TAMPA, Fla. — In mid-February, South Carolina got punked.
Facing UConn in a late-season nonconference showcase, the Gamecocks played their worst game in years. The Huskies traveled south from Storrs, Conn., to Columbia, S.C, and both silenced a crowd and overpowered an opponent. UConn beat South Carolina 87-58, snapping the Gamecocks’ 71-game home winning streak for one of the worst losses in Dawn Staley’s tenure.
On Sunday, in the national championship at Amalie Arena, the two powers of the sport will face each other once more. History will be made one way or another. Either South Carolina will become the first repeat champion since 2016, or the Huskies will win their first title since that same season.
(2) UConn vs. (1) South Carolina
The 2025 Women’s National Championship is set 🏆 pic.twitter.com/R9yXsnFNRr
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 5, 2025
Here are four keys to Sunday’s title game:
Can South Carolina get off to a better start?
After the Gamecocks’ sloppy start in Friday night’s semifinal, guard Te-Hina Paopao said it’s something her team “shouldn’t be used to.” South Carolina trailed by eight in the first quarter against Texas … after trailing at halftime against Indiana in the second round and trailing Maryland in the final four minutes…
