After a dominant performance over South Dakota State, the UConn Huskies are heading to the Sweet 16 for the 31st year in a row. The Huskies have shown serious dominance in March for years and this season just might be the year they reclaim to top spot in women's basketball.
In the final game, however, of the second round, with USC taking on Mississippi State, USC superstar JuJu Watkins suffered a torn ACL and is out for the rest of the season. As the Trojans were a favorite to win it all, oddsmakers have decided on a new favorite in the NCAA Tournament.
Even though South Carolina is the back-to-back reigning champions, UCLA has made some serious noise this year, and Notre Dame has also found itself in the No. 1 spot this year, the UConn Huskies are the newest favorites to win it all.
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, UConn has the highest odds of becoming the next women's basketball National Champions at +155. They are just ahead of the Gamecocks, who sit at +190. The USC Trojans odds fell to +3000 after the Watkins injury as the star guard averages 23.9 points per game and has been a source for the Trojans high power offense all season long.
The Huskies are certainly a team to be feared, even as a 2-seed in the NCAA Tournament. Some felt that the Huskies had the ability to be the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament, so falling to a 2-seed had to have felt disrespectful to this team.
Paige Bueckers is on a tear right now in her final few games as a UConn Husky, and in her final game in Gampel Pavilion, the projected first-overall WNBA draft pick went off for 35 points, 21 of them in the first half, four assists, three rebounds, and four steals.
This is a team on an admission right now, and they seem like the favorite to win it all, especially with the teams they have taken down this season, like South Carolina. UConn did suffer losses to USC, who had Watkins in that game, Notre Dame, who has since struggled, and Tennessee. Right now, all the focus is on their next matchup against 3-seed Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.