NCAA women's Final Four: UConn-Miss. St.; Notre Dame-Louisville in battles of #1 seeds

Picking out the best UConn team in history is a bit like picking out your favorite diamond, but this team is in contention for the best-ever title – according to HerHoopStats and FiveThirtyEight, the team has a higher adjusted efficiency rating than it did from 2014-2017.

It's not hard to see why. UConn's defense is as stingy as ever, and this team has offensive weapons at every single position. Katie Lou-Samuelson, who shot 69 percent from inside the arc during the regular season, can control the pace on offense, while senior Kia Nurse commands on defense. Senior Gabby Williams is the team's leader, with the speed, athleticism and shot-making ability to take over the game on both ends of the floor.

If they falter? There's Crystal Dangerfield, the sophomore who was 5-for-5 from the three-point line in the first half of the Elite Eight game against the defending champions South Carolina, scoring 19 of her 23 points in the first half. There is also junior Napheesa Collier, a do-it-all power forward who is averaging 16 points per game this season, and Azura Stevens, a junior forward who was the key to the comeback win over Notre Dame in December. Weapons upon weapons.

UConn has now been to 11 straight Final Fours, but coach Geno Auriemma has his eyes on a 12th national championship. His players just want to finally put last year's loss behind them.

"Redemption, I don't know if it's the word, but we definitely have something to prove," Dangerfield said, "not only to the rest of the world, but to ourselves, as well."

Notre Dame is the most resilient team in the tournament

If history is any indication, the Huskies will not have an easy victory in the semifinals. Notre Dame has always been a tough out for its former Big East rival, and earlier this season, Notre Dame actually had an 11-point lead on Connecticut heading into the fourth quarter before they lost the game thanks to a 26-6 run by Connecticut. Fighting Irish coach Muffet McGraw knows what it takes to beat Auriemma in the NCAA tournament, she's one of the few coaches who has done it multiple times.

This might be the toughest Irish team ever – not necessarily from a talent standpoint, but in terms of pure grit. The team lost four players to ACL tears this year. Four! The team now only has seven scholarship players and zero true point guards.

The reason this team has been able to survive is because of junior Marina Mabrey's ability to adapt to the point guard position midseason, and thanks to the scoring capabilities of Arike Ogunbowale, Jessica Shepard and Jackie Young, all who average more than 14 points per game.

The key for the Irish will be making it a physical game. In their Elite Eight matchup against Oregon, Notre Dame dominated in the paint. They are going to have to have an elite rebounding game to have a chance at the upset. UConn is the most efficient shooting team in the nation, so it's crucial that when they do miss, Notre Dame makes them pay by getting the rebound and not allowing them a second chance.

If Notre Dame does get the upset, they will have their fingers crossed that Mississippi State is their opponent; the Irish have three losses this season – one to Connecticut, and two to Louisville.

Mississippi State is no fluke

Mississippi State did not have a history of dominance in women's basketball, and when Vic Schaefer took over as head coach of the program in 2012, few expected them to transform into a perennial national title contender in just a few years. But that's exactly what he's done.

Mississippi State has only lost two games since its big win over UConn last year – one to South Carolina in the championship game, and the other to South Carolina in the SEC tournament earlier this month. Thankfully for them, South Carolina is nowhere in sight.

The team is led by seniors Blair Schaefer, the tough-as nails coach's daughter who loves to force turnovers and make game-changing shots when you least expect them; Victoria Vivians, who can take over the game from beyond the arc; and Morgan William, the steady point guard who shines the brightest on the biggest stages.

But the Bulldogs' biggest weapon is 6'7" center Teaira McCowan, a sophomore who has 27 double-doubles and four 20-20 games this season. If she can stay out of foul trouble and get to double digits in rebounds, she could help the Bulldogs take care of business against Louisville, and create match-up problems for Connecticut if they happen to await.

The only team remaining that Mississippi State has significant history against is UConn, but that history is enough to provide all the intrigue one could hope for, and then some.

Louisville is capable of playing spoiler

Since so many fans want to see the Mississippi State vs. Connecticut rematch, it's easy to overlook Mississippi State's semifinal opponent, Louisville. But forget about the Cardinals at your own peril.

Louisville is capable of beating anyone. Truly.

The team's biggest strength is its defense, as its shown during the NCAA tournament by holding two opponents to under 45 points, and another under 60. But the Cardinals also have the ability to light it up beyond the arc, and run a fast-paced offense.

Plus, it helps that they have one of the best players in women's college basketball, Asia Durr. The 5'10" guard is a first-team All-American, ACC Player of the Year, and a finalist for the Naismith Award. She pushes the tempo of games, throws opponents off balance with her ball handling, and always has the patience to wait for the perfect shot. It helps that she usually makes them, too.

While the Cardinals don't have any players with Final Four experience, they're capable of adapting to any situation and pushing any opponent to the brink. As previously mentioned, they defeated Notre Dame twice this season, and kept it close against Connecticut before losing by 11. They earned their No. 1 seed fair and square, and belong squarely in contention for this national title.