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UConn, Stanford, SC, Louisville headed to women’s Final Four

ASSOCIATED PRESS
                                Louisville players celebrate after beating Michigan 62-50 in a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA women’s tournament today.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS

Louisville players celebrate after beating Michigan 62-50 in a college basketball game in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA women’s tournament today.

There will be plenty of familiar faces at the women’s Final Four with Stanford, South Carolina, Louisville and UConn heading to Minneapolis.

With all the upsets that occurred during the women’s NCAA Tournament this year — a record number of double-digit seeds won — three No. 1 seeds and No. 2 seed UConn remain.

The Huskies extended their record streak to 14 seasons reaching the national semifinals and will face Stanford. Louisville plays South Carolina in the other semifinal Friday night.

Stanford and UConn have a storied history in the Final Four, having played five times in the national semifinals or championship game — most recently in 2014. UConn is 4-1, including a win in the Final Four in Minneapolis in 2005.

“All the coaches going to Minneapolis have really good players or we wouldn’t be there,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said after his team won a double-overtime thriller over N.C. State — the fourth No. 1 seed.

Stanford is two wins away from repeating as champion and is playing in the Final Four for the 15th time.

“It’s crazy to say this but you’re always happy to go to the Final Four, but sometimes you’re like really happy. And I’m like really happy,” coach Tara VanDerveer said.

This year’s trip was easier for the Cardinal, who spent months living in hotels last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re excited to have fans, because last year it was more fans than we had all year, but it still wasn’t the same atmosphere that it is now,” VanDerveer said. “We’ve had this on our radar all year. We’ve never really talked about going to the Final Four. We’ve talked about it but now we’re really going. It does not get old.”

Dawn Staley has the Gamecocks in the Final Four for the fourth time in seven seasons.

They fell just short of reaching the championship game last season when Aliyah Boston’s last-moment shot bounced off the rim and Stanford won 66-65.

Boston and her teammates have been driven to get another shot, but she hasn’t dwelled on those final painful seconds.

“I think part of growing up and maturing is being able to move on,” Boston said. “So that happened last season but that’s not something I can continue to think about or else there wouldn’t be any progress. So I’ve let go of that since last season and we’ve moved on.”

They’ll face a Louisville team that topped Michigan in the semifinals and reached the Final Four for the first time since 2018.

The Cardinals have been among the nation’s best all season, ranked near the top of the AP Top 25 for most of the year. Led by sophomore Hailey Van Lith, who scored 22 points against the Wolverines, Jeff Walz’s team will try to win its first national championship.

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