The Final Four NCAA women’s basketball teams are duking it out for the conference championship title this weekend. On Friday, the number-one seeded UCLA Bruins face the number-two seeded University of Connecticut Huskies. The match’s winner will head to the finals in Tampa, Florida.
How will the Southern California team fare against the East Coast women’s basketball powerhouse? KCRW talks to Sally Jenkins, a sports columnist and feature writer at The Washington Post.
“There's always one team that's just happy to be there. And since it's UCLA’s first time, the danger is that they'll be that team, right? And so they have to figure out how not to just be happy to be there,” she tells KCRW. “I was one of the UCLA skeptics initially, and they've won me over. They've got such a nice inside-outside look. And Lauren Betts is the real deal. Obviously, her footwork is great. She's got as much skill as she has size.”
On the other side, Jenkins says to expect formidable play from UConn. The team has won 11 college basketball championships, and sports bettors have them favored by at least seven points.
“Everyone talks about the offensive powerhouse that UConn is, and that's certainly true with Paige Bueckers and Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd. They've got so many scorers all over the floor. But the thing that gets overlooked is UConn’s defense is really, really good. I think their field goal defense and their scoring defense might be top 10, but they're really underestimated that way,” Jenkins says. “And [UCLA’s] Kiki Rice is going to have a hell of a time looking for those entry passes to Lauren Betts.”
Jenkins says UCLA has a size advantage over UConn, which could help the Bruins secure a spot in the championship and make a play for the NCAA title.