The Ladies’s Closing 4 subject is ready and the groups nonetheless alive will battle in Phoenix on Friday, April 3 for a spot within the 2026 nationwide championship sport. It’s all No. 1 seeds left on this 12 months’s girls’s Closing 4. The final time that occurred was again within the 2018 NCAA match when Notre Dame took house the trophy.
The primary semifinal matchup is UConn vs. South Carolina, with tip off set for 7 p.m. ET. UCLA takes on Texas within the second sport, set for 9:30 p.m. ET. Each video games will air on ESPN.
The Gamecocks will probably be trying to avenge their nationwide championship loss towards UConn final season, once they fell to the Huskies 82-59 in Tampa, Florida.
That is the primary time this season South Carolina will face UConn, as the 2 applications have typically met through the common season previously.
When requested concerning the variations between final 12 months’s nationwide championship sport and South Carolina’s upcoming semifinals matchup, fifth 12 months senior and star defender Raven Johnson spoke about how this staff appears to be like completely different and was additionally candid about her reminiscences from final April.
“I simply bear in mind getting beat by 20, truthfully,” Johnson stated. “We acquired new gamers. That is their first time experiencing the Closing 4. I believe Coach Staley, and the opposite coaches, are doing a superb job of protecting the principle factor the principle factor and protecting us prepared when the second is right here.”
South Carolina will probably be dealing with not one, however two Participant of the 12 months finalists in Sarah Robust and Azzi Fudd.
“Whenever you consider UConn you concentrate on the dynasty they’ve, you possibly can’t even rely in your hand what number of championships they’ve,” Johnson stated. “Inspirations like Diana Taursi, Sue Hen, Sarah Robust too, she’s an inspiration too at her younger age and the issues she’s doing.”
Fudd and Robust have mixed for a complete of 1,352 factors this season. One of many essential keys for South Carolina’s success on Friday evening will probably be containing UConn’s stars. Nevertheless, the Huskies do stay a effectively balanced staff and have seen sparks from others all through the NCAA match. Freshman ahead Blanca Quiñonez, who has put up double digit factors in every 2026 NCAA match sport thus far, has been an awesome postseason participant for the Huskies. A key for the Gamecocks will probably be how they’ll keep UConn’s stars and never let different position gamers take over an excessive amount of.
As Johnson identified, the Huskies will probably be dealing with a special staff then they did a 12 months in the past. Fudd agreed with that sentiment on Thursday in Arizona, stating how it’s a fully completely different state of affairs this time round.
“This South Carolina staff is actually proficient, Fudd stated. “They’re taking part in rather well individually, but additionally as a staff. Their transition sport, they’re taking part in extra assured and extra collectively. It’s going to be a troublesome sport.”
One essential distinction for this South Carolina staff is the addition of Ta’Niya Latson, a senior guard who transferred from Florida State final season.
“Latson is a very expert guard and actually onerous to protect,” Fudd stated. “She does a bit of little bit of all the pieces, so she helps unfold the ground for them and makes issues tough for us on the defensive finish, she provides us extra to fret about.”
General, South Carolina is a well-balanced staff, with not less than 5 gamers averaging double digits factors per sport this season. The Gamecocks even have a bonus in dimension towards the Huskies and rebounds and foul hassle will probably be a essential key for UConn to maintain the sport in management.
“Clearly this can be a completely different South Carolina staff than the one we performed final 12 months,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma stated. “Our two wins towards them final 12 months don’t actually imply something going into (Friday)…They’ve added some actually key items. I believe they’re a a lot better staff than they have been final 12 months. Actually onerous to organize for. They’ve shot the ball exceptionally effectively this 12 months. They’ve added the scale that’s onerous to match up with. Defensively we have now our challenges with them.”
UConn finally leads the head-to-head sequence 11-5. Nevertheless, South Carolina is equally a staff with depth and expertise too, which ought to make this matchup a must-watch.
Again within the Closing 4 once more for the second consecutive season, the Texas Longhorns are in search of a candy ending this time round after falling within the semifinals final 12 months to SEC opponent South Carolina.
Texas and UCLA battled again in November. In that sport, the Longhorns defeated the Bruins 76-65 and have been in a position to management UCLA star Lauren Betts.
Texas is on a 12 sport win-streak since falling to Vanderbilt in convention play again on Feb. 12. Led by stars junior Madison Booker and fifth-year senior Rori Harmon, Texas acknowledged at Thursday’s media day that scout preparation is vital to its success within the semifinals. Like each staff that has to tackle UCLA, there’s concentrate on the best way to comprise the Bruins’ essential weapon Betts.
“We speak about guarding 30 toes out from the rim, taking part in staff protection, not essentially simply leaving it as much as our 5 gamers to protect her alone,” Harmon stated.
The Longhorns will lean on middle Kyla Oldacre and ahead Breya Cunningham to be disruptive to Betts, who’s averaging 17.2 factors, 8.6 rebounds and two blocks per sport. Together with defensive success, Texas must keep out of foul hassle as effectively.
“It’s not simply Lauren Betts, they’ve an awesome general staff and that’s what makes them harmful and that’s why they’re right here and a 1-seed. To make them unsuccessful we have now to place stress on (their guards),” Harmon stated. “They’re the very best staff on offensive effectivity and I’d say we’re fairly good defensively, so we actually must put stress on that offense.”
On Thursday, Harmon and different teammates defined how the squad has shifted its mentality this season in comparison with final to raised put together for when the lights are the brightest.
“There may be nothing in March you possibly can actually do to win video games moreover ensuring your staff is collected, high-energy and ensuring you might be truly scorching, and that’s the one factor I actually took away from final 12 months,” Booker, the Longhorns’ scoring chief this season, stated. “Hopefully this 12 months we’re nonetheless scorching and high-energy, however I believe we’re,” Booker stated laughing.
The Bruins, together with their opponent Texas, know what it’s wish to nearly style a nationwide championship sport, as UCLA fell to the eventual champion UConn final 12 months in Tampa, 85-51.
“I believe what we realized final 12 months has been a motivating issue this entire 12 months within the sense that we have now taken what we realized final 12 months and utilized it to this 12 months,” senior guard Gabriela Jaquez stated. “Being right here and having the expertise goes to assist us…It does really feel completely different, I really feel extra calm and I’m extra ready for what’s to come back.”
As Texas may have its eyes on Betts, the middle will probably be in search of a stronger efficiency this time round towards the Longhorns. The senior was held to simply eight factors and 7 rebounds throughout their common season assembly.
“I believe the most important distinction wanting again on the movie is simply creating alternatives to get the ball as a lot as I can,” Betts stated. “I believe simply creating simpler catches. [Texas] is a very wonderful defensive staff. I believe because the guards are getting pressured on the perimeter, simply attempting to grow to be so open that they only can’t like not give me the ball. I believe attempting to assist out my teammates as a lot as I can. It’s not one individual versus Texas, it’s a full staff.”
Undoubtedly, the extent of competitors, expertise and play ought to be very excessive come Friday night in Arizona. As the game continues to develop, sees elevated rankings and income, this 2026 Closing 4 might be historic and memorable for a lot of causes.
