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Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins Set Up for Elite Eight Rematch With UConn and USC Seeds

Both USC and UConn cannot make the Final Four, which sets up a possible JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers showdown in the Elite Eight.

Robin Lundberg

Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) on the court in the first half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; Hartford, Connecticut, USA; UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) on the court in the first half at XL Center. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Both UConn and USC cannot make the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, but Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins will likely have to go through one another for either of their teams to get there. That's due to USC being the No. 1 seed in the Spokane 4 region, with UConn placed as the No. 2 seed in the same region.

The way the bracket is set, if Bueckers and Watkins' squads are to square off, it will be in the Elite Eight. Which means without an unexpected upset, it is likely we witness the two stars face off again with elimination on the line. And therefore one being ousted out of tournament before the Final Four.

Last season it was Bueckers and UConn who moved on before eventually falling to Caitlin Clark and Iowa, as the Huskies defeated the Trojans 80-73. Watkins finished with 29 points in the loss, with Bueckers dropping 28 in the Elite Eight victory.

Watkins enters this year's March Madness as the favorite to win National Player of the Year, while Bueckers is the presumed number one overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft. If they do indeed advance that far, Watkins will stand in Bueckers' way in her pursuit to win an elusive national championship at UConn, and Bueckers could keep Watkins out of the Final Four for the second straight season in the possible rematch.

So while the seeding may prevent the Final Four from having maximum star power, basketball fans could be in for a treat one round prior, given both Bueckers and Watkins will be doing everything in their power to make sure it is their team that advances and continues to dance.

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Robin Lundberg
ROBIN LUNDBERG

Robin Lundberg is a media veteran and hoops head who has spent the bulk of his career with iconic brands like Sports Illustrated and ESPN. His insights have also been featured on platforms such as Fox and CNN and he can currently be heard hosting shows for Sirius XM and on his burgeoning YouTube show. And now he brings his basketball expertise to Women's Fastbreak on SI!

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