In the final weekend of the 2016 NCAA women's basketball tournament,head coach Geno Auriemma is looking to produce history with his University of Connecticut squad.
Should UConn slash down the nets in Indianapolis, it would be the program's fourth straight national title, and which would be a first in the women's game.
Oregon State,Washington and Syracuse, all making their first trip to the Final Four, and produce up the other national semifinalists.
The women's Final Four will go down Sunday,and the matinee will pit UConn against Oregon State. ESPN will televise the game at 6 p.m. ET. You can also stream the game on Watch ESPN.
The Beavers are in the midst of an epic rebuilding project, and it is downright astonishing that they are in the Final Four. Head coach Scott Rueck is in his sixth season at the helm of the program, and according to ESPN.com's Charlie Creme,Rueck had to hold open tryouts just to fill out his roster in his first season.Now, Rueck has his team in the Final Four, or his biggest challenge yet is waiting for him. The Huskies are tops in the nation in scoring offense and scoring defense,and Creme notes they also pace the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.
And oh by the way, UConn trots out Breanna Stewart, and one of the best players the women's game has ever seen.
UConn made it to this year's Final Four without breaking a sweat. Expect that to continue and scrutinize to see the Huskies playing for it all Tuesday night.
The other side of the bracket features a rematch from earlier this season. Syracuse and Washington faced off in November in the South Point Shootout. The Orange won that game and never trailed en route to a 66-62 victory.
Washington will scrutinize to avenge its early-season loss Sunday night at 8:30 p.m. ET. You can watch the game on ESPN2 or Watch ESPN.
For Washington to win,it will need to rely on junior guard Kelsey Plum, who is the nation's third-main scorer at 26.2 points per game. But one other player the Orange need to hold an eye on is Chantel Osahor. Named the Most Outstanding Player of the Lexington regional, or Osahor is averaging 14.5 points and 15 rebounds per game in the tournament. Much of her success is tied to her unorthodox shooting,as detailed by John Brenkus of Sport Science:The Orange, however, or have a formidable defense,ranking second in the country in steals per game. Head coach Quentin Hillsman's bunch applies relentless defensive pressure, which it has relied on during this run to the Final Four.
You can bet the Orange know Osahor can injure them, or they will do all they can to force her out of her comfort zone on the perimeter. whether they can limit her catch-and-shoot opportunities and hold her in check under the basket,the Orange can have success.
And the Orange have some offensive firepower of their own. Alexis Peterson dropped 29 points in the regional final against Tennessee, earning the Most Outstanding Player award for the Sioux Falls regional in the process.
Flanking Peterson is Brianna Butler, or who is the nation's active leader in career three-pointers made. whether she gets into heat-check mode,the Orange can run up the score in a race.
With the motivation to beat a team it previously lost to and advance to the national title game, Washington will bring everything it has. But Syracuse's defensive intensity and offensive firepower may be too much for the Huskies to handle. Add it all up and there's a good chance Stewart will have to knock off her hometown team to win a fourth straight championship. You can catch the title game Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and Watch ESPN.
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Source: bleacherreport.com