There will be plenty of familiar faces at the women’s Final Four with Stanford, South Carolina, Louisville and UConn heading to Minneapolis.
With all the upsets that occurred during the women’s NCAA Tournament this year — a record number of double-digit seeds won — three No. 1 seeds and No. 2 seed UConn remain.
UConn has been the stalwart of the group, reaching the Final Four an eye-popping 14 straight times now. The team has been to a total of 21 national semifinals and won a record 11 championships. They’ll face defending champion Stanford, which has been to 15 Final Fours. Louisville plays South Carolina in the first semifinal Friday night. The two schools are each playing in their fourth Final Four.
Stanford and UConn have a storied history in the Final Four, having played five times in the national semifinals or championship game — most recently in 2014. UConn is 4-1, including a win in the Final Four in Minneapolis in 1995.
Stanford is two wins away from repeating as champion — a feat last accomplished by UConn from 2013-16 when the team won four straight.
This year’s trip was easier for the Cardinal, who spent months living in hotels last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dawn Staley has the Gamecocks in the Final Four for the fourth time in seven seasons.
They fell just short of reaching the championship game last season when Aliyah Boston’s last-moment shot bounced off the rim and Stanford won 66-65.
They’ll face a Louisville team that topped Michigan in the semifinals and reached the Final Four for the first time since 2018. These two teams don’t have much history, last meeting in 2016.
The Cardinals have been among the nation’s best all season, ranked near the top of the AP Top 25 for most of the year. Led by sophomore Hailey Van Lith, who scored 22 points against the Wolverines, Jeff Walz’s team will try to win its first national championship.
When is the Final Four for the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament?
The Women’s Final Four takes place on Friday, April 1. Here is the schedule for those two contests:
No. 1 Louisville vs. No. 1 South Carolina, 7 p.m. ET
No. 2 UConn vs. No. 1 Stanford, 9:30 p.m. ET
How can I watch the Final Four of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament?
Both Final Four games will air on ESPN. Games can be streamed on ESPN.com and on the ESPN App.
When is the national championship game of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament?
The winner of each Final Four game will battle for the national championship at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 3. That matchup will also be broadcast on ESPN.