NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship 2025: How the UConn Huskies Won the 12th National Title

NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship 2025: UConn routed defending champion South Carolina 82-59 on Sunday, led by 24 points from Azzi Fudd, winning its 12th national title in women’s basketball.

Paige Bueckers completed her final game at UConn (37-3) with 17 points, while Sarah Strong contributed 24 points and 15 rebounds.

With the Huskies’ first championship since 2016, Bueckers rounded off an incredible career that ended the team’s nine-year title drought. Since the team’s first championship under Rebecca Lobo in 1995, that was the longest for coach Geno Auriemma and his Huskies.

The Huskies have enjoyed remarkable championship success over the years, particularly in the early 2000s with stars like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi, during the 2009-10 season with Maya Moore, and the impressive four consecutive titles from 2013 to 2016 featuring Breanna Stewart. All of these legends gathered in Florida on Sunday to celebrate the Huskies’ latest championship victory.

Now fully recovered, Bueckers, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft on April 14, played a crucial role in the Huskies’ championship journey this season.

This achievement was the final piece missing from her outstanding UConn career, which had been hampered by injuries. She made history as the first freshman to earn the AP Player of the Year award but faced significant setbacks, including a tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear that sidelined her for much of her sophomore year, followed by an ACL tear before the subsequent season.

In the third quarter, UConn put the game away behind Fudd, Strong, and Bueckers after leading by ten points at the end of the first half. Together, the three scored 23 of the team’s 26 points throughout the quarter. UConn ended the game with a 12-3 surge after leading 50-39 with 3:21 left in the quarter.

The run was on as Fudd and Strong opened the scoring with consecutive 3-pointers. Auriemma replaced Strong, Fudd, and Bueckers with 1:32 left. On the sidelines, Bueckers and Auriemma shared the longest hug after he had finally won the championship he had long desired for her.

Dawn Staley’s squad aimed for their third championship in four years and a total of four titles. Achieving this would place her alongside Kim Mulkey for the third-most championships, trailing only Geno Auriemma and the legendary Pat Summitt of Tennessee, who boasts eight titles.

UConn had made it to the championship game just once since 2016, suffering devastating last-second defeats in the Final Four due to buzzer-beaters. Their most recent appearance in the title game was in 2022, when Staley’s team triumphed over UConn, marking the beginning of the Gamecocks’ successful streak and ending Auriemma’s flawless record in championship matches.

Both teams appeared unfazed at the start, with the game quickly gaining momentum. They exchanged baskets in the opening minutes until defenses tightened. By the end of the first quarter, the Huskies were ahead 19-14 and increased their lead to 36-26 by halftime. Fudd contributed 13 points, while Strong added eight points and grabbed 11 rebounds.