Uconn v USC
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After an exciting March, the road to Tampa has been cleared for UConn, Texas, South Carolina and UCLA to compete for the national title. All the action begins on Friday when SEC foes Texas and South Carolina tip-off the Final Four. This defensive slugfest is followed by what could be an intense showdown between UConn and top-overall seed UCLA.

Although the assumed suspects are in the Final Four, there's no shortage of drama surrounding these matchups. For starters, Friday's contest will be the fourth time this season that South Carolina and Texas have played each other. What has each team learned from these previous games that will impact the national title picture?

As for UCLA and UConn, the battle between Lauren Betts and Paige Bueckers should be explosive. But, who will step up to help them close out the game?

Knowing that these inquiries -- and others -- are looming prompted CBS Sports to prep fans for the Final Four by answering some of the night's biggest burning questions.

Women's Final Four at a glance: Tip times, schedule, March Madness, key players and stats to know
Jack Maloney
Women's Final Four at a glance: Tip times, schedule, March Madness, key players and stats to know

Who will be UConn's third musketeer?

This entire season, Bueckers and Sarah Strong have been the Huskies' one-two punch. Together, they have been consistent pillars for UConn, carrying them to the Final Four. However, to get past the No. 1 overall-seeded Bruins, UConn will have to find a way to support their stars. 

Historically, this task has been given to Azzi Fudd and she's excelled at it. But, in the last two rounds of the NCAA Tournament, Fudd has struggled offensively, shooting 26% from the floor. If these struggles continue, then UConn will have to look elsewhere for a third outlet. Someone like Kaitlyn Chen will need to continue to establish herself as a presence.

Will Bueckers blaze the Bruins' backcourt?

Bueckers has undoubtedly been the 2025 NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player up to this point. She's averaging over 20 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists on almost 55% from the field and over 43% from three. This includes a career night in the Sweet 16 when she scored 40 points against Oklahoma to lift the Huskies to the Elite Eight. 

With this in mind, it's safe to assume that Paige won't be slowing down anytime soon. The real question is if Bueckers can score in bunches, can the Bruins keep up or even slow her down?

Will Texas score enough?

Unlike UConn, Texas has been anything but an offensive juggernaut this tournament. Aside from their opening matchup against William & Mary, Texas hasn't broken 70 points in their other three tournament games. And, in their ugly Elite Eight game win over TCU, Texas wasn't even able to score 60. 

The possibility of the well running dry during the Final Four is a real one. This will force Texas to rely heavily on their defense while looking for star Madison Booker to carry them offensively. Becoming one-dimensional against a Dawn Staley-coached team isn't the best strategy. 

Have the Longhorns solved Staley's puzzles?

The Gamecocks are 2-1 against the Longhorns this season, but this is by far the most important of those matchups.

As college basketball fans know, the star of South Carolina is Dawn Staley. Her in-game adjustments twist and turn opponents. But, there are only so many tricks a magician can have up their sleeve. After seeing the Gamecocks three times this season, Texas should know exactly what to expect. However, will this knowledge and previous experience be enough to beat Staley?

Can Lauren Betts hold up?

UCLA relies heavily on Betts. So much so that a clip from the tournament has started to make its rounds on social media in which Betts is venting to her coaching staff about her fatigue.

Despite this, the Bruins continue to play through Betts and she's been able to carry them to the Final Four. But during UCLA's Elite Eight matchup against LSU, the cracks in her armor began to show. Betts posted just 17 points on 50% shooting, which is a stark contrast from the paint dominance she displayed in previous rounds. She also got into foul trouble and missed a large portion of the first half.

Is fatigue starting to become a factor for Betts? Her cardio and endurance will be a key for the Bruins against the fast-paced Huskies on Friday.

Whose night will it be for UCLA?

Fatigue or not, Betts will be the focal point of the Bruins' attack. But, she's going to need some help. Throughout the season, there have been various teammates who have stepped up offensively. Last round, it was Gabriela Jaquez. The round before that, it was Kiki Rice. Whoever it is, if the Bruins are going to advance to their first national title game, they are going to need more than just Betts to get there.

Where's South Carolina's offense?

If you're expecting a high-paced shootout when Texas meets up with South Carolina, then you're going to be very disappointed. Both the Longhorns and the Gamecocks like to grind their opponents defensively, slowing down the game and the scoring. In fact, South Carolina was able to advance to the Final Four by scoring just 54 points in a win over Duke.

Yet, to beat Texas, they'll need a real dose of offense. This puts the spotlight on Chloe Kitts and the Gamecocks' backcourt. Controlling the ball and making sound offensive decisions will be key. Getting the ball to Kitts will also give the Gamecocks their best chance at putting up points.

Can lightning strike twice?

As mentioned, this will be the fourth time Texas and South Carolina go head-to-head. In their first matchup in January, South Carolina was able to contain Booker, holding her to 1-of-14 shooting from the field. This lit a fire under Booker as she avenged herself in their second meeting in February by scoring 20 points and grabbing 11 rebounds in Texas' 66-62 upset win.

The volley between Booker and the Gamecocks continued into the SEC Tournament Championship game where Longhorns star was held to just 10 points. 

For Texas to get through this rugged South Carolina team, Booker will need to have another big day.

Can UConn play post-defense by committee?

Betts is going to be a handful for the Huskies. One thing they can't do is allow the game to get stagnant and give Betts the opportunity to lock-in on one defender. Together, the frontcourt of Strong, Jana El Affy, Ice Brady and others will need to play rotational defense on Betts, forcing her to pass out of the post. 

Also, Bueckers (who averages 2.1 steals per game) and other guards will have to play the passing lanes. They'll need to prevent entry passes to the post, make Betts' passes out of the post harder and force turnovers.

You're not going to be able to stop Betts with one player. But if you can play post-defense by committee, then you might be able to disrupt her rhythm enough to win the game.

Will South Carolina's young players finally prove themselves?

Unlike Texas, South Carolina isn't anchored by a talented sophomore. In fact, the Gamecocks are hoping that their young players can start to prove themselves and provide some sort of spark.

This need, particularly on the offensive end, serves as the perfect opportunity for MiLaysia Fulwiley to continue proving herself. South Carolina is going to need a lot of timely buckets to get past Texas. Fulwiley can deliver that instant offense and establish herself as Dawn Staley's next star in the process.