SPOKANE, Wash. – The second-seeded and third-ranked UConn women's basketball team (34-3) will take on No. 1 seed and No. 4-ranked USC (31-3) in the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in Spokane Arena at 9 p.m. ET on Monday. The game will air on ESPN, Westwood One and the UConn Sports Network from Learfield (FOX Sports 97-9).
This is the second straight season UConn will face top-seeded USC with a trip to the Final Four on the line. UConn beat USC, 80-73, in last season's Elite Eight in Portland.
Redshirt senior Paige Bueckers set a career high with 40 points to lead UConn past Oklahoma, 82-59, in the Sweet 16.
Bueckers shot 16-27 from the field. After not scoring in the second quarter, she went off for 29 points in the second half, including 19 points in the fourth. Bueckers is the first Husky in program history to score 40 points in an NCAA Tournament game.
Freshman Sarah Strong had her fifth double-double in six postseason games with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Ashlynn Shade was key off the bench, scoring 12 points and grabbing four rebounds and three steals.
The Huskies advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the 29th time in program history. UConn is 23-5 all-time in the Elite Eight.
UConn is 3-1 all-time vs. USC. The teams faced off in Hartford earlier this season, which USC won, 72-70.
USC beat No. 5 seed Kansas State, 67-61, in the Sweet 16. Kennedy Smith led the Trojans with 19 points. USC will be without its leader in points, assists, blocks and steals as JuJu Watkins will miss the remainder of the season with an injury. Kiki Iriafen is averaging 18.2 points and a team-high 8.4 rebounds per game. Head coach Lindsay Gottlieb is in her fourth season at USC.
Players Mentioned
- G
- 6' 0"
- Redshirt Senior
- G
- 5' 10"
- Sophomore
- F
- 6' 2"
- Freshman
Players Mentioned
- 6' 0"
- Redshirt Senior
- G
- 5' 10"
- Sophomore
- G
- 6' 2"
- Freshman
- F
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