UConn dominates South Carolina to win women's national title: Geno Auriemma leads Huskies to 12th championship

The Huskies cruised through the Final Four and national title game in what could be the beginning of a dynastic run

The 2025 Women's NCAA Tournament came to a close in anticlimactic fashion Sunday when UConn cruised to an 82-59 win over South Carolina to claim its first national championship since 2016 and a record 12th overall. 

Azzi Fudd, who finished with 24 points, five rebounds and three steals, was named Final Four Most Outstanding Player. 

South Carolina got off to a strong start, but was unable to sustain any sort of offensive attack. UConn grabbed the lead in the middle of the first quarter and never looked back. Late in the second quarter, Ashlynn Shade hit a 3-pointer to put the Huskies up by 10, and they led by double digits the rest of the way. 

The dominant win over South Carolina capped an extremely impressive tournament for the Huskies. They became the fourth team to beat three No. 1 seeds en route to the title, joining Tennessee (1987), Louisiana Tech (1988) and Baylor (2005), and won every game by at least 14 points. 

Paige Bueckers, who is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, did not have her best shooting game, but she finished with 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks to win her first national championship. She got plenty of help from freshman star Sarah Strong, who went for 24 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks to become the only player with a 20/15/5 performance in the title game. 

South Carolina's defeat means that no team has repeated as national champions since UConn won four titles in a row from 2013-16. 

2025 NCAA championship game score

Time (ET)	Game	TV / Stream
3 p.m.	(2) UConn 82, (1) South Carolina 59 Amalie Arena -- Tampa, Fla.	ABC

[Apr 6, 2025 at 5:11 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

FINAL: UConn 82 -- South Carolina 59

The UConn Huskies are national champions for the first time since 2016 and a record 12th time overall after a dominant performance against the South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday afternoon in Tampa. 

After a quick start by the Gamecocks, the Huskies took the lead in the middle of the first quarter and never looked back. They led by as many as 32 and were comfortably ahead for the entirety of the second half. 

This is the first title for Paige Bueckers, who did not have her best shooting night, but put up 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks. She got plenty of help from Sarah Strong (24 points, 15 rebounds, five assists, two steals, three blocks) and Azzi Fudd (24 points, five rebounds and three blocks). 

South Carolina's defeat ensures that no team has repeated as national champions since UConn won four in a row from 2013-16.