South Carolina avenged last season's championship loss with a dominant 62-48 victory over UConn, ending the Huskies' 54-game winning streak. The Gamecocks had used last year's 23-point defeat as motivation during summer workouts. This win propels South Carolina into Sunday's championship game against the winner of UCLA-Texas.

South Carolina out-rebounded UConn 47-32 and held the Huskies to just 31% shooting, their lowest point total in a Final Four game in years. Freshman Agot Makeer delivered a breakout performance with 14 points off the bench, joining Ta'Niya Latson (16), Joyce Edwards (11) and Tessa Johnson (10) in double figures.

This victory positions coach Dawn Staley to join an exclusive coaching fraternity with a fourth national title. Only Geno Auriemma (12), Pat Summitt (8) and Kim Mulkey (4) have reached that pinnacle. For Auriemma, this marks the third time he's taken an undefeated team to the Final Four only to fall short.