Are we overlooking Paige Bueckers heading into the Women’s Final Four?

The Women’s Final Four gets underway tonight, with NC State taking on South Carolina at 7 p.m. ET and UConn taking on Iowa after that.

ESPN’s Elle Duncan joined Mike Golic Jr. and Mike Golic Sr. to break down all the exciting action we should expect this weekend in Cleveland.

In addition to hosting ESPN’s women’s college basketball coverage, Elle is the host of The Elle Duncan Show and recently authored a children’s book. Elle says she just tries to make everything work and has been blessed to have a lot of great opportunities.

Moving on to the Women’s Final Four, Elle notes that she’s one of just 9 percent of people who had NC State in the Final Four in their brackets. She points out that the Wolfpack started the season 14-0 and fell to the dreaded No. 2 curse that afflicted several teams this season. However, because Elle saw what they could be she picked them to make the Final Four and has been rewarded.

Elle also points out that despite some of the more causal fans just assuming UConn would be in the Final Four, Geno Auriemma says this is the Huskies’ most improbable run to the Final Four since his first at the helm way back in 1991. Elle points out that UConn has been DECIMATED by injuries, suiting up just eight healthy bodies with major contributors like Azzi Fudd, Caroline Ducharme and Aubrey Griffin all out of the lineup. With more players in sweatsuits rather than jerseys, Elle says UConn should not be here and their run is actually incredibly improbable.

GoJo notes that in this matchup against Iowa, so many people are focused on Caitlin Clark and the fact that she wasn’t recruited by her dream school … UConn. However, after being the center of the women’s college basketball universe for so much of his life, GoJo wonders if we’ve now begun to underestimate and overlook Huskies star Paige Bueckers. Elle agrees, saying Clark is a generational talent worthy of all the praise she receives, but what’s most underrated about Paige is her IQ. When discussing Caitlin vs. Paige, it’s really about style of play and what grabs more attention.

Moving on to South Carolina, Senior wonders if, like say the Dodgers, there is a sense that anything other than a National Title will be a disappointment for Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks. Elle says that if that is a storyline, it’s not anything the players are feeling the weight of. They’re playing so freely, while at the same time being uber competitive. All they want to do is win, regardless of win streaks or records, Elle says.

Elle couldn’t sign off without continuing the trend of GoJo’s friends making him uncomfortable by showing their love for the Zaddy that is Mike Golic Sr.

If you’re a college basketball fan — men’s or women’s — make sure to stay tuned to DraftKings Network this weekend, as we’ll have plenty of coverage, including The Sweat from 8-10 a.m. ET on Saturday and Sunday as well as a special edition of Follow the Money featuring Mike Golic Sr. live from DraftKings Sportsbook in Scottsdale, Ariz., from 3-6 p.m. ET on Saturday! Learn more here.

Watch or listen to the full show below, and make sure to tune into GoJo and Golic weekday mornings from 8-10 a.m. ET on DraftKings Network! See more about how to watch DraftKings Network here.

SHOW BREAKDOWN

Hour 1: Elle Duncan on Paige Bueckers, UConn’s Improbable Return & South Carolina’s Competitiveness + QB Draft Rumors

VIDEO

Watch GoJo and Golic every weekday on Samsung TV Plus, Roku, Xumo Play, Google TV and DraftKingsNetwork.com from 8 to 10 a.m. ET. The show is also available via audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also follow Mike Golic Sr. on X at @golic and Mike Golic Jr. on X at @mikegolicjr.

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