Sports

Preview: Villanova Faces UConn in the Big East Tournament Semifinals

Dylan Johnson, Co-Sports Editor

March 9, 2025

Villanova has appeared in the Big East Tournament semifinal round in three of its last four seasons.

This afternoon, Villanova women’s basketball will play in the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament for the third time in four years at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

The No. 5 Wildcats will take on No. 1 University of Connecticut for the third time this season. Tipoff is set for 2:30 p.m. on FOX. The winner will advance to the championship game on Monday night.

Villanova (18-13, 11-7 Big East) advanced to the semifinal round on Saturday with a 73-66 win over No. 4 Marquette in the quarterfinals.

Freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe put up one of the best performances of her collegiate career, posting a 22-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win. It was the first double-double she has collected in college.

Alongside Bascoe’s performance, graduate guard Maddie Burke was locked in from beyond the arc. Burke tied a season-high from three, hitting five of her nine three-point attempts. She finished the game with a season-high 18 points.

This season, the Wildcats are 0-2 against the Huskies, losing both games by an average of 37 points. Bascoe averaged 13.5 points over both meetings with UConn.

The Huskies are undefeated in conference play and have ranked within the top 5 in the AP Poll during the regular season.

It will be no easy task for Villanova to knock out one of the best teams in the country from the Big East Tournament. The main goal for the Wildcats is to shut down UConn guard Paige Bueckers.

Currently, Bueckers is averaging 18.5 points and a conference-high 4.9 assists per game. She is coming off a 20-point game in UConn’s 71-40 blowout win over No. 8 St. John’s in the quarterfinal round on Saturday.

The other threat that Villanova faces is UConn freshman Sarah Strong. Earning the regular season Freshman of the Year Award, Strong plays like a veteran despite only being in college for less than a year. She leads the Big East in defensive rebounds with 196) and field goal percentage, shooting 58%.

For Villanova, it will need key performances from Wildcats such as Bascoe and Burke, as well as sophomore guard Maddie Webber who will also need to play at her highest level. Webber has had double digits in her last seven games played.

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About the Contributor

Dylan Johnson, Co-Sports Editor

Dylan Johnson is currently serving his first year as one of the two Villanovan Co-Sports Editors. He is currently pursuing a major in Communications with a specialization in journalism. Dylan is a sophomore from Philadelphia, PA. Dylan’s passion for journalism is driven by storytelling. At The Villanovan, he wants to discover and tell the stories that might otherwise go untold. Dylan is a hard worker who is always looking for the next article to write. He is a diehard Philadelphia sports fan and will never miss an Eagles game. He can always be found at a Villanova game, whether it be in a press box, on the sidelines, or in the stands. When he is not spending hours in the Finn’s media room, Dylan can be found enjoying runs around campus.