No Rematches for Women’s College Basketball Nationals Next Year
It turns out there won’t be any rematches for the national championships in Women’s College basketball next year.
At least not during the regular season.
As reported, UConn and South Carolina won’t compete against each other in the 2025-26 season.
Geno Auriemma’s Huskies and Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks have had a history of matchups in the regular season and a few postseason games since the 2014-15 season. UConn leads with a 9-5 record against South Carolina during this timeframe. The Gamecocks had been on a four-game winning streak until the Huskies beat them in Columbia in February and again in the National Championship in Tampa, Florida.
Interestingly, at least one of these teams was ranked number one in the AP polls for 13 out of the 14 meetings. These matchups often resulted in sold-out arenas and drew significant national TV audiences.
Before their series kicked off in earnest, the two teams met twice, with UConn claiming victories in both encounters back in 2007 and 2008.
While they won’t face each other, both teams have lined up impressive schedules filled with high-profile games. UConn will play against Louisville, Tennessee, Iowa, and Utah. Meanwhile, South Carolina is set to compete against Duke, Texas, and UCLA in the inaugural women’s championships in Las Vegas. Both teams will visit Los Angeles to face USC, and USF will also host them in Tampa.
As part of the ACC-SEC Challenge, South Carolina will head to Louisville to challenge the Cardinals coached by Jeff Waltz.
Both Staley and Auriemma return with remarkably talented rosters, each aiming for the national championship. South Carolina has bolstered its lineup with standout scorers Tanya Ratson and Madina Ocott, joined by Raven Johnson and Tessa Johnson, along with veteran forward Joyce Edwards. On the other hand, UConn has revived stars like Azzi Hood and Sarah Strong, while also deepening their roster with transfers like Kayley Heckel from USC and Thera Williams from Wisconsin.
Even though UConn and South Carolina won’t meet in the regular season, it’s quite likely that fans might see both teams in the Final Four in Phoenix.
