Women's Final Four: UCLA, UConn, South Carolina, Texas chase history

three number one seeds including the defending national champions and a team that's won a record

11 national titles. That's the short rundown of the women's final four which tips off Friday

in Tampa Florida. Here's a look at that women's final four bracket. The first matchup Friday

features two number one seeds that have already met three times this season. SEC rivals Texas and

South Carolina will get started at 4 p.m. Eastern time. The Gamecocks are the defending national

champs and have won two of the last three titles. They also beat Texas two out of three times this

year, including by 19 points in the SEC championship game just three weeks ago. It was all about

defense in that one as South Carolina held Texas to just 29% shooting and dominated the paint

outscoring the Longhorns 40 to 18 inside. They do a really good job of making you go a little bit

deeper into your offense so you got to make sure that you know what we're doing and it's not just

you know happenstance or chaotic so it's more about that but you know we're we're not going

to stray too far left or right from the things that we've you know we've done that were positive

that would help us the nightcap friday tipping off about 30 minutes after the first game ends

features the number one overall seed UCLA against the two seed Yukon

The Huskies are making a record 24th appearance in the final four They will go as far as superstar Paige Beckers can take them If she can duplicate her last three tournament games scoring 31 40

and 34 points, UConn will be tough to beat. But the Bruins have lost just twice all season

and even though they're making their first Final Four appearance, they are well balanced with great

options outside. They're going to lean, though, on Lauren Betts inside, who is not going to let

the pressure get to her. You know, we kind of talked about it in film, just Coach Shannon brought

it up, just enjoying the moment. Obviously, we talked a lot about, you know, media and how there's

going to be a lot of things going on. It'll be a little hectic, but like just acknowledging that

like we're here at the final four and this is a huge deal and it's a huge accomplishment for this

program. And no one knows more about pressure than Beckers, who's been to the final four

four times in her five-year career, but has yet to win a national title at a school that almost

demands it. Once you walk inside the practice facility, you see all the history, all the names

all the banners. It's just motivation. And obviously there's expectations here and

anything less than a national championship is really a disappointment. And as players

that's what you play for and what you want to live up to. Will Beckers grab that elusive title

They are the betting favorites at most sports books. Will South Carolina cement their dynasty

with three titles in four years? Or will it be Texas or UCLA

Two wins and they can cut down the nets. For Straight Arrow News, I'm Chris Francis