As the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament approaches a climactic Final Four, the matchup between UConn women’s basketball and UCLA promises to be one of the most thrilling games of the competition. These two sides have been storied programs in the sport, and their clash will feature big names, strategic gameplay, and plenty of history on the line.
The No. 2 Huskies technically enter as the favorite, but that doesn’t mean the Bruins will go down without a fight. Whichever team utilizes its strongest asset the best will probably come out on top in this one, so UConn’s dynamic frontcourt has a real shot at halting UCLA’s momentum in its tracks.
UConn enters the Final Four as one of women’s college basketball’s perennial powerhouses. The Huskies have claimed multiple championships under the helm of decorated coach Geno Auriemma but haven’t cut down the nets since 2016. However, UConn has consistently dominated the NCAA in the regular and postseason, winning by margins of 69, 46, 23, and 14 in the tournament so far.
Here are a few predictions for what might tip this game in UConn’s favor.
UConn shuts down Lauren Betts
UCLA has a solid supporting cast of players on its roster, but it’s gotten to the program’s first-ever Final Four on the back of 6-foot-7 center Lauren Betts. The team’s top offensive and defensive option recorded consecutive 30-point, 10-rebound games in the second and third rounds on 29-of-33 combined shooting from the field.
Betts has been nearly unstoppable in the NCAA Tournament – until now. The Stanford transfer’s impact is undeniable, ranking second in post scoring this campaign, but she hasn’t seen a team like UConn in March Madness, and she’s never played in a situation with stakes this high in general. The Huskies’ intimidating experience could be the first asset that removes Betts as a factor.
If directly minimizing her impact doesn’t do the job, getting Betts into foul trouble, especially early, could help neutralize her as a threat. In the Elite Eight faceoff with LSU, the rest of the lineup was forced to make up for her long stretches on the bench.
It might result in more 3-point attempts for the Bruins, but that also makes the contest more evenly matched and plays more into UConn’s defensive strengths. Betts also won’t be on the court to pass to teammates for open 3s, which is how the Bruins set up many of their attempts.
Young phenom Sarah Strong has also proven that she can directly shut down big threats. Her lights-out defense held USC’s Kiki Iriafen to 3-of-15 shooting and only 10 points after Iriafen had been dominating all tournament. If she can help limit Betts’ down-low scoring, assists, and blocks, UCLA will be without the dominating inside presence it needs to take out an elite UConn squad.
The final score won’t be close
The Huskies can’t compete one-on-one with Betts in the paint – so they shouldn’t try to. Their force of a trio in Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and Strong has also been nearly unstoppable when healthy and can outmatch most teams they go against. UCLA is no exception.
The Huskies don’t have the same paint presence that the Bruins do in Betts, but they won’t need to take over the paint to win this one. UCLA averaged 27.1% in percentage of points from 3-point range and ranked No. 207 in the nation, so that weakness can be used to UConn’s advantage by knocking down shots from the field that the Bruins won’t be able to match.
UConn women’s basketball just has offensive firepower in general. The squad ranks first in the country in field goal percentage, margin of victory, and points per play per 100 possessions; third in assists and fewest turnovers per game; and fifth overall in 3-point percentage.
The fact that they’ve arguably been the best offense in the nation and squad in the NCAA Tournament means UCLA is up against the biggest challenge it’s taken on all season.
Strong has been a consistent threat for the Huskies throughout March Madness despite being a freshman and making her first appearance. She’s put up three 20-plus point games in the last six contests, including 20 points and 16 boards on 8-of-13 shooting in the Elite Eight.
Fudd is also a pivotal player, and though she’s struggled with shooting lately, she provides solid support once her shots are dropping from outside the arc and helps keep defenders busy so that Bueckers can operate. She’s shooting 48% from 3 in the tournament, so once this perimeter threat gets going, it’ll be difficult for the Bruins to keep up offensively.
Bueckers has been having a historic showing in this year’s March Madness, and she’s clearly playing with a sense of urgency as the potential to end her college career with a ring looms over the horizon. She’s shooting 58.7% from the field and has 105 total points over the last three games, including three straight 30-point outings.
The top WNBA prospect is arguably having the best stretch of scoring performances in her collegiate career, and with the assistance from a deep lineup, the UConn women’s basketball team is primed to run up the score on UCLA. In the same way that no one can match up with Betts, nobody on the Bruins can go head-to-head with Bueckers.
UCLA is undoubtedly a formidable team to go up against, but this No. 2 seed is favored over all the No. 1 seeds for a reason. UConn’s combination of March Madness experience, seasoned leadership, team chemistry, and natural skill can give the Huskies the upper hand in this Final Four faceoff.
It will likely still be a close and hard-fought contest, but UConn’s talented roster and ability to adapt to its opponent should help the team withstand the Bruins’ attack.
A game this deep into the NCAA Tournament will most likely be decided by clutch moments, and a UCLA squad on this hot of a streak is a definite challenge that will push the UConn women’s basketball team to its limits. But the Huskies’ veterans respond well to pressure, and they won’t take their foot off the gas this close to the national title.
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