TAMPA, Fla. — The road to success has been tough, but Dawn Staley’s South Carolina team, fresh off a national title win, continues to demonstrate their championship pedigree. The Gamecocks (35-3) delivered a convincing 74-57 victory over SEC rival Texas during Friday night’s Final Four matchup in the women’s NCAA Tournament. With this triumph, they have secured a spot in the championship game on Sunday, where they’ll face off against UConn (36-3), who sailed past No. 1 seed UCLA with an 85-51 win.
During the regular season, UConn’s coach, Geno Auriemma, led the Huskies to a dominating victory over South Carolina, defeating them 87-58 in their February 16 encounter in Columbia. Notably, this will be the seventh instance where the AP preseason No. 1 and No. 2 ranked teams confront each other in the women’s NCAA championship. South Carolina emerged victorious against UConn in the 2022 title clash, a season that kicked off with both teams ranked in the top two positions.
Historically, the No. 1 ranked team before the season boasts a perfect 6-0 record in championship games against the preseason No. 2. Paige Bueckers of UConn aims to break this streak by clinching her first national title, the ultimate accolade missing from her impressive college career. Bueckers’ injury-hit sophomore year concluded with a loss to South Carolina in 2022, but she remains a prime candidate for the top pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.
Entering their third final in four years, South Carolina showcased their most comprehensive performance of the tournament in their recent game, aiming to be the first team since UConn’s 2013-2016 four consecutive titles to repeat as national champions. While UConn holds a record 11 national titles, South Carolina has established itself as a formidable contender over the past nine years, with Auriemma acknowledging this title match-up as truly deserving.
“We’ve certainly faced each other numerous times in significant games… It feels like the two leading programs in women’s college basketball right now are vying for the national champion title,” Auriemma expressed. “They deserve to be here,” adding, “We deserve to be here.”
Staley’s South Carolina has experienced a particularly demanding route to the championship game. Unlike past title-winning squads, this team is defined by its resilience rather than star power, consistently finding ways to prevail. Following comfortable wins over Tennessee Tech and Indiana in initial rounds, the Gamecocks navigated challenging closely contested victories against Maryland and Duke in the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, respectively.
The team repeated their pattern on Friday night with a slow start, taking their first lead early in the second quarter before overpowering Texas after halftime. The Gamecocks’ bench, notably led by freshman Joyce Edwards, once again highlighted their depth. South Carolina’s reserves contributed significantly with 35 points, as Edwards posted 13 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists against Texas.
“Obviously, we have one more to go, and we’re just really excited to get going on Sunday,” stated South Carolina’s Te-Hina Paopao. “We’re going to be very prepared. It’s going to be a 40-minute battle.”
Appearing in its record-setting 24th Final Four, UConn aims to clinch its 13th title game win by potentially defeating three No. 1 seeds, following in the footsteps of Tennessee (1987), Louisiana Tech (1988), and Baylor (2005). After their triumph over UCLA, UConn continued their charge with a victory over Southern California in the Elite Eight.
Paige Bueckers expressed her excitement, saying, “We prayed, we prepared and hoped to be playing on the last day of the season. We got that opportunity, so we don’t want to take it for granted.”