2022 NCAA Women’s Tournament Final Four: Stanford Cardinal vs. UCONN Huskies
How to Watch:
- Date: Friday, April 1
- Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Target Center in Minneapolis, MN
- TV: ESPN
- Live Stream: NCAA.com
Tale of the Tape:
| No. 1 STAN | STAT | No. 2 UCONN |
| Pac-12 | Conference | Big East |
| 32-3 | Record | 29-5 |
| 73.8 (29th) | Points Per Game | 74.8 (24th) |
| 56.9 | Points Allowed Per Game | 54.2 |
| 0.7016 (2nd) | RPI | 0.6606 (4th) |
| 2nd | Strength of Schedule | 11th |
Stanford leaders:
- Cameron Brink, C, SO: 13.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 2.6 BPG, 56.1% FG
- Haley Jones, G, JR: 12.9 points, 7.8 RPG, 3.7 APG, 1.1 BPG
UCONN leaders:
- Christyn Williams, G, SR: 14.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.5 SPG
- Paige Bueckers, G, SO: 14.7 points, 3.9 RPG, 4.0 APG, 1.5 SPG, 36.2% 3PT
Odds, Lines, and Past Performance:
- Spread: PK
- STAN Moneyline: -105
- UCONN Moneyline: -115
- Over/Under: 128.5
- Over/Under Trends: Only two of UCONN’s last five games have gone over this total, including the double-OT thriller in the Elite Eight. Similarly, only two of Stanford’s last five games have gone over this total and they held Texas to just 50 points in their Elite Eight win.
The Pick
- UCONN is the trendy pick because of the allure of the program’s history, but Stanford has been the slightly better team this season and is the defending national champion.
- They also have a considerable advantage in 6’4″ Cameron Brink since the Huskies are particularly vulnerable in the post. Brink was only able to muster ten points and six rebounds against Texas, but she put up 15 points and eight rebounds against Maryland and had double-doubles in wins over Kansas and Montana State, so she will certainly need to be schemed for if the Huskies expect to advance to the finals.
- However, Haley Jones has also been a force, playing almost every minute for the Cardinal and double-doubling in each of the last two wins, while also averaging 4.7 assists per game over her last three.
- Despite the success of Aliyah Boston on South Carolina and the powerhouse duo in Stanford, there are some people believe who that UCONN guard Paige Bueckers is the best individual player left in the tournament. Some of that may have to do with the display she put on against NC State, scoring 27 points on 10-15 from the field, which included a run in the second half where she hit eight consecutive shots and had Twitter going crazy. Although she’s become famous for her off-court marketing success, her recent play on the court has started to rise to the same level.
- The Cardinal also take slightly better care of the ball, averaging 13 turnovers a game to the Huskies’ 14.4. The Huskies will need Bueckers and senior guard Christyn Williams to value possession if they want to win. Williams is quick and athletic but has had some issues with consistency that many have mentioned as potentially leading to a mid-teens selection in the WNBA Draft.
- The Huskies do allow fewer points per game, but some of that has to do with the pace of play. The Cardinal plays a bit faster and allows more points, but actually holds teams to a 35.1% field goal percentage from the field, which is nearly identical to the Huskies’ 35.2% mark.
For more 2022 NCAA Tournament coverage, visit TailgateSports.com
