Another year, another championship. Yet, they are all special and can never be taken for granted.

UConn lived up to its reputation as the “Basketball Capital of the World” on Sunday as the women’s basketball team defeated South Carolina by a 82-59 score in the championship game of the 2025 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament in Tampa.

The Huskies had three double-figure scorers in the championship game as graduate student Azzi Fudd and freshman Sarah Strong each had 24 points while senior Paige Bueckers had 17 points. Fudd was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

“Well, it’s amazing to have three players, three people like that on the same team,” said Hall of Fame head coach Geno Auriemma. “And Sarah, you would think Sarah was graduating the way she plays, right? All three of them complement each other so well. They all have such unique skill sets.”

The national championship gives UConn a unique “three-peat” as the men’s basketball team won the NCAA title in 2023 and ’24.

This year’s title marks UConn’s 12 NCAA title in women’s basketball, the most of any school. It’s the first championship for the women’s basketball team after a nine-year hiatus.

Auriemma has won more national championships in college basketball – men’s or women’s – than any other individual.

“You just never know if you’ll ever be back in this situation again,” Auriemma said. “And there were so many times when I think we all questioned, ‘Have we been here too long? Has it been time?’ And we kept hanging in there and hanging in there and that’s because these players make me want to hang in there every day.”

UConn has captured a total of 26 national championships in its athletic history – 12 in women’s basketball, six in men’s basketball, five in field hockey, and three in men’s soccer.

A Championship Welcome Back Rally is scheduled for Monday at approximately 5:00 p.m. Admission is free, but tickets need to be claimed beforehand.