Two tickets have been punched for Minneapolis, two more to go, and one question:
Women's Final Four field almost set, as Minneapolis and Target Center await
Will there be a Paige Bueckers homecoming? That's among the questions heading into Monday night.
March 28, 2022 at 6:21PM
Will the NCAA women's Final Four be another top-seed get-together or will Michigan and Connecticut have something to say?
Sunday, No. 1-seed South Carolina crushed Cinderella Creighton and defending champion, No. 1-seed Stanford, got past Texas. That keeps alive the potential rematch — this time in the finals — of last year's semifinal matchup in which Stanford beat South Carolina by a point, a game that has been a rallying cry for South Carolina ever since.
But wait.
Tonight, No. 3-seed Michigan will take on top seed Louisville, and No. 2 Connecticut and Paige Bueckers will play super-athletic, No.1-seeded North Carolina State for the right to play at Target Center later this week. And, perhaps, write their own title story.
North Carolina State can't afford to come out as flat as it did against Notre Dame, and the Wolfpack's defense has to be better; if it lets UConn shoot better than 50%, it will be a Bueckers homecoming.
Michigan? Back in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge, at Louisville, the Cardinals were able to rout the Wolverines because they were able to control Michigan center Naz Hillmon. Hillmon scored 12 points — her third-lowest point total of the season — and had eight boards (with five turnovers) in that game, during which she struggled against Louisville's size in the post. Will it be different this time?
Two offensive linemen from Lakeville, Bryce Benhart and Riley Mahlman, are standouts for Big Ten rivals of Minnesota.
