The NCAA women's basketball tournament has been full of surprises this year, but perhaps none more so than the teams that have made it to the Final Four. For the first time since 1985, none of the sport's most decorated programs will be represented in the semifinals.
"This is a new history that we're venturing into," said South Carolina coach Dawn Staley. Her team is one of four left standing, along with Arizona, Stanford, and Connecticut.
While UConn is no stranger to this stage of the tournament – they've won 11 national championships under legendary coach Geno Auriemma – their presence here this year comes as a bit of a surprise. The Huskies had an up-and-down regular season and were not expected to make it past Baylor in the Elite Eight.
Arizona is also making its first appearance in the Final Four after pulling off upsets over Texas A&M and Indiana. "This is just surreal," said Wildcats coach Adia Barnes. "I can't even put into words how I feel."
Stanford, meanwhile, returns to this stage for the first time since 2017. Led by star forward Haley Jones, who scored 32 points in their Elite Eight win over Louisville, they will face South Carolina in one semifinal matchup.
The Gamecocks are looking to repeat as champions after winning it all in 2017 (the tournament was cancelled last year due to COVID-19). Their path back to the championship game won't be easy – they'll have to get through Stanford first before potentially facing either UConn or Arizona.
"We're just excited for what's ahead," Staley said. "We know we have our work cut out for us."
Regardless of who wins it all this year, one thing is clear: women's college basketball has never been more competitive or exciting than it is right now.