The Women’s Final Four is about to take shape – and Sunday’s action will tell us which of the two teams headed to Phoenix. First up, Hannah Hidalgo will try to repeat her sensational defensive performance against the top-seeded Huskies. Then, Kara Lawson’s Duke team will see how it can follow up its dramatic blowout win over LSU.
ESPN has you covered for all the action, with Kendra Andrews, Charlotte Gibson, Alexa Filippo and Michael Voepel on site in both regionals, providing game highlights for each team in action.
Be sure to check back after tipoff for live updates from both games!
1 p.m. ET, ABC
Voppel’s prediction: UConn, 82–75
Charlie Cream’s prediction: UConn, 78-52
Andrews’ prediction: UConn, 80-60
Gibson’s prediction: UConn, 86-63
How the Irish can advance to the Final Four: The Irish overcame their adversity this season, and using a seven-player rotation isn’t exactly a formula for success. But these players believe in each other and together hannah hidalgo Leading the way, anything seems possible. Hidalgo has been central to their success, setting the tone on defense that won the game against Vanderbilt. It’s no easy feat to hold on to Mikayla Blakes Shooting 7 of 26 from the field. Notre Dame showed composure even as its 12-point lead evaporated. Hidalgo has repeatedly said not to take this moment lightly and she seems to be playing it that way. — andrea adelson
How the Huskies can advance to the Final Four: The Huskies faced Notre Dame in January and defeated the Irish by 38 points – the most lopsided game in the history of the rivalry. But regular season success doesn’t always translate to the NCAA Tournament. And Notre Dame is effectively playing with home money as a No. 6 seed; Very few people thought the Irish would make the Elite Eight. Meanwhile, the Huskies bear the burden of being undefeated and being the defending national champions.
Geno Auriemma’s main priorities are getting his team off to a better start than they had in the first quarter against North Carolina and helping his offense have more success against another stingy defensive team. It wasn’t an issue in their first meeting – UConn scored 85 points on 56% shooting – but the Irish are a different team now. — Alexa Filippo
3pm ET, ABC
Voppel’s prediction: UCLA, 79-71
Charlie Cream’s prediction: UCLA, 65-62
Andrews’ prediction: UCLA, 70-58
Gibson’s prediction: UCLA, 74-71
How the Blue Devils can advance to the Final Four: If the Blue Devils can keep up the pressure on defense, especially in transition, they have a chance for another upset. II toby fournierThe man who had 22 points, nine rebounds and three steals against LSU needs to continue his dominance.
Like most teams, Duke doesn’t have the size to challenge UCLA’s 6-foot-7 senior center Lauren BatesWho had 16 points, five rebounds and five blocks in the Bruins’ 80–56 victory over Minnesota in the Sweet 16. But the Duke 6-3 junior forward Delaney Thomas Has played well this postseason. That infighting is worth watching, as well as how well Duke matches up against UCLA’s more seasoned, experienced backcourt.
LSU coach Kim Mulkey and her players regretted not getting key rebounds against Duke and said that, like anything, it cost the Tigers the game. So, UCLA has to be careful with this. The Bruins had a 37–31 rebounding edge over Minnesota in their Sweet 16 win, but they did not rebound well during that game. They can’t afford to do that against a Duke team that ties LSU with 41 rebounds every Friday.
The Blue Devils allowed 52 points to LSU in the paint, but a lot of those were from guard penetration. We’ll see how Duke defends UCLA as the Bruins have a better low-post attack than the Tigers. — Michael Voppel
1:00
Duke wins at the buzzer as Ashlon Jackson’s 3 goes around and in
Ashlon Jackson fired a shot at the buzzer that went down and Duke stunned LSU to advance to the Elite Eight.
How the Bruins can advance to the Final Four: The Bruins are making slow starts a habit. Against the Gophers, the Bruins’ defensive errors gave their opponent plenty of scoring opportunities. UCLA knows how to dominate: Lauren Bates Surpassed 1,000 rebounds, and Angela Dugalic Reach the 1,000-career point mark. kiki rice Showcased his skills in creating chances for his team. With 52 points in the paint, the Bruins continue to demonstrate that once they get inside, they are unstoppable. Shake off the slow start and increase opportunities in the paint, and UCLA will be on its way to a second consecutive Final Four. — charlotte gibson
