Same Teams Rule Women’s Final Four, But None Appears To Stand Out

After thousands of regular-season games, a slew of conference tournaments and 60 NCAA tournament games, the women’s basketball season will end this weekend with a familiar Final Four.

Defending national champion Connecticut plays Tennessee and Georgia meets Stanford in the national semifinals Friday night at Charlotte, N.C., the only difference from 1995 being the way they are paired up.

A year ago in Minneapolis, Connecticut beat Stanford and Tennessee defeated Southeastern Conference rival Georgia before UConn prevailed in the finals 70-64.

“This year, all four teams in the finals are capable of winning,” said Vanderbilt coach Jim Foster, whose team lost to Connecticut 67-57 in Monday’s Mideast Regional finals.

“That’s not usually the case. Some are just happy to be there.”

Led by national player of the year Rebecca Lobo, Connecticut finished 35-0 last year. Lobo is with the U.S. national team and Connecticut enters this Final Four at 34-3, and with a 20-game win streak.

Tennessee (30-4) remains in the running for a fourth national championship after overcoming a 17-point deficit to beat Virginia 52-46 in the East Regional finals.

Connecticut has beaten Tennessee three straight times.

Guard Saudia Roundtree of Georgia (27-4) is a first-team All-American and was brilliant in the Midwest Regional finals, scoring a career-high 37 points in a 90-76 win over No. 1-ranked Louisiana Tech.

“Until you’ve faced Saudia Roundtree, you don’t understand her quickness,” Auburn coach Joe Ciampi said.

Stanford has won a school-record 23 straight. Second-team All-American Kate Starbird of Lakes (Wash.) High gets help from Olympia Scott, Vanessa Nygaard, Jamila Wideman and Naomi Mulitauaopele.