NC State Wolfpack prepping to face UConn on Huskies' 'home' turf for berth in NCAA women's tournament Final Four

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. — NC State is looking to make history by returning to the women's Final Four for the first time since 1998 when it takes on UConn in the regional final Monday.

To do it, the Wolfpack will have to tune out what's expected to be a Huskies-friendly crowd in Bridgeport, Connecticut, about 80 miles southwest of UConn's campus in Storrs.

«I think tomorrow is a home game for them. There's no question about that,» NC State star center and WNBA prospect Elissa Cunane told reporters Sunday.

South Carolina, the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament whom NC State fell to in its season opener, earned the top seed in the Greensboro Regional, followed by Stanford in Spokane, Washington. As the No. 3 overall seed, NC State was slotted as the No. 1 seed in Bridgeport, and via S-curve so were the Huskies, who once healthy went on a tear across the end of the regular season and Big East tournament to earn the No. 6 overall seed (No. 2 in Bridgeport).

NC State and Notre Dame had respectable contingents show up for Saturday's regional semifinal, which the Wolfpack won 66-63. But there was no mistaking which team the majority of fans came to root for. One of the loudest cheers of the NC State-Notre Dame contest came when UConn players entered the arena to watch the game.

«Connecticut fans are great,» NC State coach Wes Moore said. «If I'm out somewhere traveling or something, I run into them. They love their women's basketball, and you've got to respect that.»

The Wolfpack have one thing in their favor that they will look to lean on: experience prevailing over top teams in hostile environments.

Last year, NC State became the first NCAA women's team to beat two No. 1 teams on the road in the same season when it took down South