← No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
No Offseason: The Athletic Women's Basketball Show
UConn Wins the 2025 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship
00:48:43
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- [00:01]
Zena Kaida
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- [01:01]
Sabrina Merchant
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- [01:17]
Zena Kaida
Mini dress and yes, permission to overpack for pics with the girls.
- [01:21]
Sabrina Merchant
Abercrombie's best selling Scarlet Squirt deserves a.
- [01:24]
Zena Kaida
Post in your feed.
- [01:26]
Sabrina Merchant
Your plans are worth it. Shop Abercrombie's new long weekend collection online or in store.
- [01:32]
Chantel Jennings
McDonald's meets the Minecraft universe with one of six collectibles and your choice of a Big Mac or 10 piece McNuggets with spicy nether Flame sauce. Now available with a Minecraft Movie meal.
- [01:43]
Zena Kaida
At participating McDonald's for a limited time. A Minecraft movie only in theaters. Hello everyone and welcome to no off season presented by MassMutual. I'm Zena Kaeda.
- [02:05]
Chantel Jennings
I'm Chantel Jennings.
- [02:07]
Sabrina Merchant
I'm Sabrina Merchant.
- [02:08]
Ben Pickman
And I'm Ben Pickman.
- [02:09]
Zena Kaida
Y'all better be on your jobs. I love this today on the show. It's over y'all. It's done. 2025 NCAA women's basketball season is in the books and the championship game is finit dominated over the defending champ South Carolina 82:59 AZ Fudd, Sarah Strong and of course Paige Beckers or as she's known, Paige Buckets helped the Huskies bring home their 12th national championship overall and their first since 2016. The plague is over y'all. Nine years. It's been a while so I'm happy to be Here in Tampa, alongside the crew, we all watch this game and we're gonna now look in the ins and outs of this game. Now, you guys were sitting courtside, like, right by it. As the warmups and the announcements were going on. What was the energy like down on the court?
- [03:06]
Sabrina Merchant
I thought it was really interesting that Paige was just super, super ready to go. I mean, the entire team is getting ready to lock arms for the national anthem and Paige has already taken off her quarter ship, like, trying to get into the middle of the court, and Chris Daley has to pull her back, like, no, we're not there yet.
- [03:19]
Zena Kaida
I feel like everyone was like, amped, even the first few buckets. But even before that, like, as. What was the vibe overall that you guys felt?
- [03:27]
Ben Pickman
I mean, doors open, I want to say, at least more than 90 minutes before tip off, which is earlier than pretty much every other game throughout the regular season and the tournament. And fans filed in really early. Like the stadium MC started to do some pre game introductions around the 50 minute mark. And she called out like, here we are for the UConn Huskies. And everyone cheered. And here we are for the, like the South Carolina Gamecocks. And everyone cheered. And you could tell an hour before these were two fan bases that showed up and were going to be really, really loud. They already were. And then when the game started, it was that times, you know, 10, 100, whatever.
- [03:58]
Zena Kaida
Absolutely.
- [04:00]
Chantel Jennings
The NCAA championship video where it was like all of the champions from the last, God, I don't know, however many years, maybe all of them. And it was like there was a long run there, obviously, where the Yukon fans were all cheering really loud. And then recently the South Carolina fans cheering really loud. Specifically when it was the South Carolina over UConn in the 2022 national championship game. Lots of cheers. So I thought that was also a big moment for all the fans in attendance.
- [04:24]
Sabrina Merchant
I'm surprised the UConn fans didn't boo during that part, honestly.
- [04:28]
Zena Kaida
Well, it was, it was interesting. Like, this was like the battle of the old versus the new generation. And also you kind of saw that out on the court as well in terms of the veterans in Paige Beckers in the way that she handled her team. Of course, South Carolina had some veterans too, but they just did not match up on the floor. So let's actually talk about the game and how it started. Fast paced. It was crazy how much buckets were just being exchanged. Of course, that first quarter ended up pretty close. 1915, I think was the breakdown.
- [05:01]
Sabrina Merchant
1914, 1914.
- [05:02]
Zena Kaida
Thank you. And you're thinking, okay, we can expect this. You knew that South Carolina wanted to come out trying to slow down UConn for how fast they went. Like, how do you think that South Carolina did to start the game, Sabrina?
- [05:16]
Sabrina Merchant
I think South Carolina probably should have tried harder to slow the pace down. Honestly, they were just not able to stop UConn at all. And I think making it a lower possession game would have worked better in their favor. But because their shots were going in early, they kind of got caught into this up tempo matchup. And it was almost like fool's goal that they were hitting all their shots early because UConn was also in a rhythm. And you had to imagine that UConn's offense would stay in a rhythm longer than South Carolina's would.
- [05:38]
Ben Pickman
I mean, in that way, it was just like the Texas South Carolina game from a few nights earlier, right where that game was 38, 35 at the half. And yeah, it was a three point game, but Texas couldn't have felt great defensively having given up almost 40 points in the first half. I think South Carolina was four of six on their first six and UConn was four or five. And as Sabrina said, like, you just had to know that UConn's playmakers, their guards, their bigs and strong were going to overpower and have the advantage offensively compared to what South Carolina was going to do. And sure enough, that is exactly what happened.
- [06:08]
Zena Kaida
And you saw that at the end of the third quarter, there's about a three minute period where both teams couldn't find a bucket until Paige hit that last, that last shot at the end of the first quarter. But overall, UConn started getting their offense going and their defense, Chantel, was what ratcheted up, particularly in that second quarter.
- [06:26]
Chantel Jennings
Yeah, I just, I think UConn's efficiency was on display tonight. Like, they're a team that's very efficient. You know, they turned the ball over nine times tonight. South Carolina turned the ball over 11. Like it wasn't a huge accident prone game, but like, UConn is just so efficient. And that's always. I just kept thinking back to. I was talking to a coach who said, like, the game is a game of runs for everyone, but for UConn, they just are who they are and eventually just like washes over you. And I felt like it was just sort of that relentless. Like UConn kept pushing forward and they got South Carolina on their heels and South Carolina got into a place where it was just like they would have needed to Start hitting a lot of threes. And that's not the team that they are facts.
- [07:04]
Zena Kaida
That was, for me, the part where I was like, if we're looking for Chloe Kits to be the main offensive producer and you're not getting what you need. Joyce Edwards was killing in the beginning, I think, but you're not getting what you need consistently out of your starters. And now you're trying to get things going for Chloe kids. It was like, okay, where's the offense going to come from? And we're just talking about the first half here. We haven't gotten to the second half. At some point, Sabrina dawn is asked by Holly Rowe, where are you going to get offense? And she straight up tells the audience, I don't know. Like, that is so scary when you're thinking about Don Staley, of course, an incredibly strategic coach, someone that's always been able to have a juggernaut team that can take you down by committee. She was like, I don't know who to point to in the committee. And the main person everyone was thinking was Malaysia fool. Wylie.
- [07:49]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah, we've talked a lot about Mylesia on this podcast. Just because there's no regular Myelasia Fauy game. Right. Either she's on and it's, you know, she's dazzling. She's got the behind the back going long jumpers, impressive plays in transition. Or she commits two turnovers in like her first, you know, two plays up and down the court. Dumbfoul. And Don sits her and you just know that you're not going to have her for that day. And it was not a good my leisure day, at least when she first got into the game today.
- [08:17]
Ben Pickman
I mean, we saw it. She had two turnovers in the first half. Both of them were easy FUD steals where FUD picked her pockets and went straight.
- [08:23]
Sabrina Merchant
I will say AZ probably reached out one of them, but.
- [08:26]
Zena Kaida
But still, the first one was good. The second one might have been a reach. You're right. I agree with you. Maybe.
- [08:30]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, the baskets were the baskets. And. And you mentioned Joyce Edwards. Like, yeah, she had five points in the first half, but she also had three turnovers and two fouls. Like, she did not play her best half either. Was really, really good on the other end of the floor. And so for two X factors or two players at South Carolina really needed to play well. Neither one had a very good first 20 minutes. And don Saley didn't really use anyone or use either of them that much in that first half. I think she continued to rotate player after player Just trying to figure out combinations. I mean, I wrote about this in my story. Like, she spent so much of the third quarter sitting on the bench, and she said she was just talking to assistants, like, trying to figure out what to do. If you notice some of the substitution patterns, there was no consistency between the first half and the second half. Myles Wiley entered, like, way late in the first quarter, and she entered early in the third quarter. Same thing with Tessa Johnson. Like, dawn was looking for answers, and clearly, as the result shows of this one, she never found any.
- [09:24]
Chantel Jennings
I think that's the difference, though, between this team that got to the national championship and the other three Dawn Staley, South Carolina teams that have gotten to the national championship. Like, yes, we think of this program and the hallmark of this program is their depth, and they do have a committee. But every team that Don Staley has had, that has won the national championship has had that star. The player they go. The player they go through and the player they go to for the bucket, like, 2017, go to Asia Wilson, 2022, get the ball in Aaliyah Boston's hands. Last year, Camila Cardoso was like their trump card. Like, no one had anything that could compare to Camilla. And so this season, though, it was like. Like Don said, like, where are you getting your offerings from? I don't know. Like, we're going to just keep trying things. Like, you know, and that was sort of throughout the season as well. Like, it was everyone sort having a good game and talking with coaches. It was like, that was the thing that made them really, really dangerous. You couldn't shut down one player and hope that, you know, that's the answer. It was like, you might shut down Tessa, but then Mylesha's gonna have a good game. Mylasia, you can shut her down, but then Chloe Kitz is gonna have a really big game. And ultimately here, it was like, when they were looking for that answer, there wasn't a singular answer for them.
- [10:29]
Zena Kaida
You make a really good point. It's one of the things that people always give grace to for South Carolina. Like, the fact that you don't have a Big three and you're this dominant is unreal. But now, in the moment where you are facing a Big three and you don't have a counter, that's where you're going to have. You're going to struggle. And you saw the big three show up for UConn, whether it was on defense or offense. Of course, let's get into the way that UConn dominated, because I knew I knew that UConn was going to come out fast. I also knew that they were going to have an advantage because they have three go tos. I don't think I knew it was going to be this level of domination. And it really. A lot of folks, of course, the most outstanding player was voted az fudd. I think this game starts with Sarah Strong.
- [11:18]
Chantel Jennings
Yeah, she was my most outstanding player.
- [11:20]
Zena Kaida
I chose her as mine as well.
- [11:21]
Ben Pickman
Same here.
- [11:22]
Chantel Jennings
Okay. Okay.
- [11:23]
Sabrina Merchant
So the Athletics most outstanding player.
- [11:25]
Chantel Jennings
Who's the Athletics most outstanding player?
- [11:26]
Zena Kaida
There you go. It was the fact that at one point, UConn had 12 rebounds. She had six. At one point, they had 18 rebounds, she had 11. Like, she was doing the work on the glass. She was defending the paint, and she was scoring. Ben, I can't say enough about just the level of readiness that Sarah Strong showed in this game. Like, what'd you see from her?
- [11:48]
Ben Pickman
I mean, she just never looked fazed, like, at all in any moment. Good, bad. There weren't many bad moments, but when they did happen, like, she just put her head down and ran back on defense and ran back the other way and seemed like nothing happened. I mean, the thing I will remember from her first half is she just seemed like a vacuum cleaner on the glass. Like, every miss that she was close to, she would just haul in, she would block shots, and then she would corral the block or she would just leap higher than players or put her arms up or box someone out. Like, every ball that was seemed to be up in for question ended up in her hands. And I think that really did set the tone for so much else that. That UConn was able to do in that first half.
- [12:26]
Zena Kaida
Did you see that one play? I think it. It was a block or a rebound where she did. She got the ball and then tipped it to her teammates. I was like, first of all, is volleyball practice going on at UConn? Because we've seen this now three times since the Final Four game. But it was crazy to see just the athleticism and the, like, awareness from her.
- [12:42]
Ben Pickman
And we should say also her mom, Alison Feaster, who is a former player herself, was sitting, I want to say, probably three rows back at mid court. And she stood up time and time and time again after big block, after threes, after, like, you know, when UConn's ball movement was crisp, like, she was super into it. And you could see, like, for the lack of expressiveness that Sarah Strong showed her mom was bringing it on the total other end of the spectrum getting up as much as she could really basking in the success that her daughter and her teammates were having.
- [13:12]
Zena Kaida
She probably was my favorite part of the post game presser because she said, like, three words every response to the point that Geno was literally motioning, like, more words say more. Particularly when she was asked about what does Geno mean to her?
- [13:24]
Chantel Jennings
I think we just need to stop and take a moment for the press conference presence that Sarah Strong is. There are people that, you know, I think of this with, like, coaches or commentators where it's like, they are exactly who they are in that new role as they were on the floor. Like, I think of this specifically for, like, Ivory Latta, where it's like, I love the energy she brings them. Sorry to bring up.
- [13:45]
Zena Kaida
I was gonna say throwback here. Yes.
- [13:47]
Chantel Jennings
Or like Khadijah Sessions. I was saying this even when South Carolina was warming up. It's like, you know, exactly like the energy she brought as a player. I don't know if there's anyone more different than their, like, press conference energy and their on the floor energy in production necessarily. I think her motion, maybe her on.
- [14:01]
Sabrina Merchant
The court energy, to me, entirely emulates what she does in a press conference. She just doesn't. She's not phased at all.
- [14:06]
Chantel Jennings
Right.
- [14:06]
Sabrina Merchant
She. She gets called for foul, just goes, like Ben said, just runs back. You know, production maybe, but the energy, I mean, she's never very high or low on the court either.
- [14:14]
Chantel Jennings
At times. I would say, like, she does get hyped at times. Like, I've seen her on the. There's, like, good photos. It's not constant, but it's just like, who she is in the press conferences is. Gino has described it to me as performance art. Like, truly, truly a thing of beauty.
- [14:28]
Zena Kaida
Well, I want to tag on that, what you're saying, because I do think that one of the biggest things that Sarah Strong brought tonight was just efficiency. Right. Someone that doesn't need to do too much in order to be impactful. And also her defense, her being able to stay in front of folks, being able to make those senior post players struggle inside. Saniyah Fag and Chloe Kitts being blocked, not left and right, but pretty much underneath the basket. I mean, she's a force to reckon with, and she's got three more years. Sabrina. Yeah.
- [14:58]
Sabrina Merchant
I realize you're saying that as a compliment, that she doesn't have to do too much to be impactful, but she literally does everything.
- [15:03]
Zena Kaida
Yeah, I know.
- [15:05]
Sabrina Merchant
Every action for Paige is like, screen from Sarah Strong. Paige comes off, she gets to that pull up and she's had such good screens. Brie hall was in hell trying to get around those screens. I mean, I think Joyce Edwards picked up her second foul because she was trying to close out on one of those that Brie hall couldn't get around. And that's, to me, a big point in that second quarter when they just lost their main source of offense there. The room, protection, dynamite. South Carolina gets the bulk of their offense in the paint, right? They have some good shooters. They do not like to shoot three pointers. And so you think about a UConn defense that Sarah can come in and help and you know, she's got blocks on powpow Raven Johnson, but then also guarding her matchup one on one. Like, they did not need to sink in at all because Sarah was doing such a good job of protecting the paint as is. And then like Ben was saying, also cleaning up every possession, right? So, yeah, I realized, like, she. She can be like, efficient and like not doing, but she literally does everything.
- [15:51]
Zena Kaida
I think when I. When I mean efficient. I mean, sometimes, like, for example, I saw KK Arnold Garden on the perimeter, and I don't know if you guys saw her, but she was chop, chop, chopping. I mean, I thought it was like back to aau, like, trying to get in front of her girl. But she was, don't get me wrong, but there was a level of exertion there that for Sarah, it seemed as if two steps she's there, one step she's there.
- [16:12]
Chantel Jennings
There's an ease with her game.
- [16:13]
Zena Kaida
There's an ease with her game.
- [16:14]
Chantel Jennings
She doesn't move like a freshman, she doesn't play like a freshman, but it's like, it's specifically in between. Even when she doesn't have the ball, the cuts that she's making, the decisions she's making, or like, there are times when she would, like, get the ball on the top and she'd. They do that handoff at the top of the key really often. And South Carolina was trying to cut through the middle. Like, there were times when that was happening where you could say biggest stage she's ever been on before. A turnover at this point would be reasonable or expected for any other freshman, but she just has an ease and a comfort and a confidence she plays with. That is. I think she should have been the most outstanding player of the final four.
- [16:46]
Ben Pickman
And she also erased what Jana, Alfie and Icebrady was. If you look at it, they played a combined 25 minutes. Alfie had four fouls, Brady had two. They had combined two rebounds, both of those centers. And if you're a South Carolina fan entering the game and someone would have told you that Ice Brady and Jenna Alfie would have combined for two rebounds in 25 minutes, you're feeling pretty good.
- [17:09]
Sabrina Merchant
And, you know, I think UConn is better when strong, except 5. I feel like it's like a Pyrrhic victory when you foul out Janelle Alfie or Ice Brady. Like you, if you're a Yukon fan, you want your best guards and Sarah Strong in the game, it's so much harder to guard.
- [17:20]
Zena Kaida
The underside situation was tough, especially when, I mean, Joyce Edwards can guard that position. But she. You could see that she was out of position having to guard Sarah Strong out there. Now, you know, the fact that Jana Alfie got into foul trouble early. Kudos to UConn for finding a way to get the depth going, because if you came into this game, who was going to win the depth battle, Anyone would have told you it was South Carolina, but they really made up for that. And I want to. I want to keep going. Talking about, you know, Sarah Strong ends up with 24 points, 15 rebounds. There's another person that had 24 points on this game, and that was Az Fuddy. And Az, of course, has this story. I don't want to call it a redemption arc, but it's this arc of coming back. Right. Return to the court. She's been through a lot. Chantel, I know you've covered this story over the years with UConn, of course. Like, tell us a little bit about just what AZ has overcome to get to this point.
- [18:15]
Chantel Jennings
Yeah, I mean, I think it's AZ's story, but it's really this team's whole story. Like, AZ and Paige have both been through ACL tears. They've come back from that other knee injuries, other, you know, Ice Brady had a patella injury. Jana El Alfie Achilles injury. This is a team that had to forfeit games, I believe, last year because they didn't have enough eligible players or the year before. Excuse me, but I was actually thinking about that when you were just making your point about when Sarah's at the five and Paige moves into that defensive four position she was guarding. I think Chloe at one point in time, this, to me, and I don't think Gina Oriema will think about it right now, but as time sort of passes and he looks at the season, it's like, you know, he's someone that wants to believe that they go through the hard things for something at the End of it. And I think he's gonna look back to last season and think, you know, all that experience that Ashlyn Shade and KK Arnold got as starters because of the injuries, because of the illnesses, and then they came off the bench this year because last year, with all of the injuries and ailments, Paige had to play the four all year. Like, all of those sort of came into play this year where it was like when Janna and when ice were out of the game, in follow, trouble, whatever. And she's at the 4, like, she's done that for a full season, and she's able to play in a national championship game because of. And then you bring Ashlynn and KK off the bench. They're not phased because it's like, they have so much experience. They play beyond their years. And so I think it's definitely like, AZ story is a story of redemption. But I think this whole team and this whole championship season, to me is sort of like a culmination of everything they've been through.
- [19:41]
Ben Pickman
Well, and Gino or Emma was saying on Saturday that, like, yeah, easy fight technically appeared in the box score, the 2022 title game between UConn and South Carolina. But he was like, she didn't play in that game. Like, he was very dismissive about any impact she had because she was sick. I want to say she was throwing up.
- [19:58]
Chantel Jennings
He said, she was throwing up all morning.
- [20:00]
Ben Pickman
She played 60 minutes and didn't look like herself. And so to then have the game that she played, you know, a few years later, I mean, super impressive. And Chantel, you mentioned Shade and KK Arnold. We should say that, like, the three pointer that Ashlyn Shade hits huge right before halftime. Big one was one of the big moments of the game, right? It was an 11 point lead for UConn with 320 to go. And then suddenly South Carolina goes on a little bit of a late. A late run to cut it back to seven. And shade hits this three in the corner, makes it 10 at half. And I think that was a huge moment. Don Staley said as much afterwards. And then when UConn blew the game open really late in the third quarter, it was KK Arnold, who is one of the kind of Energizer Bunnies on the floor, playing a key role in that league, ballooning from, you know, 13 to 20 by the end of the third period.
- [20:43]
Chantel Jennings
That was Shade's one basket. Like, if you're gonna, like, have one impactful basket, like, how it was their.
- [20:49]
Sabrina Merchant
First three pointer of the game. Too Y.
- [20:51]
Zena Kaida
Yes, exactly. The only three pointer that they got in the first half that Don Saley said, this was a win for us to be able to keep a team like UConn to just one three. And that, to me, was the three that broke out the smiles. That's when you saw UConn chilling. They were really locked in at that point. But I'm happy, Ben, that you kind of went through the full roster almost of, like, all the people that contributed to this.
- [21:13]
Ben Pickman
Is there another UConn player?
- [21:14]
Chantel Jennings
We haven't talked about Caitlin Chen. We haven't talked about Caitlyn Chen yet.
- [21:18]
Zena Kaida
I mean, but the. The story here, and I want to transition to this part, the story here is Paige. It's really beautiful the way you laid that out. Chantel, like all of these little parts of their story that ended up culminating into this perfect moment for UConn. And hearing Geno at the presser say that they almost went on a crusade to get this win for Paige. He said that there was more pressure on him to get this win in this championship than he felt sometimes as the Olympic coach. And that is a huge statement. I want to open the floor up for you guys in terms of did you feel that way that UConn was on a crusade for Paige to get this or that Geno over the course of the year that you guys were covering them?
- [22:02]
Sabrina Merchant
I mean, I think every UConn season opens with the expectation of them competing for a national championship.
- [22:07]
Ben Pickman
Sure.
- [22:07]
Zena Kaida
But that feels different than saying you're on a crusade for one player.
- [22:10]
Sabrina Merchant
I think Geno might have felt that. I'm not sure that I got the feeling from the other players that it was just for Paige Beckers. I mean, they all come to you because they know the history. They know the 11 national titles. They want to be part of number 12. So maybe as it got closer and, you know, Paige had all but assured us that this was going to be her last season, this was going to be her last tournament. You know, once you start counting down the games, then it becomes more of an urgency that they had talked about. But I don't know that I necessarily got that feeling over the course of the season that it was all for Paige.
- [22:40]
Zena Kaida
Yeah. And to be fair, I want to make sure I clarify. He didn't say that the players or the team said this, but he said that the coaches had come together and kind of felt as if they, you know, needed and wanted to get this done for Paige. Chantel, you had extensive conversations with Geno throughout the season, and you Saw that hug at the end of the game, Paige checks out. And for someone that has been as silly and as you know, just had that back and forth with Geno all season long. For it to come down to this really emotional moment where she almost lets it all out on his shoulder. Talk to us about what she said. She said to him.
- [23:19]
Chantel Jennings
Yeah.
- [23:19]
Zena Kaida
And then what that looked like and what that really meant.
- [23:22]
Chantel Jennings
Yeah, I mean, I think it's, you know, birds of a feather in this way. Like, Geno and Paige are really kind of similar. Like he said, you know, we've had a lot of really serious conversations over the last five years, and I know they have, and they have conversations where they're talking about nothing. And it was, you know, I think through the first 38 minutes, you know, Ben and I were specifically laughing or Sabrina and I were specifically laughing. Like, you could see this momentum happening and the role that Yukon is going on. And Geno refused to smile. There was like no happiness coming from him. He just kept like furrowing his brow and like running his hands through his hair and like turning to the bench and cursing. And like all of this stuff is happening and it's like, dude, you're up 24. Like your whole bench is like freaking out and celebrating and he's turning and he's like, like freaking out, refuse to smile. And then Paige comes out with about a minute and a half left. And a few other players came out as well, but she was the last one to come out. And they have this big hug. And then Paige says, he told me he loved me and I told him I hated him. And I thought that was just so perfect. It's like the sarcasm and the wit, it just. They fit together so well. And the joke was when we were up in Spokane, someone had asked Paige, where do you think you stand among Geno's favorite players? And she said, I think number one. She said, well, somewhere between one and a thousand. And it's like there are so many things that she does that remind me of Diana. And, you know, I think Diana's probably his number one favorite player. And I think Paige might be his second. Like, you know, we were standing in the scrum afterwards with Geno and Diana came up and stood there and like popped her head in and they had a few words and it was, you know, he said, they asked me who I. I forget exactly what it was, but they like hugged and it was like, you can just tell sort of the relationship there. And obviously that's like a 25 year relationship. With Geno and Diana. But it's like 20 years from now. I think Paige and Gino are gonna be the exact same way.
- [25:12]
Ben Pickman
I mean, Paige on Saturday held a press conference for about 30 minutes and she was fielded questions that she's had to have answered some of them dozens of times before. And towards the end of it, one of the very last questions was she was asked about one thing she'll miss about him and one thing that was kind of sarcastic and one thing that was more sentimental. And it was one of the few times that I thought. But in the course of that press conference, she really stopped for a second, collected herself and really thought about what she wanted to say. And she talked about his sarcasm and his quick witted humor and she said his ability to let you know that he doesn't like you and then he hates coaching you and that you're the worst thing that's ever happened, but on the other side of it, how much he has your back. And I think that speaks to exactly what you're talking about, Chantel and their relationship. And he was. Paige went on to talk about Diana and how, you know, Gina would call Diana annoying and that she calls Paige annoying and that maybe like he just is attracted to annoying people. Like all of his favorite players are just annoying people. And that's kind of the trend. And for me, like I rode on South Carolina today and so I was watching the press conference on the TV post game and when Paige walked in with a net around her neck, that was just a noticeable scene for me because so often you see coaches when they cut a net down after a regional, walk in with the net around their neck. And here it was not Gino Auriemma who was kind of boasting that he had the neck necklace, it was Paige Beckers who had it in. And I thought that was kind of a fitting scene in my mind.
- [26:35]
Chantel Jennings
I also thought that her quote about how annoying he is at her press conference the other day reminded me of when we had Geno on the podcast and he was joking about how grateful he was when Paige came to UConn. He was saying like, oh, I was so grateful after coaching here for 35 years to have someone come in and teach me everything I didn't know and tell me how I don't know anything about basketball. Tell me everything that I'm supposed to know about basketball. Like they're just both so sarcastic and they sort of like have that turn of phrase and quick wit that it's like, you know, you can just sort of Imagine what those practices are like.
- [27:06]
Zena Kaida
Yeah, Sabrina, this whole concept has been around. Paige needs a championship in order to cement, and I put this in quotes. I'm putting air quotes up, guys, to cement her legacy. You think about Diana championships, Maya Moore championships, Brianna Stewart championships. Paige had not gotten a championship, but Geno was adamant that she didn't need that in order to cement her impact and her legacy on UConn. Now that she's won one, what does that say?
- [27:35]
Sabrina Merchant
I think he was bold faced, lying. I mean, you can't be a UConn great without having a championship.
- [27:40]
Zena Kaida
I'm so happy to ask you.
- [27:41]
Sabrina Merchant
I mean, maybe, like, you know, this one game doesn't affect everything that she's accomplished at UConn, but when you look back at it, you want to see that one ring or star, however you denote it, you know, when you walk into Gamble Pavilion. But yeah, I think you can't say that you're one of the best to walk through UConn if you can't do what literally everybody else did.
- [27:58]
Zena Kaida
Fair, Fair. I mean, you get those chairs that. I mean, I always think about reading Chantel's articles about the practice facility and the practice gym at UConn. The chairs are from the Final Fours. They're from these tournaments. It's like you can't walk in there, pour your blood, sweat and tears out and not get one yourself in a championship.
- [28:18]
Sabrina Merchant
Well, at least she does have the four chairs.
- [28:19]
Zena Kaida
She does have the four chairs, but she doesn't. Right? Exactly. She now has a championship. Ben, what do you think? She's got the ring. How does this change the story that is Paige Becker's?
- [28:28]
Ben Pickman
I mean, it's like part of the first sentence, right? Or part of the first paragraph in a way that she made it seem like on Saturday, she kind of was asked about legacy and she said, it's not for me to decide. It's for people to write. And now when you write this story, this becomes very much part of the top line history of what she will be able to do with this program.
- [28:46]
Sabrina Merchant
Does it matter to you that she wasn't the best player in this Final Four?
- [28:49]
Chantel Jennings
No, because I also don't think that the most outstanding player award went to the most outstanding player. But, yeah, I don't think, like, what stood out to me after the game was that Gina was talking about what's been really hard for him over the last few years is that everyone treats playing UConn like playing for national championships. So if they beat UConn, it's like, oh, my God, we beat UConn. And he was saying, you know, the last few years, we haven't had our full complement of players. We've never been fully healthy. We've never been able to show up to this point and be fully healthy. And so he was saying that, you know, those Final Fours that didn't end in a national championship over the last five years, like, they didn't hurt as much because he was like, they didn't really beat UConn. They beat a patchwork of UConn players. I think this one would have been much different because they were healthy. This was the full UConn team. They were missing Ayanna Patterson. But, like, this is the team they have, right? And this is their full complement. And, you know, I think it's interesting, like, 10 years from now, if Paige hadn't won this, if UConn hadn't won it this year, like, that does become like the second line of the paragraph, you know, where it's like, paige Becker's the most decorated player to ever play at UConn who did not win a national championship. Like, she becomes that player. I was in stores this fall, and Gino is telling me, you know, he told me, he was like, I don't think it defines her legacy. I could put five players on the floor who didn't win a national championship here against five players who did, and it'd be a pretty good game. And I said, yeah, but they wouldn't win, would they? And he was like, well, probably not, because there's not that many of them. I was like, yeah, that's the point, because players come here to win national championships. And so I think it would have changed her legacy a little bit. I think it would have forever been the sort of shadow that followed her her entire career.
- [30:28]
Zena Kaida
And now it doesn't have to shout out to Ryan Ruko on the broadcast. I didn't hear this, but he said the final page of the book of Beckers. And I was like, okay, Ryan, not too late.
- [30:39]
Chantel Jennings
Nice turn of phrase. Nice turn of phrase.
- [30:41]
Ben Pickman
Read Chantelle's article for more terms of phrase.
- [30:44]
Zena Kaida
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- [31:50]
Ben Pickman
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- [31:57]
Zena Kaida
I've been enjoy doing.
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Ben Pickman
It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do@mintmobile.com.
- [32:08]
Zena Kaida
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- [32:11]
Chantel Jennings
Month plan equivalent to 15 per month.
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Ben Pickman
Required Intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes.
- [32:17]
Zena Kaida
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- [33:13]
Chantel Jennings
Shout out to Ma Vopel for saying I am a senior citizen like you.
- [33:18]
Zena Kaida
Yes, from a senior citizen to another senior citizen.
- [33:20]
Chantel Jennings
I was like where to go?
- [33:20]
Zena Kaida
That's my question. And and you know, there wasn't a direct answer. What I appreciated though, Geno said that even though yes, he's 71, being around his kids is what he said. But being around kids like his players keeps him young. He didn't keep he wasn't direct about will he keep coaching. But let's think theoretically. Let's say he does the work that UConn is about to put in next year. AZ Fudd is returning. Sarah Strong is going to be a sophomore. And there's still more talent to be had at UConn overall. And I also want to talk about South Carolina because Joyce Edwards is also just a freshman and my Lazer Folweile is still an underclassman. Now is about to be one of the leaders on this team. So let's start with South Carolina thinking about the future. How do they regroup from this? They're graduating one of the most winningest classes of South Carolina's history.
- [34:23]
Chantel Jennings
Yeah. Let's say two national championships with four Final Four appearances. Like this is one of the greatest sort of dynasties, four year dynasties of college basketball classes ever.
- [34:31]
Zena Kaida
Thank you. And that leadership is out the door. The composure, the poise, the maturity, the experience of a Brie Hall, a Raven Johnson, Sinai Fagan.
- [34:40]
Sabrina Merchant
Raven Johnson could stay.
- [34:41]
Zena Kaida
Oh, that's true. That's right. She has not declared yet. Declared either way. So that is a big potential loss there for South Carolina. How do they regroup? Ben, I'll start with you.
- [34:54]
Ben Pickman
Well, Dawn Staley said afterwards that there are some things in the works that might happen very soon. She didn't specify who or when those would be, but she did allude to some things and that's not exactly so surprising.
- [35:06]
Sabrina Merchant
She did say the worst towards Portal, specifically.
- [35:09]
Ben Pickman
Yeah.
- [35:09]
Zena Kaida
And she's mentioning the fact that she's been on the phone during this whole tournament on. Regarding the portal. Sorry.
- [35:15]
Chantel Jennings
We should also say that I've long anticipated that. So April 7th is the date. Monday, April 7th, which is when a lot of you might be listening to this podcast, is the date that the house settlement is going to be finalized with nil stuff. Which means that after Monday, more , less, the NCAA is going to be regulating all nil payments and the money that is exchanged. And so if players kind of want to avoid that, they need to make some decisions and sign some contracts essentially by midnight tonight or whenever the decision comes down, I guess. So I'm curious if she means very soon, like the next few hours.
- [35:47]
Ben Pickman
Yeah, we don't know. I mean, she talked about saying that they needed some experienced players that can come in and contribute right away and bring some leadership to this core group. And what I think is pretty interesting about that is two things. One, as you mentioned, Chantel, South Carolina in their past title winning seasons has had stars in the center. Asia Wilson, Camilla Cardozo, Aaliyah, Boston. In those title winning years, they didn't have one on this team. The other thing that I think is interesting though is this group's culture was very altruistic. Right. It was, you know, everyone was playing 25 minutes or fewer per game. No one took more than 11 shots per game. It was figure out on which night who stepped up. It was by committee. Do things change a little bit in the culture of that locker room? It's a question I have. I mean, she obviously knows the people she wants to bring in and she's going to be thorough in that evaluation. But there probably will be some change in dynamic, just like there was when they got to Hina Papow in of bringing in a senior or a junior out of the portal. Do things change a little bit? I don't really know. And she talks a lot about process and players who stick with them year over year. I'm just curious if players who thought they were kind of getting their turn maybe don't get their turn as quickly because of the portal. That's an open question. I think we all hope to see a little bit more Milasia Faweilly next year. I think Tesha Johnson also could step up and roll. There's a lot of talent still on this team. Joyce Edwards is going to be a star.
- [37:17]
Chantel Jennings
Ashlyn Watkins is supposed to be back this summer. She said, I think that's huge. Like, this is a much different team. Yeah, she said it would be. She's. Well, I believe what she said.
- [37:26]
Ben Pickman
My doctors will be mad.
- [37:27]
Chantel Jennings
Doctors might be mad by me saying this, but she said later this summer.
- [37:31]
Sabrina Merchant
And so she told Racial in January.
- [37:33]
Chantel Jennings
Yeah. So it could be a very, like an eight to nine month turnaround for her. And so in that case, like, this is a very different team. If Ashlyn Watkins is sort of roaming the paint area and can play on and off of Chloe Kits, like, that's. That's a four or five combo that I really like.
- [37:49]
Zena Kaida
Okay. I'm thinking about when you talk about people waiting for their turn, the number one name that pops into my is Sanai Rivers. Right. Someone that left South Carolina to go get Hirsch due. And then the other name that comes to mind is Tanay Latin. But I don't want to speculate on who could come out of the portal into joining South Carolina because you guys are reporters and I'm just a person podcasting. Anywho. So I want to ask about UConn because they don't have Paige Beckers, but they got some solidly strong talent still within this team.
- [38:25]
Ben Pickman
Was it pun intended or not?
- [38:26]
Chantel Jennings
I don't think it was solidly strong.
- [38:28]
Zena Kaida
I didn't even mean to do that. So there we are. Until I say, like Fud around and find out. That's when I'm like, great shirt, great shirt, great shirt. Sabrina, talk to me about UConn next year.
- [38:39]
Sabrina Merchant
Well, by the time you guys are listening to this, it'll be Monday and my top 25 for the 2025, 26 season will be out. And lo and behold, UConn is number one. You know, they basically everybody coming back except for Paige Beckers and Caitlyn Chen. And while Caitlin Chen was a very important piece of what they were trying to do this year, I think KK Arnold, Nashlin Shade can pretty comfortably fill in that role. You saw that already in the national title game when Caitlin Chen played all of what, 18 minutes. And the more productive stints came from Shane Arnold. Admittedly, filling in Paige Beckers role is a lot bigger of a challenge but that's where you expect Sarah Strong to take on a larger role. You expect Easy Fludd to take on a larger role. They've got Ali Ziebel, some other younger freshmen coming in who can backfill what KK Arnold and Ashlyn Shade are going to do. So I think this is really just a bet on Sarah Strong being the best player in college basketball next year. And frankly I don't really see a reason why she couldn't be. I looked at the player over these six games of the NCAA tournament and the way she guarded Regan Beers, the way she single handedly shut down the South Carolina front court. What she was able to do against USC in a game where they were deliberately trying to take her out. I mean, I mean Chantel and I were joking about the, you know, Geno not smiling all game. I feel like the first time I really did see him smile was when Sarah Strong had a three to give her 22 points on the game in the fourth quarter and he kind of just broke that.
- [39:51]
Chantel Jennings
Broke him.
- [39:52]
Sabrina Merchant
Yeah, that's the one. I think she would be my front runner right now for national player of the year. And when you have that like which they already did in Paige Beckers, you're going to be okay.
- [40:01]
Chantel Jennings
And they'll get Ayanna Patterson back from injury and so I think that'll be, you know, a help to their front court. I also expect UConn to go portaling. I expect every team probably to go portaling to an extent. They're bringing in three so I'm not going to be able to do the math exactly on their scholarship numbers but you know, they could look to bring in, you know, they've brought in a Porta player every year, basically for the last few years that has impacted them somehow that has become a starter. You think of Dorga Juhas, you think of Caitlin Chen. So I think and especially coming off a national championship, like people are going to want to come to UConn. They're going to want to play with Az Foot and Sarah Strong.
- [40:35]
Zena Kaida
And I think people are seeing a different side of Geno now. Even I feel like some if you're a recruit, you're looking at Gino and you're like, oh, he might be more approachable than he has been in the past few years. I don't know.
- [40:46]
Sabrina Merchant
I mean, or not. If you're Ashlyn Shade.
- [40:48]
Ben Pickman
They also have one of the most interesting kind of recruits coming in that they've ever had next year in I think it's Blanca Quinones.
- [40:56]
Sabrina Merchant
Tell us when we get to Ben to bring him a four player.
- [40:58]
Ben Pickman
We've watched her, but she's I think six, 162 wing from Ecuador. She's the first ever South American player that they they've had in the program. And she's been playing pro in Italy these past couple years casual. She's played on her senior national team already and she has professional experience. We saw her, I want to say Sabrina, at the Basketball Without Borders camp at WNB All Star in Phoenix. And she was one of the best players in that camp, you know, playing in front of WNBA scouts and other college coaches and really impressed in that showcase. Super athletic. I think they're super excited about getting her in the program.
- [41:32]
Zena Kaida
Just followed by it's been too long.
- [41:37]
Ben Pickman
We'll have draft talk next week, later this week, and then we'll have more of it done.
- [41:41]
Zena Kaida
And that's what's so crazy is that draft is literally next weekend. Make your next move with American Express business Platinum. Earn 5 times Membership Rewards points on flights and prepaid hotels. Pull booked on amextravel.com and with a welcome offer of 150,000 points after you spend $20,000 on purchases on the card within your first three months of membership, your business can soar to new heights. Terms apply. Learn more@americanexpress.com Business Platinum AmEx Business Platinum built for business by American Express. All right, well, we're going to close it out. That's going to be it for today. But before we go, I just want to ask you guys, favorite game of the tournament?
- [42:29]
Sabrina Merchant
I'll go first. I think Kentucky Kansas State was my favorite one.
- [42:32]
Zena Kaida
That was fun.
- [42:33]
Chantel Jennings
Give me double overtime, all the points. Alabama, Maryland, still crazy.
- [42:37]
Zena Kaida
111108 is the final score. Crazy game.
- [42:40]
Ben Pickman
I guess I'll go to a game I was in person for. I think TCU Notre Dame was pretty notable just because of the stakes and the storylines.
- [42:49]
Sabrina Merchant
What has transpired for Notre Dame since exactly?
- [42:51]
Ben Pickman
A super memorable game, though. Maybe close second and third for the South Carolina squeakers in the Sweet 16.
- [42:58]
Chantel Jennings
I thought you were going to pitch UNC Duke.
- [42:59]
Sabrina Merchant
NC State LLC was also ready.
- [43:01]
Ben Pickman
UNC Duke did not make the list.
- [43:03]
Zena Kaida
That was going to be mine. That was going to be mine. Even though that was the game that NC State left.
- [43:07]
Chantel Jennings
I love a game that doesn't get to 40 points.
- [43:09]
Sabrina Merchant
Well, Duke did well.
- [43:10]
Zena Kaida
Worst game. I think worst game. We can collectively say it's the Duke UNC.
- [43:14]
Chantel Jennings
Yeah, a League 8 game.
- [43:16]
Zena Kaida
Okay. All right, that's it for today. Thanks, Sabrina, Chantel, Ben, thank you all of you that are watching us and also listening to us. We've got all these camera angles. I don't know who to look at. Anywho, you guys have had some very long days and some very long nights throughout this tournament. Please, the hotel is here. We're literally at your hotel. Go get some sleep. Maybe celebrate cheers one good time because you've got some really great coverage throughout this entire tournament. And as a fan, we appreciate you. So thank you. And also all of you listening and watching. Don't forget, go read Heyahoo Sports hub. Let me make sure I say it right. Sports.yahoo.com women-sports on behalf of the Athletic, I'm Zena Keda. Thanks for listening and watching, y'all. Until next time, no off season is hosted by Zena Caida with Chantelle Jennings, Sabrina Merchant and Ben Pickman. It's produced by Tanika Perot. Our executive producers are Andrea B. Scott and Cassius Fleming. Our theme music is by Marcus Bagala. Brenna Haupt is our video editor. Shannon Ryan is managing editor of women's basketball at the Athletic. Jesse Burton is our head of audio. And Tim McMaster is our director of audio oper. 21 year old flaw J. Johnson has built an impressive career, making strides on the basketball court and the rap scene. A national champion and rising music star, she embodies the passion and determination required to excel in both worlds. But Flage's success hasn't come without challenges. The financial services industry has often overlooked the needs of women, leaving many feeling misunderstood or treated differently by financial professionals. For flaujay, this reality strengthened her resolve to take control of her financial future. Just as Flauje trains for success on the court she understands the importance of preparation when it comes to her finances. MassMutual, a leader in helping people create a strong financial future, understands the unique financial challenges that women face. That's why they offer tools and personalized help so that women like Flawje can confidently plant and protect their financial futures, all with the goal of creating better financial outcomes for women everywhere. Visit massmutual.com stayready to learn more.