March Madness: After so many blowouts, fans should be treated to tighter games in women’s Final Four

The formalities are over. The women’s NCAA Tournament is about to get real.

A tournament marked by blowouts is down to the Final Four, and the teams in Phoenix are the ones everybody expected to be there.

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UConn (38-0) has been the No. 1 team in The Associated Press Top 25 since it won the national championship last year. South Carolina (35-3), UCLA (35-1) and Texas (35-3) each have held the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 spots.

This year marks the first time since 1996 that the Final Four is made up of the same teams as the previous year, and it’s the first time since 2018 that all four No. 1 seeds made it this far.

The first national semifinal Friday pits South Carolina against UConn in a 2025 championship game rematch. Texas meets UCLA in the second semifinal. The championship game is Sunday.

Bevy of blowouts

The average margin of victory through the first 64 games of the tournament is 20.8 points, with 26 games decided by at least 20 points and 17 by less than 10.

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The four teams still standing are among the top five in scoring margin for the season and in the tournament.

UConn’s season average of 37.8 points per game is on track to rank third all-time behind its record 40.6 in 2015 and 39.7 in 2016. South Carolina has an average margin of 29.6 for the season and 40.3 in the tournament. Texas’ averages are 29.1 for the season and 35.5 in the tournament. UCLA’s are 28 and 27, respectively.

Been there, done that

Since 2009, only five schools other than UConn or South Carolina have won championships.

UConn has 12 titles and will be making its 25th Final Four appearance, both NCAA records. South Carolina has three titles and will be in its eighth Final Four and sixth in a row, the second-longest streak behind UConn’s 14 straight from 2008-22.

Texas’ only title came in 1986, and its fifth Final Four is tied for sixth most. UCLA’s only Final Fours have been last season and this season, and the Bruins are looking for their first title.

Best of the best

Top candidates for national player of the year include UConn’s Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd, UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Texas star Madison Booker. All four are on the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/march-madness-many-blowouts-fans-201221583.html

Author : ERIC OLSON

Publish date : 2026-03-31 20:12:00

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