TAMPA, Florida — The women’s 2025 Final Four in Tampa was just as hot as the weather.
The final games of a March Madness tournament that captivated so many fans with amazing baskets, phenomenal storylines and even better players brought everything but the kitchen sink to Amalie Arena. The Final Four lived up to the hype, setting the stage for a national championship game that will likely be of epic proportions. The South Carolina Gamecocks and UConn Huskies faithful filled the air with so much noise that earplugs probably wouldn’t have mattered. (Much to the dismay of Texas Longhorns and UCLA Bruins fans.)
For South Carolina, the young freshman phenom Joyce Edwards was a driving force behind the Gamecocks’ victory over Texas, propelling Dawn Staley’s squad to another national championship appearance as she strolled the sidelines in a fitting South Carolina-colored Gucci track suit.
Then, there’s UConn, which had a pack of Huskies in double figures, including freshman sensation Sarah Strong, as it outhustled UCLA in nearly aspect. Unfortunately, it was never a close game for the Bruins, who folded like fresh laundry under the Huskies defensive pressure.
The first games of the Final Four are complete. Let’s review which teams looked the best under the lights, and which teams crumbled when the pressure was on. Here are the winners and losers from Friday’s Final Four games:
Winner: South Carolina freshman Joyce Edwards
Joyce Edwards leads South Carolina in scoring. So when she only scored 15 combined points in the past three March Madness matchups before Friday’s faceoff with 1-seed Texas it was a major cause for concern. However, Edwards more than answered the call when the Gamecocks were in early foul trouble.
Edwards was fearless, and her confidence level seemingly increased midway through the game. It was apparent the Longhorns had no answer for her when she broke out a silky euro step mid-play. Unfortunately, she didn’t make the basket after (there was a foul) but for her to attempt something like that spoke volumes. She finished the night with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Loser: The paper South Carolina coach Dawn Staley rolled up
When South Carolina came out flat against fellow No. 1 seed Texas, sheets of paper everywhere trembled in fear. One of their dear beloved cousins was rolled up early by Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley and never saw its original form the rest of the matchup.
The Gamecocks eventually righted the ship with their signature defense and transition offense, shifting the momentum well into the second half. However, despite being up by as many as 15 points, Staley never relented her grip on that piece of paper. Its cylinder form was so crips and tight, it never stood a chance. Thoughts and condolences to whatever was on it, but the contents might not ever been known.
Winner: South Carolina guard Raven Johnson and her defense
Being a guard under Dawn Staley is not easy. There are lot of expectations which include being sound defensively. Enter Raven Johnson, who hasn’t exactly been splashy offensively. But Johnson found her defensive chops early against Texas.
In the first quarter, Johnson unleashed a fiery block on Texas senior guard Rori Harmon that gave way to a mountain of defense and shots that woke up a very sleepy South Carolina team. (Hello, ‘seatbelt gang.’)
Johnson frustrated Harmon for a good portion of the matchup, and was critical down the stretch, often clogging up lanes for the Longhorns. The Gamecocks don’t need Johnson to be spectacular. She can impact the game in many ways that don’t often show up on a stat sheet. If anyone watching went back and turned on the film, they’d see Johnson all over the court, quietly working in the background.
Loser: Texas star Madison Booker
The question for No. 1 seed Texas was always: How far can Madison Booker carry it? Fair or unfair, Texas goes as Booker goes. Getting to the Final Four is a fantastic accomplishment for the young sophomore, but she didn’t have enough to get the Longhorns back to a national championship.
Booker was in foul trouble early with three before halftime and just a measly seven points, a far cry from her 16.5 points per game. She ended her night with just 11 points, and none in the fourth quarter. To be clear, the Longhorns not making it to the final game of the season isn’t Booker’s fault. However, her performance is a brutal way to go back to Texas.
Winner: UConn guard Azzi Fudd and forward Sarah Strong
Azzi Fudd has been through so much, including battling back from multiple injuries. However, she plays so free and smooth like butter that it’s hard not to be impressed with her aura on the court. Fudd was one of two X-factors for UConn on Friday night against No.1 overall seed UCLA, which had no answer for her. By halftime, Fudd had a full game’s worth of stats, including 19 points and three steals on 63% shooting.
Not to be outdone, freshman Sarah Strong had 16 points on 70% shooting by the time the fourth quarter arrived. Strong seemingly couldn’t be stopped as she put Bruins defenders on skates, draining shots at will and smiling as she ran back down the court. Ahead of the final 10 minutes of the matchup, Fudd and Strong had a 35 combined points. UCLA had 37 total points. (Yes, that’s a real statement.) Fudd and Strong finished their evenings with 19 points and 22 points, respectively.
Loser: UCLA offense and head coach Cori Close
Whatever UCLA coach Cori Close had planned for the 1-seeded Bruins in the first half, it didn’t matter. Geno Auriemma must’ve drawn up the most diabolical defensive scheme he could think of because ahead of the third quarter, UCLA had 14 turnovers and was down by 20. To add salt to the wound, the Bruins let the Huskies score 19 points from the giveaways and they also let UConn pick their pockets for nine demoralizing steals.
However, it gets worse. The lead grew to more than 30 points and eventually became a boat race for which the Bruins didn’t have enough gas. It would be easy to say Auriemma outcoached Close. He did. But UCLA has been prone to disappear in huge moments. Old habits die hard, and Friday’s matchup against the Huskies was a painful reminder that as good as the Bruins are, the team is young and still very inconsistent against equal or superior competition. Auriemma put on a coaching clinic, one of his best of the season.
Winner: UCLA center Lauren Betts
It didn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of a blowout game, but Lauren Betts showed up in Tampa. By the midway point of the fourth quarter, Betts had 23 of the Bruins’ 43 points. The center’s night was about the only thing that went right.
Betts deserves some recognition, though, because she kept trying to contribute even with the deficit insurmountable. It’s a sour note from such a stellar season from Betts, but there isn’t anyone in Amalie Arena who can say she didn’t try.
Loser: USA TODAY’s Meghan Hall and her eardrums
South Carolina and UConn will play for a national championship Sunday, and while there is major hardware on the line, there is something else that deserves attention: my hearing.
That’s what happens when sitting directly in front of gaggles of South Carolina and UConn fans during Friday’s matchup. The fans cheered endlessly, often screaming names of players and calling out plays. In the battle of whose fans were more passionate, it was a tie. In battle of which fans could scream the loudest, there was also a tie. The tiny humans (the most precious young fans) completely lost it at the mere sight of their favorite teams and thus awakened every nearby adult to yell as loud as humanly possible, too. My hearing never stood a chance. It might have to pull out a Michael Jordan flu game type of performance on Sunday to withstand the inevitable celebrating, sorrows and general basketball shenanigans.