UCLA looked the part of the tournament's overall No. 1 seed. The L.A. squad showed why they're title favorites with convincing wins over Ole Miss and LSU. The Bruins' towering, All-American center Lauren Betts seemed unstoppable at times, calling to mind the dominance of Purdue's Zach Edey on the men's side the prior couple seasons. But unlike Edey, UCLA is not a one-player show. The team's ability to hold a lead with Betts in first-half foul trouble in the Elite 8 showdown with LSU showcased the squad's true depth. Player's like Gabriela Jaquez (sister of former Bruin standout Jamie) stepped up huge to punch the program's first ticket to the Final Four.
The other victor of the weekend was perennial powerhouse UConn. While fans were robbed of the star showdown between UConn's Paige Bueckers and USC's Juju Watkins after Watkins tore her ACL in the second round, the rest of the Trojans fought valiantly to reach the Elite 8 but ultimately ran out of firepower. Bueckers didn't disappoint at all, dropping 40 points in an Sweet 16 victory over Oklahoma and following that up with 31 — including some wildly clutch plays in the fourth quarter to ice the game — against USC. As the biggest star remaining in the tourney, all eyes will be on Bueckers' quest to finally win it all when the Final Four tips off this Friday in Tampa Bay.
Relive a slice of the action with this collection of photos by Inlander photog Erick Doxey from UConn's 82-59 victory over Oklahoma on Saturday, March 29.
— SETH SOMMERFELD
