Women's Final Four: UConn snaps semifinal losing streak with win over Stanford

It feels weird to use the words "UConn" and "drought" in the same sentence, and the Huskies are one win away from that no longer being an issue.

UConn took down defending champion Stanford 63-58 in the Final Four on Friday, setting up a clash with top overall seed South Carolina on Sunday. It will be the program's first appearance in the national championship game since the days of Breanna Stewart, a string of four straight titles that ended in 2016.

Since then, UConn had seen its season end in the Final Four for four straight tournaments, not counting the canceled 2020 event. Geno Auriemma's team finally broke through that wall thanks to a suffocating defensive effort against the Cardinal.

Stanford, which entered the game with three members of its main rotation shooting 40% or better from deep, ended up shooting only 4-of-22 on 3-pointers.

UConn star Paige Bueckers led the team with 14 points on 7-of-13 shooting with five assists and four rebounds, but appeared to be banged up after a collision in the fourth quarter. Her health will loom large for Sunday.

The first quarter saw a slow start for both sides, with only 21 combined points scored in 10 minutes. UConn's Evina Westbrook came alive in the second quarter with nine points, but Stanford responded by making five of its last six field-goal attempts to close the half. The decisive run came early in the fourth quarter, which saw a two-point UConn lead balloon to eight with five minutes remaining.

By that point, Stanford forward Cameron Brink had four fouls, a familiar position for a team that needs her on the court in crunch time. That, combined with the Cardinal's shooting troubles, made a comeback a tall order. Stanford came close, cutting the lead to two points with less than 30 seconds left, but UConn made enough free throws to keep them at bay.

Can UConn return to the top?

It's not often you take down a defending champion and No. 1 seed only to face a tougher opponent in the next round, but that's where UConn now finds itself.

South Carolina cemented itself as the clear top team in college basketball this season with a dominant 73-57 win over the Huskies in November. Much has changed since then, most notably Bueckers' lengthy time out with a knee injury.

The 34-2 Gamecocks still look very much a powerhouse, though, defeating Louisville 72-57 in the first Final Four game. With a win Sunday, UConn can show that no matter who's been dominating lately, the Huskies are always ready to climb back to the top of a sport they have dominated for three decades.