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Women's NCAA Tournament winners, losers: Rare Final Four on tap 
Texas Longhorns forward Madison Booker (35) controls the ball as Michigan Wolverines guard Olivia Olson (1) defends during the first half at Dickies Arena. Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Women's NCAA Tournament winners, losers: Rare Final Four on tap 

The Final Four in the women's NCAA basketball tournament is officially set, and it will feature all four No. 1 seeds for just the fifth time after Texas and South Carolina won their respective games on Monday.

Here are some winners and losers from Monday's action:

Winner: No. 1 seeds

The stage is set for a pair of epic clashes in Friday's Final Four. After Connecticut (38-0, 20-0 Big East) and UCLA (35-1, 18-0 Big Ten) punched their tickets on Sunday, Texas (35-3, 13-3 SEC) and South Carolina (35-3, 15-1 SEC) joined them on Monday. It is the first time since 1996 that the same teams are in the Final Four in consecutive seasons.

The Longhorns held two-seed Michigan (28-7, 15-3 Big Ten) to a season-low 41 points and rode the hot hand of junior forward Madison Booker (19 points, 8-of-13 FG) in a 77-41 win.

The Gamecocks, meanwhile, used a fourth-quarter runaway to knock off the three-seed TCU (32-6, 15-3 Big 12), 78-52. South Carolina specifically excelled on the boards, outrebounding the Horned Frogs, 52-24, and outlasting a TCU squad that was in search of its first Final Four.

The Huskies and Gamecocks will meet in a rematch of the 2025 national championship game, and the Bruins will look to avenge their only loss of the season when they face the Longhorns in Friday's Final Four nightcap. 

Loser: Michigan's offensive woes

Michigan entered the Elite Eight averaging the ninth-most points per game (83.5 PPG), but that was nonexistent against Texas. The Wolverines fell behind 22-9 after the first quarter and only shot 13-of-57 (23%) from the floor. Texas was going to be a challenge coming in, but trailing early and shooting that poorly only made it even more difficult for Michigan.

Winner: Texas' historic margin of victory in NCAA Tournament

The Longhorns have dominated their way to the Final Four, and the Wolverines were the latest team to come out on the losing end. According to the ESPN broadcast, Texas has a 142-point margin of victory in the Big Dance, which is the largest by an SEC team entering the Final Four in tournament history.

"I can't do anything without them," Texas guard Rori Harmon told ESPN's Holly Rowe after the game. "I'm not me without them."

The 76-54 Sweet 16 win over five-seed Kentucky (25-11, 8-8 SEC) was the closest any team has been to Texas during its remarkable run, which speaks to the pace the Longhorns are on entering their second straight Final Four.

Loser: No Final Four sweep for Michigan

If the Michigan women's team had pulled the upset over Texas, they would have joined the men's team in the Final Four. However, as the men prepare to face fellow one-seed Arizona on Saturday, the women could not take care of business and punch their first Final Four ticket after equaling their most wins in a single season (28).

Winner: South Carolina forward Joyce Edwards

The sophomore was key in leading South Carolina to its sixth straight Final Four with a team-high 24 points (10-of-20 FG) and 12 rebounds. According to the ESPN broadcast, her 22 games with at least 20 points this season tie a program record.

Loser: Upsets

Aside from 10-seed Virginia's magical run from the First Four to the Sweet 16, the favorites have mostly taken care of business. That carried over to the Elite Eight with each of the one-seeds prevailing. The tournament has not been without some competitive games and a thrilling buzzer-beater from three-seed Duke in the Sweet 16, but if you are a fan of the underdogs, this has not been the tournament for you.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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