies in rebounding, securing a 47-32 advantage, and restricted their opponents to a mere 31% shooting accuracy. UConn had not registered fewer than 50 points in any contest since their 2022 national championship defeat to South Carolina. Furthermore, this represented UConn’s lowest-ever point accumulation in a Final Four match, marking their fourth Final Four loss by a double-digit margin.
First-year player Agot Makeer delivered an outstanding performance, contributing 14 points as a substitute. She has reached double-digit scoring in every game of this tournament, a significant improvement from only three such instances prior to this run. Ta’Niya Latson (16), Joyce Edwards (11), and Johnson (10) also achieved double-figure scores alongside Makeer.