Women's Final Four 2022 results: South Carolina and UConn win, will play for the national championship Sunday

South Carolina cruised past Louisville, while UConn fought off Stanford in a close matchup

The 2022 Women's NCAA Tournament is down to two teams: South Carolina and UConn. The Gamecocks and Huskies each collected Final Four victories in Minneapolis on Friday, setting up a star-studded national championship on Sunday.

South Carolina, the AP's wire-to-wire No. 1 team, opened the Final Four at the Target Center against No. 1 seed Louisville. The matchup was a true clash of giants, as both teams came into the contest having won all but one of their tournament games by double-digits. The Gamecocks came out on top, 72-59, to reach their second national championship in the last five years.

The national championship matchup locked in after UConn beat Stanford, the reigning national champion. UConn's Paige Bueckers scored 14 points in the game to help top the Cardinal 63-58. 

Here's what went down in each Final Four contest.

• Three days after winning Naismith Player of the Year, Aliyah Boston showed exactly why she deserved the honor by dominating in an 72-59 win over Louisville. Despite facing double and triple teams, Boston led South Carolina with 23 points to go along with 18 rebounds and four assists. South Carolina will now have a shot at winning its first national title since 2017. Louisville's Emily Engstler had 18 points, nine rebounds and four steals in a masterful losing effort.

• UConn star Paige Bueckers powered the Huskies to a 63-58 victory over Stanford, the reigning national champion, by scoring 14 points to go along with four rebounds and five assists. The Huskies' defense was equally critical to the win, as Stanford – which rallied to within two points in the final minute but fell just short – shot 35.4% from the field and made only 4 of its 23 3-point attempts. UConn will now be searching for its first national title since 2016 against overall No. 1 seed South Carolina.

2022 Women's NCAA Tournament TV schedule, scores

All times Eastern | NCAA Tournament schedule

(1) South Carolina 72, (1) Louisville 59	7 p.m. | ESPN
(2) UConn 63, (1) Stanford 58	9:30 p.m. | ESPN

The 2022 national championship will air Sunday at 8 p.m. on ESPN, and you can stream the game on fuboTV (try for free).  

[Apr 1, 2022 at 11:46 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Final: UConn 63, Stanford 58

UConn held off a late Stanford run to win 63-58, setting up a national championship matchup with South Carolina. The Huskies played incredible defense against Stanford's stars, as Lexie Hull, Haley Jones and Cameron Brink all shot below 50% from the field. Paige Bueckers led UConn with 14 points, five assists and four rebounds. The Huskies will now hope to win their first national title since 2016. 

[Apr 1, 2022 at 11:12 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

paige bueckers limping back to the bench. seems like she's okay but something to monitor down the stretch 

[Apr 1, 2022 at 11:02 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

End of 3rd quarter: UConn 39, Stanford 37

UConn heads into the final frame with a two-point lead thanks to its defense and the continued strong play of Paige Bueckers, who's up to 12 points, three rebounds and three assists. The Huskies have done a fantastic job containing Lexie Hull and Haley Jones thus far, as the talented Stanford duo has made only six of its 24 shots. Stanford's Cameron Brink has come on strong with 12 points, five rebounds, two steals and a block after an uneven start. 

[Apr 1, 2022 at 10:50 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

defense in this game has been high level, but both teams have also missed a bunch of makeable looks. two teams shooting a combined 28-81 from the field 

[Apr 1, 2022 at 10:24 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

Halftime: UConn 27, Stanford 26

Evina Westbrook erupted for three 3-pointers in the second quarter, helping UConn secure a one-point advantage heading into the half. Huskies star Paige Bueckers, who's faced air-tight coverage from Stanford's defense, still has eight points on 4-8 shooting. Stanford's Haley Jones also has eight points, and she collected a team-high seven rebounds in the first half. The game remains a defensive slugfest, as both teams are shooting below 37%. 

[Apr 1, 2022 at 10:21 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

lexie hull forced back to the bench because her nose will not stop bleeding. hopefully stanford's medical staff can figure that out at halftime 

[Apr 1, 2022 at 10:20 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

quick 7-0 run from stanford to go back in front late in the second quarter. haley jones keeps coming up with big plays for stanford 

[Apr 1, 2022 at 10:14 pm ET · Jack Maloney]

evina westbrook with her third 3 of the second quarter. that is a huge boost for uconn, especially in what has been a low scoring game 

[Apr 1, 2022 at 10:01 pm ET · Wajih AlBaroudi]

End of 1st quarter: UConn 12, Stanford 9

UConn showed no fear against the reigning national champions in the first quarter, holding Stanford to 4-16 shooting with a ferocious defensive effort. Paige Bueckers and Christyn Williams lead UConn with four points apiece thus far, and the former added a pair of rebounds and a steal. The Huskies have forced Stanford's Cameron Brink into tough shots, and the third-team All-American has resultantly missed five of her first seven attempts.