TAMPA, Fla. — UConn has reclaimed its place atop the women's college basketball world, capturing its 12th national title with a dominant 82-59 win over defending champion South Carolina on Sunday.

Azzi Fudd led the charge with 24 points, while freshman standout Sarah Strong delivered a powerhouse performance with 24 points and 15 rebounds. Paige Bueckers added 17 points in what was her final game in a Huskies uniform.

The victory marks UConn’s first national championship since 2016, snapping a nine-year title drought—the longest in the storied career of head coach Geno Auriemma since his first championship run in 1995 with Rebecca Lobo.

Since their first title in 1995, the Huskies have built a dynasty—stacking dominant championship runs led by legends like Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi in the early 2000s, Maya Moore in 2009–10, and Breanna Stewart during the four-peat from 2013–16. Fittingly, all were in attendance Sunday in Florida to witness UConn's return to glory.

At long last healthy, Paige Bueckers—the projected No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft on April 14—delivered the final piece to her remarkable college career. The one thing missing: a national title.

Bueckers burst onto the scene as the first freshman ever to win AP Player of the Year, but injuries threatened to derail her journey. A tibial plateau fracture and meniscus tear sidelined her much of her sophomore year, followed by a torn ACL that wiped out the next season. Still, she returned—and this time, she finished the story.

UConn held a 10-point lead at halftime, then blew the game open in the third quarter. Fudd, Strong, and Bueckers took over, scoring 23 of the Huskies’ 26 points in the period. With 3:21 left in the quarter, UConn led 50-39 before closing on a 12-3 run, sparked by back-to-back threes from Fudd and Strong.

With 1:32 left and the championship secured, Auriemma subbed out his stars. Bueckers embraced him on the sideline in a long hug—one that spoke to years of perseverance, resilience, and the moment they both had waited for.