How can UConn win? How can South Carolina win? 4 keys to the national championship

TAMPA, Fla.

In mid-February, South Carolina got punked.Facing UConn in a late-season nonconference showcase, the Gamecocks played their worst game in years.

The Huskies traveled south from Storrs, Conn., to Columbia, S.C, and both silenced a crowd and overpowered an opponent.

UConn beat South Carolina 87-58, snapping the Gamecocks 71-game home winning streak for one of the worst losses in Dawn Staleys tenure.On Sunday, in the national championship at Amalie Arena, the two powers of the sport will face each other once more.

History will be made one way or another.

Either South Carolina will become the first repeat champion since 2016, or the Huskies will win their first title since that same season.(2) UConn vs.

(1) South CarolinaThe 2025 Womens National Championship is set pic.twitter.com/R9yXsnFNRr The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 5, 2025Here are four keys to Sundays title game:Can South Carolina get off to a better start?After the Gamecocks sloppy start in Friday nights semifinal, guard Te-Hina Paopao said its something her team shouldnt be used to.

South Carolina trailed by eight in the first quarter against Texas ...

after trailing at halftime against Indiana in the second round and trailing Maryland in the final four minutes in the Sweet 16 and trailing Duke entering the final quarter of the Elite Eight.Granted, theres something to the idea of grinding out wins, especially during March Madness.

Not every game can be a masterpiece.

But its a dangerous habit as the competition level increases, and UConn is playing at an elite level.

The Huskies beat South Carolina the first time by scoring 31 of the first 45 points and never looking back.

A repeat performance Sunday could result in a hole too big for the Gamecocks to dig out of.Who will win the turnover battle?The Gamecocks ability to force turnovers has been key to their top-five defense.

But against the Huskies in mid-February, South Carolina struggled to create any live-ball takeaways.

The Gamecocks had just a single steal, according to CBB Analytics, down from just over nine in the regular season.

They had only four points off turnovers, down from their 19.4 season average.UConns experienced guards are a big reason they couldnt force turnovers.

The Huskies are in the 99th percentile nationally in turnovers per game, with Paige Bueckers averaging a career-low 1.4 turnovers in her final season.

UConn had only seven turnovers against UCLA in the national semifinal.In February, UConns defense was less effective in turning over South Carolina than it typically is against most opponents, but it was nevertheless still effective in transition.

The Huskies scored 31 fastbreak points, 19 more than the Gamecocks.

Against the Bruins, UConn didnt get out and run nearly as much, but it scored 27 points off 19 UCLA giveaways, and played stout transition defense on the other end.Will Bueckers finally lead UConn to a title?The Huskies are not a one-person team.

The nations top freshman, Sarah Strong, is a star in her own right, and Azzi Fudd exploded for 28 points in the first meeting against South Carolina.

But Bueckers is transcendent.After scoring only 17 points in Fridays rout of UCLA, her tournament average is down to merely 26.4 points per game.

She has drained 14 of 27 attempts from 3-point range (51.9 percent) over these last five games with a 17-to-9 assist-to-turnover ratio and 16 steals.

The Gamecocks will likely open with senior guard Bree Hall guarding Bueckers.

Hall was South Carolinas primary defender on Texas star Madison Booker on Friday and helped hold Booker to only 11 points.Whether Hall (or any of South Carolinas other athletic guards and wings) can slow Bueckers might be the biggest factor in determining who wins on Sunday.

A national championship is the only thing missing from Bueckers legacy.

Shes four quarters away from earning one.Who will be the X-factor?The Gamecocks depth is a key strength.

Eight players average more than 18 minutes per game, and no South Carolina player attempts more than 11 shots per game.

Offense could come from anyone at any time, and Staley can play with different rotation combinations depending on what she thinks will work best.Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley is South Carolinas ultimate X-factor.

She could be its best player, as was the case against Maryland when she scored 23 points in 21 minutes.

Fulwiley could also play a more limited role, much like she did in the Elite Eight against Duke when she had five points and four turnovers in just 11 minutes.In South Carolinas Final Four win against Texas, freshman forward Joyce Edwards was the best player.

She scored 13 points, while adding 11 rebounds and six assists.

She was also the lone bright spot in their blowout loss to UConn in February, scoring 17 points in 29 minutes.

The question is whether Edwards can replicate those performances in the biggest game.UConn redshirt freshman center Jana El Alfy is another player to watch.

The 6-foot-5 center likely will be tasked with trying to slow Edwards and South Carolina senior Sania Feagin.

The Gamecocks average more than 40 paint points per game, and whether they reach that number will likely come down to how effective UConns starting center is.Who from the Huskies bench emerges could be another deciding factor.

South Carolina has a deeper team.

Guards KK Arnold and Ashlyn Shade gained valuable experience during UConns injury-riddled 2024 season, and theyve remained important contributors this season.

Reserve center Ice Brady could also play an important role, especially if El Alfy or Strong get into foul trouble.This article originally appeared in The Athletic.South Carolina Gamecocks, Connecticut Huskies, Women's College Basketball, women's college basketball2025 The Athletic Media Company.

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