The national championship is just about here after a dramatic and competitive women's basketball season, and there are plenty of storylines to be found. UConn women's basketball comes into the title game as the favorite as Paige Bueckers seeks her first national title before heading off to the WNBA, while Dawn Staley and South Carolina are looking for a repeat title.

Many people would tell you that this clash of heavyweights pits the best current player in the game against the best current coach in the game. Before the two face off, Bueckers took a moment to acknowledge the greatness of Staley and what she has done with the South Carolina program, via Julia Westerman of Wis 10.

“Sustained excellence is extremely hard, especially with the parity in women's college basketball today,” Bueckers said at UConn's press conference on Saturday, per Westerman. “For them to continue to get back to this level, we know as players that it's extremely hard to get here and you never want to take it for granted. It speaks to the discipline, the attention to detail and the demanded excellence Coach Dawn has for her players and we have great respect for her and the entire program.”

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South Carolina has now been to five consecutive Final Fours, including three title games (winning both previous) in that span. Staley is hunting for her fourth national championship overall as the head coach at South Carolina, which would tie her with some of the legends of the game including LSU head coach Kim Mulkey.

On the other side, UConn is in its fourth Final Four and second title game in the last five years with Bueckers leading the way, only missing out when the star guard was out with injury in 2023. Staley and the Gamecocks beat UConn in the 2022 National Championship Game during Buckers' sophomore season, so revenge will be on the mind of the projected No. 1 pick.

With the way Bueckers has been playing in this tournament for this UConn women's basketball squad, Staley and company will have their hands full in this one. In five games in this NCAA Tournament, she is averaging 26.4 points per game while shooting better than 55% from the field and better than 51% from 3-point range. Slowing Bueckers down has to be the top priority for South Carolina if it wants to repeat, but that will be easier said than done.