Stanford and UConn renew intense rivalry at Final Four

Fox News Flash top headlines are here. Check out what's clicking on Foxnews.com.

Stanford and UConn have met on the biggest stage in women’s basketball many times over the past 27 years.

The rivalry between the two storied programs led by Hall of Fame coaches Geno Auriemma and Tara VanDerveer will resume Friday night in the Final Four, five years after their previous meeting. The winner advances to Sunday night's championship game against either Louisville or South Carolina.

VanDerveer and Auriemma are 1-2 on the all-time coaching wins list in women's basketball, combining for more than 2,300.

They have played in the Final Four or national championship game against each other five times, with UConn winning four of the meetings.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer watches during a practice session for a college basketball game in the semifinal round of the Women's Final Four NCAA tournament Thursday, March 31, 2022, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

"We’ve been competing against each other for a long time, playing against each other," VanDerveer said. "I like him and think we get along really well. I’ve never felt that we were adversaries in a negative way, but more competitors in a good way."

The two teams met in the Final Four 27 years ago to the day in Minneapolis in 1995.

Auriemma's Huskies came away with the 87-60 victory and went on to win their first national championship. They have won a record 10 more since then. Stanford returned to the Final Four 10 more times before winning the team's third national championship last year.

No one on either team has played against the other in college. The two programs played at least once every year from 2007-2014 and then