CLEVELAND — Sunday afternoon at the start of the 2024 NCAA Women’s National Championship Game. iowa hawkeyes Superstar Caitlin Clark was in sync and on fire.
Iowa State fans roared to their feet inside a completely sold-out Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. A total of 18,300 people watched the final women’s college basketball game, capping off a season with historic viewership. Iowa went on a 10-0 run in the first few minutes of the game, ending the first quarter with Clark scoring 18 points. For a moment, one might have thought that this would be the end of Clark and his team’s story. And maybe South Carolina wouldn’t have become the 11th team in DI women’s basketball history to finish a perfect season.
But as the coaches have mentioned this season and reiterated during Final Four weekend, South Carolina is a stacked and talented team. With a 6-foot-7 center, fast guards, long-armed forwards, and a strong defensive unit, the Gamecocks have an impressive roster and deep bench built for championship success. We proved it again.
Looking back at this game, and South Carolina’s season as a whole, their depth and dominance was clear. In Sunday’s game, the Gamecocks defeated Iowa 87-75, scoring a total of 37 points off the bench.
“We’ve been playing like this all season,” sophomore Ashlyn Watkins said of the team’s play off the bench.
“[It’s] It’s not just depth and height,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bruder said. “I’m not just talking about their centers. They’re pretty big at every position, so it’s tough. When we made 3-point shots, they were able to bounce back really well.”
South Carolina freshman Tessa Johnson scored a season-high 19 points, and LeBron James Mentioned her name on Twitter (X) And I made the all-tournament team. Fellow freshman teammate Milesia Fulwilly had nine points, four rebounds and four assists. Considering how well these two could play college basketball at the University of South Carolina, it proves that the Gamecocks can still maintain their dominance.
Staley currently has three national championship rings with South Carolina in 2017, 2022 and 2024. The scary thing is that she feels like she’s just getting started.
Photo credit: Gregory Schamus/Getty Images
“Tessa was scheduled for a breakout game,” senior Tehina Paopao said. “What could be better than a national stage? She trusted her process here. She trusted her journey. And for her to accomplish it on such a big stage. I’m so proud of her. Her confidence has grown so much.”
Even though Clark led the team with 30 points, fans witnessed her final college game heading into her professional career, leaving her mark and legacy on the world of women’s college basketball. South Carolina guard Raven Johnson, who Clark put on an unforgettable performance in last year’s semifinal, had to guard Clark after a big first quarter.
“I was ready for that moment. And I’m working very hard on defense to keep that in mind,” Raven Johnson said. “I studied her movements and she was ready. I was confident this year. I told myself that nothing like last year would happen again.”
Assuming no player transfers, South Carolina would only lose senior center Camila Cordoso in the first round. WNBA Draft picks. Cordoso finished Sunday’s game with 15 points and 17 rebounds, but it was a tough test for Iowa.
“Cardoso had 17 rebounds. We have 51 as a team. We have 29. It’s hard to win a basketball game like that,” Clark said. “Basically, you have to shoot perfectly at that point.”
After the game, Staley told the media that with the depth of the team, many players probably wanted more playing time throughout the season, but how they were able to perform at their respective points and step up. I talked about Tanaka.
“It’s a real honor to have a nine-man, 10-man roster. But it has to be developed slowly and in the right way,” Staley said. “For example, there are some games where the players, especially those coming off the bench, don’t play that much, so you have to build a lot of trust.”
This women’s college basketball season ends with a win for the University of South Carolina, but with a very similar roster, it’s easy to imagine them coming back here, hoisting a trophy, and cutting down the net in Tampa.
“We cherish this moment so much, but as we look to the future, we hope to grow as a program and grow as a team,” Tessa Johnson said.
