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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Kristen Wong

Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins Facing Off in Potential Elite Eight Rematch Has Fans Torn

UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) and USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) on the court in the first half at XL Center. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

It's the matchup everybody was hoping and waiting for—just not as early as the Elite Eight.

UConn and USC found out their NCAA tournament seedings on Selection Sunday with the former earning the No. 1 seed and the latter earning the No. 2 seed... in the same region. Both teams will play in the Spokane 4 region of the tournament, which means there's a high possibility marquee stars Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins could face off in the Elite Eight again.

College hoops fans fired-up to see the two talented guards take the court this March have some conflicted feelings about the rematch, one that bears resemblances to Caitlin Clark's Iowa battling Angel Reese's LSU in the Elite Eight in their respective final collegiate seasons.

On one hand, the rematch is a wholly exciting one after Bueckers and the Huskies spoiled the Trojans' NCAA title hopes last year. UConn beat top-seeded USC in a thrilling 80-73 win in 2024's Elite Eight contest, in which both Bueckers (28 points, 10 rebounds) and Watkins (29 points, 10 rebounds) put on a dazzling show.

On the other, only one can advance for a chance to win the coveted NCAA championship. And the loser will have to go home fairly early.

Fans eagerly hoping for a Bueckers-Watkins showdown in the national title game were let down by the selection committee's choices:

Will history repeat itself, or will Watkins exact revenge? Barring any early-round upsets, fans will find out soon enough.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins Facing Off in Potential Elite Eight Rematch Has Fans Torn.

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