MINNEAPOLIS — Basketball fans from all corners of the country are descended on Minneapolis over the weekend for the NCAA Women's Final Four.
UConn, Stanford, Louisville and South Carolina hit the court in Target Center in a battle for the national title, first in the semifinals Friday and then the championship game on Sunday.
Whether you're heading downtown for the games or following along from home, use the links below as your guide to Final Four weekend.
Dawn Staley and South Carolina buttoned up on defense and won their second national championship, stifling UConn and Minnesota native Paige Bueckers for a 64-49 victory that ended the Huskies’ undefeated streak in title games.
Destanni Henderson scored a career-high 26 points, Aliyah Boston added 11 points and 16 rebounds, and the Gamecocks handed Geno Auriemma’s Huskies their first loss in 12 NCAA title games.
With Staley calling the shots in a $5,000 letterman jacket, South Carolina took UConn to school on the boards and capped a wire-to-wire run as the No. 1 team in the country in The Associated Press poll. The Gamecocks also won the championship in 2017 with A’ja Wilson leading the way.
Minnesota native Paige Bueckers scored 14 points to help lift UConn to the NCAA championship game with a 63-58 win over defending champion Stanford on Friday night. In the earlier semifinal game, Aliyah Boston had 23 points and 18 rebounds to back up her AP National Player of the Year award and carry South Carolina to a 72-59 victory over Louisville.
From Friday, April 1 through Sunday, April 3, the NCAA is hosting a series of family-friendly events and activities to celebrate the Women's Final Four. Check out Tourney Town at the Minneapolis Convention Center, Party on the Plaza at Target Center, the Women's Final Four Bounce parade and more.
Whether you're visiting Minneapolis for the NCAA Women's Final Four or a local resident looking to shake up your routine, we put together a list of events, activities and experiences to serve as a jumping-off point for exploration in the City of Lakes.
The semifinals begin Friday at 6 p.m. with the Gamecocks and Cardinals, followed by Stanford and UConn at 8:30 p.m. Tickets for Friday's games start around $70.
Thirsty? Shannon Stroh and Paige Hibers, who work at Surly Brewing, have created a special brew in honor of the NCAA Women's Final Four tournament. The limited edition "Dribble Drabble" pale ale is available at select locations around the city.
Paige Bueckers, the reigning Associated Press Women's Player of the Year, is back in her home state and looking to redeem UConn's upset loss in last year's national semis. The Minnesota native has inspired a whole generation of athletes across the state, rising from prominence at Hopkins High to the highest level of college basketball.
Bueckers isn't the only former Minnesota high school basketball standout returning home for the Women's Final Four. Two members of the UConn coaching staff are former Minnesotans: T'Aire Starks is a fellow former Hopkins High School basketball star who's served as a mentor to Bueckers; and Kiki Russell is a 2016 graduate of Osseo High School and Ms. Minnesota Basketball finalist who is now a graduate assistant for UConn.
Stomski Seim is a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation of Oklahoma and currently works as General Counsel for the Prairie Island Indian Community. Only a fraction of NCAA athletes are Native American, and Seim is currently leading a number of initiatives, from a basketball clinic to traditional dance performances as part of the Indigenous Athletics Advancement Council, to help bring about change starting at this year's Final Four in Minneapolis.
More on the NCAA Women's Final Four
The top four teams in the country are in Minneapolis for the Final Four! Watch more coverage on our YouTube playlist: