The horrific injury that teammate Dorka Juhasz sustained to her left arm during the first half of UConn’s regional final victory over North Carolina State left the Huskies players visibly shaken on Monday night.
However, Connecticut overcame the setback and defeated the Wolfpack 91-87 in two overtimes, setting up a record 14th straight Final Four in which they will take on the reigning champions Stanford. This performance has become a team hallmark this season.
“Considering everything we’ve gone through and the fact we’re in the middle of a game right now, I think they refocused pretty well,” coach Geno Auriemma remarked following an exciting match.
Paige Bueckers, who was playing in just her ninth game back after missing nearly three months due to a fracture and torn meniscus in her left knee, which she sustained in the final seconds of a December victory over Notre Dame, led the Huskies with 27 points.
Auriemma remarked, “She’s still a kid and she did miss two months of basketball.” In addition to the games, she was absent from practice for two months. It would require some time. Who was aware? I never imagined that she would experience the kind of moment she did. However, as you can see, Paige is unique.
Azzi Fudd, the top-ranked recruit in the country this fall, scored 19 points for the Huskies as well. However, Fudd missed two months of the season due to a stress injury in her right foot.
In the other game on Monday, Louisville defeated Michigan 62-50 in a physical game to advance to the Final Four for the fourth time in program history. Hailey Van Lith scored 22 points, and Olivia Cochran made a string of clutch baskets in the closing minutes.
The top-seeded Cardinals advanced to play South Carolina in Minneapolis the following weekend thanks to the 15 points and 16 rebounds that Chelsie Hall added. Emily Engstler also made some huge defensive plays to offset her subpar shooting performance.
With less than three minutes remaining, the No. 3 seed Wolverines were within two points of their opponents when the Cardinals, utilizing some clever ball movement to break free from a half-court trap, found Cochran for an easy layup. Then, to give Louisville some breathing room, Cochran added another bucket after Michigan star Naz Hillmon was called for charging on the other end.
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