The title game will be against South Carolina, as the University of Connecticut defeated the defending champion. There are two words in this sentence.
Christyn Williams stepped up to the free throw line with 11 seconds left in the game. Williams took her customary dribble, bent her knees and floated the ball toward the bucket after the ref threw it to her. It fell through the net. The second one was the same.
The foul shots gave the Huskies a four-point lead and they were on their way to a national championship game for the first time in three years. Four times in a row, the University of Connecticut had lost in the Final Four. The senior class that had never played in a national championship game were determined not to lose on this fifth trip.
Geno Auriemma said that you cannot come here as a senior and hope that someone else wins it for you. For the NCAA title.
In the second quarter, she came off the bench to replace Aaliyah, who had just picked up her second foul.
With Dorka Juhasz out with a broken wrist, the next player up in the post was Russell Westbrook. After missing her first two shots, she spotted a corner 3 and drilled it. She made three of her four 3-pointers in the first half and the Huskies had a one-point lead at the break.
She finds a way to knock in two or three of them when she gets into big games. She was the most valuable player in the game.
Nelson-Ododa and Williams shouldered that burden once they got back on the court after the second quarter. They were on the bench for the last few minutes of the third.
I think they started to think that was it. It was like different people when they came back in.
Nelson-Ododa started the quarter with a three-point play and two free throws. Williams hit a 3-point shot on the next possession to extend the lead. She was 3-for-13 from the field for the night, but that shot fired up the Huskies and gave them the lead.
Pick the winner of each game of the women's NCAA tournament. Play a tournament.
The sophomore guard said that they were there to follow them because they wanted to win.
The senior class and the entire squad have been through a lot this season. The five regular-season losses are the most since 2004. It was the first conference loss for the program in four years. The loss to Georgia Tech was the first game after sophomore guard Paige Bueckers went down with a tibial plateau fracture and torn meniscus.
Auriemma challenged his upper classmen.
After the loss to Georgia Tech, Auriemma joined the news conference and gave a damning assessment of the state of the team.
Over the years, Auriemma has made players better. Right now, that is not happening.
The bucket was thrown to Nelson-Ododa for a foul.
The injuries and illnesses affecting the University of Connecticut were led by this class. Muhl and Azzi Fudd both missed time with foot injuries. Nelson-Ododa, Williams and Ducharme all missed games. Juhasz was injured Monday.
The troubles feel further from view as the championship game approaches, a setting where Auriemma holds an 11-0 record. If the senior class has anything to say about it, it will come through when it matters most.
They did exactly what I expected them to do.
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