2016 Women's Final Four schedule: Sunday's game times, TV schedule
Connecticut has won 73 games in a row and is two wins away from its fourth consecutive national championship. But standing in its way is Oregon State, which is one of three teams playing in its first Final Four. Sunday night will be an exciting one in the women's NCAA tournament.
Here's everything you need to know to get you ready. (Capsules written by Laken Litman)
Connecticut (36-0) vs. Oregon State (32-4)
Sunday, 6 p.m. ET, ESPN, Beth Mowinsand Doris Burke. Stream: WATCHESPN
Much more to the UConn women's team than Breanna Stewart, Geno Auriemma
Why Connecticut can win: Most people will probably roll their eyes at this, because how can the Huskies not win? This team, which has grown accustomed to regularly beating opponents by 20 points or more, is one of Geno Auriemma’s finest. His senior class has a chance to win its fourth consecutive national championship and NCAA-record 11th. Star forward Breanna Stewart — who could arguably go down as the greatest women’s basketball player in college history — has tallied more than 400 blocks and assists in her career. And if all goes according to Connecticut’s plan, she’ll earn her fourth Final Four most outstanding performer award Tuesday. The Huskies not only have the best coach and best player in the game but also are the most disciplined team, committing the fewest fouls of anyone.
Is UConn's Breanna Stewart the greatest ever in college women's game?
Why Oregon State can win: If anyone can beat UConn, perhaps it’s the Beavers. This is a team that had to have open tryouts to fill coach Scott Rueck’s first roster in 2010, and now they’re Pac-12 champions, coming off a victory against No. 1 seed Baylor. If that’s not enough momentum to knock off the Huskies, what is? Oregon State will need its top three players — guards Sydney Wiese and Jamie Weisner, who was selected as the Pac-12 player of the year, and center Ruth Hamblin — to be fearless and grind this game out like they did against the Bears last week. The Beavers have won 22 of their last 23 games and set a school record for victories this season. For what it’s worth, Oregon State played Notre Dame this season and lost by a point, 62-61, on the road. UConn beat the Fighting Irish this season by 10, but the Beavers are a much better team now.
Syracuse (29-7) vs. Washington (26-10)
Sunday, 8:30 p.m., ESPN2, Beth Mowinsand Doris Burke. Stream: WATCHESPN
Why Syracuse can win: After Syracuse’s 89-67 Elite Eight victory against Tennessee last week, Lady Vols coach Holly Warlick described Orange star Alexis Peterson’s game that night: “She kind of put them on her back and said, ‘We’re not going to be defeated.’ ” Peterson had a season-high 29 points and burst into tears at midcourt before helping her team cut down the nets. She was named the Sioux Falls Regional most outstanding player. But it wasn’t just her performance that sealed Syracuse’s spot in the Final Four. Guard Brianna Butler hit three consecutive three-pointers in the fourth quarter to break things open and finished with 18 points. This, of course, was after the Orange pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament — beating No. 1 seed South Carolina in the Sweet 16. Syracuse is in a rare circumstance where its men’s and women’s teams are in the Final Four. Though Jim Boeheim is making his fifth appearance and women’s coach Quentin Hillsman is making his first, that’s no reason to doubt them.
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Why Washington can win: Most of, if not all, the attention in women’s basketball has been placed on Connecticut. But these Huskies deserve some, too. On the way to their first Final Four, No. 7 seed Washington had to beat No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Kentucky (in Lexington, by the way) and No. 4 Stanford. The games weren’t that close, either. They have the fourth-leading scorer in the country in junior guard Kelsey Plum, and Chantel Osahor was named the Lexington Regional’s most outstanding player after scoring a career-high 24 points against Stanford — and at 6-2, this center can dunk. Plus this team has guts — junior forward Katie Collier beat cancer and recovered from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, while coach Mike Neighbors once had a heart attack. This group is by no means one that’s going to make it this far and lie down. They’re certainly battle-tested.