Only four teams remain in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament. Who will be the last team standing?
The Final Four in Tampa Bay, Florida is made up of three No. 1 seeds — UCLA, South Carolina and Texas. UConn, however, is the betting favorite to cut down the nets as the sole No. 2 seed remaining.
Will UCLA cap its historic season with the program’s first national championship after advancing to its first Final Four? Will experience reign supreme as UConn makes its record 24th Final Four appearance, which marks the most all-time in men’s or women’s college basketball? Or will the national title stay in the Southeastern Conference for the fourth consecutive year with two teams still in the running in Texas and South Carolina? Texas advanced to its fourth Final Four appearance and first since 2003, while South Carolina is through to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive season and the seventh overall.
Before the Final Four tips off Friday — South Carolina vs. Texas (7 p.m. ET) and UCLA vs. UConn (9:30 p.m.) — here’s a look at where we rank each team and why.
WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR: March Madness bracket breakdown and best players to watch in Final Four
MORE:March Madness winners, losers with Final Four women’s basketball teams confirmed
OPINION:UConn will steamroll Final Four teams. No one is beating Paige Bueckers this March Madness
#1 UConn
The question on everyone’s mind entering the Final Four is whether anyone can stop Paige Bueckers. Bueckers is playing with a different sense of urgency in the final NCAA Tournament of her career and the veteran has put up historic numbers to match. Bueckers has scored 105 points the past three games, marking the most by a UConn player in that span. And now her team is two victories away from her first national title and UConn’s first since 2016. It’s not just Bueckers. Sarah Strong, the Big East Freshman of the Year, has looked far from a rookie. She’s averaging a double-double in the tournament (17 points, 11.8 rebounds) and joins Maya Moore as the only freshmen in UConn history to record 600-plus points in a season. Don’t forget about Azzi Fudd and Kaitlyn Chen, who are both averaging career highs from beyond the arc. UConn has the highest field goal percentage in the nation (51%) and the highest three-point percentage (38.3%) remaining in the tournament, while simultaneously holding opponents to the lowest point total (51.7). A 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts stands in UConn’s way. The Huskies will have to address the size, length and versatility of UCLA, but have experience on their side.
The Huskies are extremely motivated. UConn didn’t cut down the nets following its 78-64 Elite Eight win over No. 1 USC, like the other three teams, because the Huskies said they aren’t done yet. “Anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment,” Bueckers said on Thursday.
#2 UCLA
UCLA’s selection as the No. 1 overall seed drew some criticism at the beginning of the tournament, but the Bruins have showed they rightfully deserved the top spot. Despite that, UCLA is considered an underdog to UConn. “We’ve spent more time as number one in the country all year long and we were the most non-talked-about No. 1 team in history…If you want to talk about whoever you want, go ahead. It’s going to all shake out about who shows up to perform, who plays their best when their best is needed,” head coach Cori Close said Thursday. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Betts has surely showed up and recorded monster numbers, including a historic 31-point, 10-rebound performance in UCLA’s 76-62 Sweet 16 win over No. 5 Ole Miss, shooting 93.8% from the field, which ties the record for the highest field-goal percentage in an NCAA Tournament game with a minimum 15 attempts. Betts is top five in the nation in field goal percentage (64.91%) and blocks per game (3), but she not only scores and defends. Betts also creates open looks for her teammates. And UCLA’s role players have made opposing teams pay. Gabriela Jaquez and Timea Gardiner combined for nine of UCLA’s 10 threes in the team’s 72-65 Elite Eight win over No. 3 LSU.
OPINION:UCLA’s Lauren Betts needed confidence to go with her skills. Now she has both
#3 South Carolina
It’s hard to believe the defending champion Gamecocks enter the Final Four weekend as underdogs while in pursuit of their third national title in four years, but that’s exactly the case. South Carolina has struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the tournament so far. South Carolina scored a season-low 54 points in its Elite Eight win over No. 2 Duke on Sunday. It made a season-low 19 field goals on a season-low 44 attempts from the field and South Carolina’s bench — which leads the nation in points per game (40.6) — was held to only nine points. “I just hope that we can get our offense going a little bit. We can’t seem to just to play a little more fluidly,” head coach Dawn Staley said on Sunday. The Gamecocks’ top-notch defense even faltered, giving up 41 rebounds (19 offensive) to an undersized Duke lineup. South Carolina has been able to grind out close and ugly wins so far, but that won’t fly against No. 1 Texas.
The Gamecocks’ depth and everyone eats mentality has been their strength all season, but South Carolina will need a de factoscorer to step up and command the floor. Chloe Kitts has been the most consistent scorer, averaging 12.5 points and eight rebounds in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament, but MiLaysia Fulwiley, the SEC Sixth Player of the Year, will need to come up big if they want to become the first team to win back-to-back national championships since UConn’s historic four-peat (2013-16). Fulwiley dropped 23 points in South Carolina’s 71-67 Sweet 16 win over No. 4 Maryland, but only scored five points vs. Duke. South Carolina can’t afford for her to have a quiet night. Other concerns that need to be addressed include shot selection and rebounding.
One thing the Gamecocks are not lacking is confidence and experience. “I don’t think we look at ourselves as underdogs… All of us wants to win. Everybody here wants to win. We know they’re going to come and bring whatever they have against us,” South Carolina guard Raven Johnson said.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Women’s basketball roster breakdown, including MiLaysia Fulwiley stats, more
#4 Texas
Texas has mainly floated under the radar despite being a No. 1 seed, but the Longhorns grabbed everyone’s attention with their 58-47 Elite Eight win over No. 2 TCU to advance to the program’s first Final Four since 2003. Texas did so with its defense. The Longhorns held TCU to 47 points and 26.7% from the field, season lows from the Horned Frogs. Texas is as battle-tested as they come. The Longhorns were crowned co-champions of the SEC (alongside South Carolina) in their first season in the conference, the hardest in women’s college basketball. They have an efficient one-two punch in Madison Booker, SEC Player of the Year, and Rori Harmon, who was named to the SEC All-Defensive team. Booker is averaging 18.8 points and eight rebounds in the tournament, while Harmon is averaging 8.5 points and two steals. Freshman Jordan Lee has also given Texas some big minutes off the bench. There are question marks, however, surrounding the Longhorns’ long range shooting. Texas is only shooting 8-of-24 from three throughout the tournament. South Carolina, in comparison, attempted 26 threes alone in its Elite Eight win over Duke.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN:Texas women’s basketball stats for Madison Booker, Rori Harmon and more
Texas is set to face South Carolina for the fourth time this season. Harmon said “energy” is going to be the decider in the matchup: “With South Carolina, I think both of us are pretty similar in a way where we both can play defense and we both have weapons to score. So kind of the name of the game is just who is going to win it more on the biggest stage that we’re at right now and who is going to be tougher and bring the most energy.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women’s basketball March Madness: Ranking Final Four teams
Only four teams remain in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament. Who will be the last team standing?
The Final Four in Tampa Bay, Florida is made up of three No. 1 seeds — UCLA, South Carolina and Texas. UConn, however, is the betting favorite to cut down the nets as the sole No. 2 seed remaining.
Will UCLA cap its historic season with the program’s first national championship after advancing to its first Final Four? Will experience reign supreme as UConn makes its record 24th Final Four appearance, which marks the most all-time in men’s or women’s college basketball? Or will the national title stay in the Southeastern Conference for the fourth consecutive year with two teams still in the running in Texas and South Carolina? Texas advanced to its fourth Final Four appearance and first since 2003, while South Carolina is through to the semifinals for the fifth consecutive season and the seventh overall.
Before the Final Four tips off Friday — South Carolina vs. Texas (7 p.m. ET) and UCLA vs. UConn (9:30 p.m.) — here’s a look at where we rank each team and why.
WOMEN’S FINAL FOUR: March Madness bracket breakdown and best players to watch in Final Four
MORE:March Madness winners, losers with Final Four women’s basketball teams confirmed
OPINION:UConn will steamroll Final Four teams. No one is beating Paige Bueckers this March Madness
#1 UConn
The question on everyone’s mind entering the Final Four is whether anyone can stop Paige Bueckers. Bueckers is playing with a different sense of urgency in the final NCAA Tournament of her career and the veteran has put up historic numbers to match. Bueckers has scored 105 points the past three games, marking the most by a UConn player in that span. And now her team is two victories away from her first national title and UConn’s first since 2016. It’s not just Bueckers. Sarah Strong, the Big East Freshman of the Year, has looked far from a rookie. She’s averaging a double-double in the tournament (17 points, 11.8 rebounds) and joins Maya Moore as the only freshmen in UConn history to record 600-plus points in a season. Don’t forget about Azzi Fudd and Kaitlyn Chen, who are both averaging career highs from beyond the arc. UConn has the highest field goal percentage in the nation (51%) and the highest three-point percentage (38.3%) remaining in the tournament, while simultaneously holding opponents to the lowest point total (51.7). A 6-foot-7 Lauren Betts stands in UConn’s way. The Huskies will have to address the size, length and versatility of UCLA, but have experience on their side.
The Huskies are extremely motivated. UConn didn’t cut down the nets following its 78-64 Elite Eight win over No. 1 USC, like the other three teams, because the Huskies said they aren’t done yet. “Anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment,” Bueckers said on Thursday.
#2 UCLA
UCLA’s selection as the No. 1 overall seed drew some criticism at the beginning of the tournament, but the Bruins have showed they rightfully deserved the top spot. Despite that, UCLA is considered an underdog to UConn. “We’ve spent more time as number one in the country all year long and we were the most non-talked-about No. 1 team in history…If you want to talk about whoever you want, go ahead. It’s going to all shake out about who shows up to perform, who plays their best when their best is needed,” head coach Cori Close said Thursday. Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Lauren Betts has surely showed up and recorded monster numbers, including a historic 31-point, 10-rebound performance in UCLA’s 76-62 Sweet 16 win over No. 5 Ole Miss, shooting 93.8% from the field, which ties the record for the highest field-goal percentage in an NCAA Tournament game with a minimum 15 attempts. Betts is top five in the nation in field goal percentage (64.91%) and blocks per game (3), but she not only scores and defends. Betts also creates open looks for her teammates. And UCLA’s role players have made opposing teams pay. Gabriela Jaquez and Timea Gardiner combined for nine of UCLA’s 10 threes in the team’s 72-65 Elite Eight win over No. 3 LSU.
OPINION:UCLA’s Lauren Betts needed confidence to go with her skills. Now she has both
#3 South Carolina
It’s hard to believe the defending champion Gamecocks enter the Final Four weekend as underdogs while in pursuit of their third national title in four years, but that’s exactly the case. South Carolina has struggled to find its offensive rhythm in the tournament so far. South Carolina scored a season-low 54 points in its Elite Eight win over No. 2 Duke on Sunday. It made a season-low 19 field goals on a season-low 44 attempts from the field and South Carolina’s bench — which leads the nation in points per game (40.6) — was held to only nine points. “I just hope that we can get our offense going a little bit. We can’t seem to just to play a little more fluidly,” head coach Dawn Staley said on Sunday. The Gamecocks’ top-notch defense even faltered, giving up 41 rebounds (19 offensive) to an undersized Duke lineup. South Carolina has been able to grind out close and ugly wins so far, but that won’t fly against No. 1 Texas.
The Gamecocks’ depth and everyone eats mentality has been their strength all season, but South Carolina will need a de factoscorer to step up and command the floor. Chloe Kitts has been the most consistent scorer, averaging 12.5 points and eight rebounds in the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament, but MiLaysia Fulwiley, the SEC Sixth Player of the Year, will need to come up big if they want to become the first team to win back-to-back national championships since UConn’s historic four-peat (2013-16). Fulwiley dropped 23 points in South Carolina’s 71-67 Sweet 16 win over No. 4 Maryland, but only scored five points vs. Duke. South Carolina can’t afford for her to have a quiet night. Other concerns that need to be addressed include shot selection and rebounding.
One thing the Gamecocks are not lacking is confidence and experience. “I don’t think we look at ourselves as underdogs… All of us wants to win. Everybody here wants to win. We know they’re going to come and bring whatever they have against us,” South Carolina guard Raven Johnson said.
SOUTH CAROLINA: Women’s basketball roster breakdown, including MiLaysia Fulwiley stats, more
#4 Texas
Texas has mainly floated under the radar despite being a No. 1 seed, but the Longhorns grabbed everyone’s attention with their 58-47 Elite Eight win over No. 2 TCU to advance to the program’s first Final Four since 2003. Texas did so with its defense. The Longhorns held TCU to 47 points and 26.7% from the field, season lows from the Horned Frogs. Texas is as battle-tested as they come. The Longhorns were crowned co-champions of the SEC (alongside South Carolina) in their first season in the conference, the hardest in women’s college basketball. They have an efficient one-two punch in Madison Booker, SEC Player of the Year, and Rori Harmon, who was named to the SEC All-Defensive team. Booker is averaging 18.8 points and eight rebounds in the tournament, while Harmon is averaging 8.5 points and two steals. Freshman Jordan Lee has also given Texas some big minutes off the bench. There are question marks, however, surrounding the Longhorns’ long range shooting. Texas is only shooting 8-of-24 from three throughout the tournament. South Carolina, in comparison, attempted 26 threes alone in its Elite Eight win over Duke.
ROSTER BREAKDOWN:Texas women’s basketball stats for Madison Booker, Rori Harmon and more
Texas is set to face South Carolina for the fourth time this season. Harmon said “energy” is going to be the decider in the matchup: “With South Carolina, I think both of us are pretty similar in a way where we both can play defense and we both have weapons to score. So kind of the name of the game is just who is going to win it more on the biggest stage that we’re at right now and who is going to be tougher and bring the most energy.”
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women’s basketball March Madness: Ranking Final Four teams
