On Friday, the UConn Huskies faced the South Carolina Gamecocks in a battle of the dynasties at the women’s Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona.
The game had drama, future WNBA stars, and two legendary head coaches, Dawn Staley and Geno Auriemma, going head-to-head, literally, for a ticket to the national title.
After Staley’s women blew out the Huskies, avenging her loss to the team in the final last year, and making it back to the mountain top after so much adversity, it felt like it was South Carolina’s to win.
And ESPN thought so too, as each of their experts picked the Gamecocks to beat the Bruins, who had only lost a single game all season.
That single loss for the Bruins? The Texas Longhorns, who UCLA beat in the other Final Four semifinal.
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While Staley’s team might have gotten the shine before Sunday, the Bruins made sure the country knew who the best team in college basketball was by the end of the final, as they blew out South Carolina in a one-sided destruction.
The Gamecocks fell behind early and could never get their footing, the Bruins blitzing them with long-range shots and winning under the basket with tournament Most Outstanding Player Lauren Betts.
By the end of the game, a series of viewers couldn’t help themselves from pointing out ESPN’s alleged bias for Staley and South Carolina over the new champions from Los Angeles.
Although UCLA will need to rebuild next season, with all of its top players expected to be selected in next week’s WNBA Draft, on Sunday, there was no question which program ruled women’s college basketball.
And no one can take that way from the mighty Bruins.
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