UConn advanced to the Final Four for the 23rd time in program history with an 80-73 win over USC on Monday in Portland, Ore.
The third-seeded Huskies (33-5) complete a Final Four that includes No. 1 South Carolina (36-0), No. 1 Iowa (33-4) and No. 3 NC State (31-6). South Carolina and NC State will play at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, with Iowa-UConn following. The games will be played at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
UConn, which saw its streak of 14 consecutive Final Fours end with a Sweet 16 loss last season, advanced behind Paige Bueckers’ 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. The Huskies will try for their first national championship since 2016.
The Huskies’ matchup with the Hawkeyes will pit two of the game’s stars in Bueckers and Caitlin Clark. Clark put on a show in a 94-87 win over LSU on Monday, scoring 41 points, tying an NCAA Tournament record with nine 3-pointers, dishing out 12 assists and grabbing seven rebounds in the national championship rematch. The Hawkeyes are seeking their first national championship.
Undefeated South Carolina is the heavy favorite as it looks to become the first team to complete an unbeaten season since UConn in 2016. South Carolina defeated Oregon State in the Elite Eight on Sunday to reach its fourth consecutive Final Four. A title would be coach Dawn Staley’s third (2017, 2022).
NC State is in the Final Four for the first time since 1998 after its 76-66 win over No. 1 Texas on Sunday. The Wolfpack also defeated second-seeded Stanford en route to Cleveland.