South-Carolina
Ruthless UConn is coming for national title, and South Carolina is next victim | Opinion
UConn players do their best impressions of head coach Geno Auriemma
The UConn Huskies have some fun before Final Four and impersonate their head coach, Geno Auriemma.
Sports Seriously
TAMPA, Florida — UConn isn’t letting Paige Bueckers leave without a national title, so woe to anyone who tries to get in their way.
Just ask UCLA, which was effectively run off the floor by halftime Friday night and wound up on the wrong end of an 85-51 loss. That would be the overall No. 1-seeded Bruins, mind you. Or Oklahoma, which is still licking its wounds from the 40 points Bueckers dropped on the Sooners a week ago.
Heck, ask South Carolina, which headed for the exits at halftime of UConn’s beatdown of UCLA, having experienced this nightmare once already. UConn shellacked the defending champs on their home court less than two months ago. They didn’t need to watch UCLA get picked apart to know what awaits them in Sunday afternoon’s title game.
There was, oh, three decades or so when everyone hated UConn because the Huskies were just better than everyone else. They collected titles like European royalty – 11 so far, for those counting – and the Final Four might as well have been a scheduled game. UConn coach Geno Auriemma had his pick of All-Americans, the Huskies alums a “Who’s Who” of women’s basketball.
But all dynasties eventually end, and the game had seemingly caught up to UConn these last few years. The Huskies haven’t won a title since 2016, and have only made one appearance in the title game since then. It’s South Carolina that’s the team to beat now, reaching the title game for the third time in four years after routing Texas in the other national semifinal.
We all should have known better.
Since a loss to Tennessee on Feb. 6, no team in the country is playing better than UConn. And the Huskies haven’t just been good. They’ve been ruthless, snatching the very souls from their opponents.
They’ve won 15 in a row, all but two by 20 or more points. They’re outscoring their NCAA tournament opponents by 30-plus points, with Bueckers averaging 29 points on 58.7% shooting in her first three games.
Against UCLA, they had a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter. They’d harassed UCLA into 10 turnovers midway through the second, two more than the Bruins had field goals.
And in perhaps the most audacious moment of the entire night, with less than two minutes left in the first half, Azzi Fudd stripped Elina Aarnisalo and whipped the ball to Bueckers. Bueckers, spotting Kiki Rice at her side, shoved the ball to Kaitlyn Chen, who scored on a layup that put UConn up 39-22.
Bueckers and Chen burst into laughter. UCLA had to want to cry.
But this is UConn and Bueckers’ year.
Bueckers is one of Auriemma’s all-time favorite players – somewhere between 1 and 1,000, she joked last weekend – but her career has not exactly been smooth. She was a freshman during COVID, playing in empty arenas. She missed part of her sophomore season with a knee injury, then tore her ACL weeks before her junior season was to begin.
Last year, Bueckers was healthy but the rest of the Huskies were being held together by bubble gum and sticky tape. That they even got to the Final Four was a minor miracle.
Everything has fallen into place this year for UConn, and the Huskies aren’t about to waste it. They want a title, and they’ll run over anyone they have to to get it.
Consider yourselves warned, South Carolina.
Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Advocates, caregivers, patients, and community leaders gathered at the South Carolina State House on Friday for the inaugural South Carolina Sickle Cell Day.
Organizers said the event focused on raising awareness of sickle cell disease.
The South Carolina CBO Collective Caucus hosted the event at 10 a.m., coinciding with World Sickle Cell Day and Juneteenth.
Organizers said the gathering brought together healthcare professionals, legislators, advocates, and supporters from across the state to discuss education, support, and action related to sickle cell disease.
The program is designed to amplify the voices of individuals and families impacted by the disease and encourage conversations about healthcare access, advocacy, research, and community support, organizers said.
Attendees heard personal stories and learned about challenges faced by those living with sickle cell disease.
“World Sickle Cell Day is a powerful call to action for all of us,” said founder and CEO of The B Strong Group Brenda Green. She said the collaboration expands support, strengthens community response, and stands with affected families.
The B Strong Group, founded in 2017 and based in Columbia, is a nonprofit organization focused on sickle cell awareness, advocacy, and caregiver support.
The group organizes blood drives, caregiver workshops, and awareness campaigns under the motto “Educate, Advocate, Empower.”
An 87-year-old businessman in Columbia, South Carolina says he has no plans to retire.
Leonard Fabrizio works as a retailer at Brittons of Columbia, a locally-owned men’s clothing store.
“I’m not the type of person who can sit around by myself,” said Fabrizio. “I just enjoy the interaction and that’s the big thing, is the interaction with people. It’s always been the drive in this business for me, said Fabrizio.
Fabrizio’s retail career began as a college student when he worked at J.C. Penney. He has watched Columbia grow and has owned a store and managed several others.
His advice is to “Be patient. It takes time to build a business. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it’s rewarding. It’s fun. But you have to have compassion for the business.”
Fabrizio recently celebrated another birthday alongside those who have supported his career.
(WPDE) — June 9 marked International Batten Disease Awareness Day, shining a light on a rare, inherited neurodegenerative disorder.
It primarily affects children and causes harmful waste material to build up inside the cells of the brain and nervous system.
One South Carolina family used the day to raise awareness as their 2-year-old son, Sam Stockton, lives with CLN2 Batten disease.
Sam was diagnosed at 16 weeks old, and his family says they travel every other week for enzyme-replacement therapy while also searching for clinical research opportunities.
Through Hope for Sam, the family is working to spread information about Batten disease and support other families facing rare diseases.
“Just the more you know about rare diseases, I never knew that over 300 million people worldwide live with rare diseases. And that means there’s less access to care because people aren’t researching it and not as many people have it. So the more information that’s out there, we feel is the better,” Jordan Stockton said.
There are 13 known types of Batten disease, and there is no cure. Researchers estimate the disease affects about two to four out of every 100,000 births in the United States.
The Stockton family says they have found support through the Batten Disease Support, Research and Advocacy Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to helping families navigate the disease while providing resources.
More information and donation details are available at this link.
-
Georgia1 minute agoGeorgia farmers on alert as New World Screwworm confirmed in Texas, New Mexico
-
Hawaii4 minutes agoPrincipal honors Obama as ‘Child of Hawaii’ at library opening – AsAmNews
-
Idaho9 minutes agoMountain Home neighbors kickoff Juneteenth celebrations as Idaho marks 25 years of recognition
-
Illinois16 minutes agoIllinois has already broken the record for number of tornadoes in a year — and it’s only June
-
Indiana18 minutes agoHamilton County teen is youngest delegate at Indiana Republican convention
-
Iowa24 minutes agoReynolds orders flags lowered for funeral of Iowa Sen. Julian Garrett
-
Kentucky34 minutes ago
Louisville celebrates Juneteenth with parade honoring history and culture
-
Louisiana39 minutes agoFrom ‘not pageant people’ to Miss Louisiana stage: Addison J…
