We had a feeling it would come to this from the moment the Albany Region was revealed. The previous two National Champions would have to collide for one to advance to the Final Four, and sure enough, they will tonight. With a Final Four birth on the line, lets break down these two powerhouses.
[divider]COMPARE: UCONN vs. South Carolina | A'ja Wilson vs. Katie Lou Samuelson[divider]
Connecticut is 35-0 and is one win away from advancing to their 11th-straight Final Four. The expectation level has never been higher for a program who has won 11 Titles in 22 years, and after falling short last year, you could argue that UConn is as motivated as they have ever been as they seek their 12th National Championship. As the top ranked offensive team in the nation, are lead in scoring by Katie Lou Samuelson at 17.5 points per game and Napheesa Collier at 16 points per game.
Both teams met earlier this season on February 1st in a 83-58 UConn victory with a dominating performance at South Carolina. The Huskies proved just how good they can be, but they will need to prove it again. They held South Carolina's A'ja Wilson to 4-of-18 shooting and just 14 points, a daunting task but will need to be repeated.
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South Carolina Athletics[/credit]
South Carolina is the defending National Champion and a self proclaimed "team on a mission," according to head coach Dawn Staley. This is not the same Gamecock team from two months ago.
A'ja Wilson, the National Player of the Year, has elevated her game to new level and they will need that dominance for a chance to take down the Huskies. She averages over 22 points a game and 12 rebounds. They will also need to make shots from the perimeter, as the focus will greatly be on Wilson down low.
The Gamecocks are playing confident, they've proven themselves many times this season, but will need to play the best basketball they have played to win tonight and the key will be defensively, can they get enough stops to slow down Connecticut's offensive production? Forcing the Huskies to take contested shots from the perimeter, keeping them off the offensive boards and limiting transition points will be key factors to their success.
In a total of six meetings, UConn has never lost to South Carolina. Do the Gamecocks have enough to knock off the Huskies? They tip off tonight at 7 pm ET on ESPN — tune in to find out.
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NEXT: UConn Leads All Sweet 16 Teams in Current WNBA Alums
