NCAA Women's Tournament Top Moments: Day 1 of the Elite Eight

Updated Mar 30, 2021 12:49 am ET

They really are elite.

We already knew freshman phenom Paige Bueckers is spectacular, and she proved it once again Monday. In an instant classic, Bueckers led the No. 1 seed Huskies to their 13th consecutive Final Four with a 69-67 win over 2-seed Baylor.

After that, the No. 3 seed Arizona Wildcats, led by a 33-point outburst from Aari McDonald, took down the 4-seed Indiana Hoosiers 66-53 to advance to the first Final Four in program history.

Here are the top moments and plays from Day 1 of the Elite Eight in the NCAA Women's Tournament.

No. 2 Baylor Bears vs. No. 1 UConn Huskies
Result: UConn wins 69-67

Bueckers with buckets

The Huskies wasted no time, kicking off the action with a steal from Aaliyah Edwards and a score from Bueckers.

Backpacking

Baylor's DiJonai Carrington scored 14 points in the first half, and she had the hot hand early in the second, scoring this tough and-1 bucket.

Climbing back

After falling behind by 10 points, the Huskies put together an 8-0 run to climb within two heading into the fourth quarter.

Of course, Bueckers was in the middle of the action.

The run stretched to 17-0 in favor of the Huskies to give them the lead.

UConn advances

For the 13th consecutive season, the UConn Huskies have advanced to the Final Four, this time led by Bueckers' 28-point outing.

No. 3 Arizona vs. No. 4 Indiana
Result: Arizona wins 66-53

Setting the tone

Aari McDonald came out on fire against the Hoosiers, scoring 10 of Arizona's 14 points in the first quarter.

Indiana's response

Grace Berger's silky jumper for the Hoosiers tied the game in the second quarter.

Sneaking the lead

After setting the tone with her scoring in the first quarter, McDonald made her presence felt on defense in the third.

This steal and bucket gave the Wildcats a two-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.

Doing what it takes to advance

The Arizona Wildcats are headed to their first Final Four on the back of some amazing late plays, including this pass from Helena Pueyo.