PHOENIX (AP) — This year's Final Four at the women's NCAA Tournament features a quartet of powerhouse programs, teams that have overwhelmed almost all of their opponents with superior talent and veteran coaching.
They have size. They are athletic. They have pedigree.
But they haven't faced a ton of on-court adversity — particularly in March.
That could change on Friday night when UConn faces South Carolina and Texas meets UCLA in the national semifinals
at Mortgage Matchup Center. After beating up on inferior adversaries for the majority of March, it's time for the game's elite to pick on someone their own size.
Here's how they're preparing for potential clutch moments this weekend.
The Gamecocks have had a few tough losses this season, including two to Texas. They also dropped a road game against Oklahoma, blowing a seven-point halftime lead before losing in overtime.
South Carolina got its revenge last week, beating the Sooners in the Sweet 16.
The Gamecocks haven’t faced much friction in the NCAA Tournament, winning their four games by an average of 40.3 points.
Coach Dawn Staley said the way to stay fresh for late-game situations is to simulate them in practice so that players are comfortable when tense moments come. For instance, during last week’s regional in Sacramento, the coach said they made sure to go over sidelines inbounds plays since the benches were in a spot that was different than most of the games they had played.
Guard Raven Johnson said Staley did a good job of ramping up the intensity after the early-season setbacks, holding them to the program’s standard that has been built over the past two decades.
“When we took losses throughout the season, I think practices, they shifted,” Johnson said. “They were hard. She was on our butts. She was a different person.
“I think that made us come closer. That made us realize that people here, this is their first time ever experiencing things like this. We had to remind them that our standard here is very high. We had to remind them in practice, good habits are contagious. When you have good habits, they carry on into the game.”
The Huskies' dominance has been historic. They've won their 38 games by an average of 37.8 points, which is on track to rank third all-time behind its record 40.6 in 2015 and 39.7 in 2016.
On-court adversity hasn't been common. The Huskies played a tight game against Michigan early in the year, pulling out a 72-69 win on Nov. 21. They also trailed by one point against North Carolina after one quarter in the Sweet 16 before pulling away for a 63-42 victory.
Other than that, it's been pretty smooth sailing.
Azzi Fudd said she's confident the Huskies will be ready to execute in a tight fourth quarter if needed.
“You simulate as much as you can in practice, which the coaches have done for us all year long," Fudd said. “At the end of the day, the habits that we've built in practices and games will definitely help keep us settled, keep us calm, keep us together this weekend.”
Texas played a difficult schedule, going 14-3 against nationally ranked teams before March Madness even started. The Longhorns are the one team in the Final Four that has had a two-game losing streak, dropping back-to-back games to LSU and South Carolina in mid-January.
In that regard, they might be the most battle-tested team remaining.
Texas also might be the hottest team in the nation at the moment. The Longhorns are on a 12-game winning streak, which includes a 78-61 win over South Carolina in the SEC Tournament and a 77-41 win over Michigan in the Elite Eight.
Coach Vic Schaefer said he's not concerned about the lack of close games. He believes his team has proven its mettle thanks to the tough schedule.
“I've got a fifth-year point guard and I've got Madison Booker, who has been in those games and those wars,” Schaefer said. “I stopped worrying about this group about three or four weeks ago. What they've done and how they've done it — at some point you've got to step back and go ‘OK, they’re good.'”
Texas has won its games by an average of 29.1 points this season and by 35.5 in the tournament.
The Bruins are the only team remaining that has experienced a recent brush with a loss, trailing by eight points at halftime against Duke in the Elite Eight before rallying for a relatively comfortable 70-58 win.
Their lone loss came at the hands of their upcoming opponent — Texas.
Senior guard Gabriela Jaquez said the Duke game was a great learning moment heading into what she hopes are two more games.
“We never want to be down, but it's really important to respond quickly,” Jaquez said. “In the Duke game, we should have responded quicker, but it's OK, we responded at halftime. In the Final Four, all these teams are really good. They've worked hard all season, they're going to be ready, they're going to be prepared.”
UCLA has won its games by an average of 28 points this season, including 27 in the tournament.
___
AP Sports Writer Eric Olson contributed to this report.
___
AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
