UConn and Texas join UCLA and South Carolina in women's Final Four
April 1, 2025, 12:55 AM EDT / Source: The Associated Press
By The Associated Press
Texas and Connecticut punched their tickets to the women's Final Four on Monday, joining UCLA and South Carolina.
In the night's opening game, Madison Booker led the Longhorns to their first women's Final Four since 2003. Next, Paige Bueckers led the Huskies to a record 24th Final Four appearance after beating the University of Southern California, playing without injured superstar JuJu Watkins.
Madison Booker helps Texas reach its first women’s Final Four since 2003 with 58-47 win over TCU
Rori Harmon put her hands on her knees and bowed her head as the clock wound down. The Texas senior guard doesn’t like crying, but she gave herself a moment to reflect on the past 10 months.
This time last year, Harmon was sidelined by a knee injury. She could only watch as the Longhorns were eliminated in the Elite Eight of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
It came full circle Monday night. Madison Booker scored 18 points, Harmon added 13 and No. 1 seed Texas used its stifling defense to reach the Final Four for the first time since 2003, beating well-traveled point guard Hailey Van Lith and second-seeded TCU 58-47.
“Just to see us get to the Final Four after recovering and coming back from my ACL injury in 10 months,” Harmon said, “I thought it was an amazing thing, and I was just really proud of myself in that moment.”
The Longhorns forced 21 turnovers and had nine steals and six blocks, but they didn’t pull away until center Kyla Oldacre intercepted Van Lith’s pass and went coast-to-coast early in the fourth quarter.
The 6-foot-6 Oldacre was fouled by Prince and made the free throw, energizing the Longhorns and the announced crowd of 12,175 that made the trip to Alabama. The three-point play put Texas ahead by double digits for the first time.
After falling behind by 14, TCU pulled within six with 2:42 remaining on four straight points from forward Deasia Merrill. Consecutive jumpers from Booker and Harmon put the Longhorns back up by 10, and the Horned Frogs never got any closer.