It’s been a reliable way to mark the transition from March to April for a decade and a half now: Count on UConn in the women’s Final Four. Their current run of 14 consecutive Final Four appearances is a record, and, for most of the streak, there’s been no question about whether it would be extended. (Six of those 14 appearances ended in a championship.) This year? There’s certainly a chance the streak will keep going. But it’s a little trickier than usual for No. 6 UConn.
The Huskies (29–5) have faced their share of roadblocks this season. They’ve battled a series of difficult injuries, most prominently to sophomore guard Azzi Fudd, who missed roughly two months due to right knee issues. (They’ve also spent all season without former National Player of the Year Paige Bueckers while she’s recovered from a torn ACL.) In addition to coming up short against tough competition like No. 1 South Carolina, No. 7 Maryland and No. 10 Notre Dame, they also dropped conference games against Marquette and St. John’s—the first time they’ve lost more than one conference game in a decade. So will they make it back to the Final Four? Here are a few questions that should help decide that.
