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The UConn Huskies defeated the USC Trojans 78-64 to advance to a record 24th Final Four and their 16th appearance since 2008. The Huskies were led by guard Paige Bueckers, who finished with 31 points and six assists on 9-of-18 shooting, with Freshman of the Year Sarah Strong adding 22 points and 17 rebounds. Bueckers became the first player in women’s NCAA Tournament history to clock 25 points or more in four straight Elite Eight games. The 23-year-old has notched three straight 30-point games, tying her own program record, with her 105 points across the games being the most in UConn history. Bueckers also became the first player since Jackie Stiles in 2001 to register 30 points on 50% shooting in three consecutive tournament encounters. "For her to get all the attention she gets, have all the demands on her life, all the expectations in her life, and still be able to deliver... when I say unique, I think she's closer to one or two or three of most unique players I've ever coached. And I'm really going to miss her," said Geno Auriemma, UConn head coach. The No.1 seeded Trojans were without National Player of the Year favorite JuJu Watkins, who suffered a torn ACL during her team’s second-round win last week. The No.2 seeded UConn led the game at halftime by 14 points, USC’s biggest deficit of the season, before the latter clocked a 21-point third quarter to cut the lead to just five. However, the Huskies kept their cool and sealed the win, setting up a Final Four clash with UCLA as they look to capture their first national crown since 2016.