Will UConn win its first title since 2016?

Which star are you most excited to watch?

Nadkarni: To the extent that there could even be a Cinderella story in a women’s Final Four filled with juggernauts, Paige Bueckers trying to win a ring as the elder stateswoman on a relatively young Connecticut Huskies squad fills that void for me.

Bueckers has had a rollercoaster collegiate career, essentially having two seasons (one partially, one entirely) ruined by injury. In her senior go-around with the Huskies, she’s remained a talented and efficient scorer while also being the playmaker her team desperately needs.

Bueckers and UConn have been in the Final Four each of the last two years (and four out of the last five seasons) but the program hasn’t won a championship since 2016. Bueckers returning the Huskies to glory would be an incredibly satisfying story.

Greif: UCLA’s Lauren Betts. The 6-foot-7 center is the national defensive player of the year not only because she can guard post players, but also stifle wings, averaging 3.5 blocks during the NCAA tournament. Oh, and she’s putting up 23 points and nearly 10 rebounds per night in the tournament, as well. How UCLA strategizes to maximize its star Betts, and Connecticut its own in Bueckers, will be must-watch TV.

Team I’m most worried about

Greif: Texas. The Longhorns take 10 3-pointers per game, and only two teams attempted fewer this season in the entire country. That formula has worked just fine to this point, but against a superior team like South Carolina, that could be asking a lot to score against the Gamecocks’ defense.

Much of that responsibility will fall to SEC Player of the Year and Texas wing Madison Booker. South Carolina is 2-1 against Texas this season, with its wins coming by an average of 18 points.

Nadkarni: Truth be told I am not exactly “worried” about any of these teams because they are all good. This question feels like a trap! I will not be giving anyone bulletin-board material! But since I am being forced to pick, I’ll nominate South Carolina here.

The Gamecocks have won their last two games by only eight points combined, which means opponents have been hanging a little close. Do I feel silly saying this about a Dawn Staley-coached team that’s won two of out of the last three national championships? Of course! Maybe Texas, which lost to South Carolina by 19 when these teams last met in the SEC Championship, has something up its sleeve.

Final Four and title game prediction

Nadkarni: Connecticut defeats UCLA 75-70 and South Carolina defeats Texas 60-58 in the Final Four.

Connecticut wins the national championship 71-67 against South Carolina.

Bueckers gets her storybook ending, avenges UConn’s loss in the 2022 national championship and gets selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA draft as a champion.

Greif: South Carolina defeats Texas 71-56 and Connecticut defeats UCLA 75-70 in the Final Four.

Connecticut wins the national championship 67-60 against South Carolina.

I’m loathe to pick against Connecticut’s Bueckers, who gives the tradition-rich Huskies their best shot to win a first national title since 2016. The Huskies won their mid-February meeting in a 29-point rout.