Dawn Staley was hunched over in tears as she reflected, moments after the South Carolina Gamecocks won their third NCAA women’s basketball national championship with her as head coach.
But Staley, who held up the national championship trophy while being showered with confetti falling from the ceiling of Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, shouted out the Iowa Hawkeyes’ “great season” and took time to listen to Caitlin Clark’s He praised her contributions to the women’s basketball world.
“I would like to personally thank Caitlin Clark for elevating our sport,” Staley said after Sunday’s 87-75 win over Iowa. “She’s carried a lot of weight for our sport, and I don’t think that’s going to stop on the college tour. If she becomes the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, she’ll elevate that league as well. ”
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Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes watches the second half of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament national championship game at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 7, 2024 in Cleveland. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
“So, Caitlin Clark, if you’re there, you’re one of the GOATs.” [greatest of all time] Thank you for liking our game. ”
While the University of South Carolina was certainly one of the biggest storylines all season in women’s basketball, capping off an undefeated season and becoming the 10th national champion in history to accomplish that feat, Clark’s stardom began with the Hawkeyes. He skyrocketed by breaking NCAA records.
South Carolina completes undefeated season with win over Iowa State at NCAA National Championship
Clark passed LSU’s Pete Maravich earlier this season to become the all-time leading scorer in men’s and women’s basketball. Clark, who scored 30 points in the loss to the Gumcocks, finished his career with 3,921 points while averaging 31.7 points per game this season.
And as Staley mentioned, Clark is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
“This year was definitely special. To be honest, after last year, I was like, ‘How can I do better than last year?'” …This year was even more special than last year. ” Clark said after the game.
Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes is shown during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Final Four semifinal game against the University Huskies at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on April 5, 2024 in Cleveland. (Ben Solomon/NCAA Photo, Getty Images)
Pressure was an understatement for Clark this season, as the pressure far exceeded that of Iowa City at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. When she took the court, the sports world tuned in to watch her 30-foot 3-point shot effortlessly go through the hoop and her sharp passes to her teammates.
However, even though the Hawkeyes had a great season, Clark ultimately failed to hoist the NCAA title trophy. They got off to a very good start, opening the game on a 10-0 run, with Clark finishing the first quarter with 18 points.
However, things calmed down after that as South Carolina’s Raven Johnson played great defense, limiting him to 5-of-20 shooting.
Still, just because Clark and the Hawkeyes lost doesn’t take away from how successful the season was, and how great her career was personally.
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts during the second half of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament national championship game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on April 7, 2024 at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. (Gregory Shams/Getty Images)
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Staley acknowledges that, and the WNBA will be next to prove her greatness.
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