CLEVELAND — An undefeated South Carolina squad will face off in opposition to Iowa, the workforce who defeated them in final 12 months’s Last 4 semifinal sport, for nationwide title on Sunday afternoon at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
This season of ladies’s faculty basketball had a handful of proficient groups with robust resumes heading into the NCAA match, however many nonetheless predicted that these two packages may find yourself battling for a trophy in April.
Iowa girls’s basketball, led by famous person Caitlin Clark, has bought out arenas and even soccer stadiums. South Carolina, led by legendary coach Daybreak Staley, might be in search of its third title in program historical past. The Gamecocks have been nationwide champions in 2022 and 2017.
Under we break down the whole lot it’s worthwhile to know in regards to the nationwide championship sport, the important thing gamers and storylines it’s best to observe earlier than tip off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday:
Raven Johnson’s redemption
When requested on Saturday if she had watched her workforce’s loss final 12 months to Iowa to organize, Staley introduced rapidly and to the purpose that she had not and the main focus is on this 12 months’s workforce.
The identical can’t be stated for sophomore guard Raven Johnson, who agonized over final 12 months’s loss and stated she has watched that sport over 100 instances. Main as much as the Last 4, she spoke about how final season’s ending was troublesome for her, particularly the viral second of Clark waving her off on protection. Johnson took to the fitness center, engaged on her shot as a result of she wished to be often known as a risk on the court docket — that nobody may dare not contest her pictures.
“I’m positively trying ahead to this matchup,” Johnson stated. “I might say I used to be trying ahead [to facing] them, but it surely occurred in the suitable approach. I’m prepared for the matchup — going from final 12 months, the emotions we felt final 12 months. It occurred on the proper time in the suitable approach.”
Staley added that Johnson has been discovering herself on and off the court docket. She added that she was happy with the expansion of Johnson. Clark additionally had some kinda phrases for Johnson at media on Saturday.
“Raven has had an amazing 12 months not solely as the purpose guard of the workforce, she has been a real chief,” Clark stated. “I actually admire what she is doing this 12 months…and that simply speaks to her work ethic, she received within the fitness center and he or she received higher and I love that.”
The depth of South Carolina
In the event you watch South Carolina play you’ll be able to’t assist however discover the expertise, athleticism, peak and the variety of gamers they’ll depend on to make issues occur.
When requested how this 12 months’s workforce compares to different South Carolina groups, junior guard Bree Corridor stated, “I believe we’re actually good. I don’t wish to throw an excessive amount of shade (to different South Carolina groups), however I believe we’re actually, actually good and it is going to be the icing on the cake as soon as we maintain enterprise tomorrow.”
Sophomore ahead Ashlyn Watkins, who got here off the bench to document 20 rebounds within the sport vs. NC State on Friday evening, agreed that the Gamecocks depth is a robust asset to the workforce’s general success.
“I believe what has impressed me most is our bench factors in comparison with different faculty groups. That basically shocked me as a result of I don’t actually take note of totally different scores. However how many individuals rating off our bench vs. different opponents, it’s been loopy numbers,” Watkins stated. “It means so much as a result of we all know that we are able to use that deep bench. We showcase all 11 which can be proficient.”
Iowa fifth-year senior Gabbie Marshall, who the Hawkeyes usually look to for defensive stops up in opposition to the opponent’s finest gamers, stated her project tomorrow is beginning senior guard Te-Hina Paopao, who shoots over 45 p.c from the sector and from the three-point line. However even Marshall understands how the Gamecocks rotate by their bench and the problem that may pose.
Gabbie Marshall simply performed in her one hundred and sixty fifth sport, greater than some other participant in Huge Ten girls’s basketball historical past.
Sunday, she’ll hit 166. What has she discovered over all these video games? Soak all of it in. pic.twitter.com/B8S4KtSAA3
— Jack Lido (@JackLido) April 6, 2024
“There are solely going to be 5 individuals on the court docket at a time,” Marshall stated. “Realizing these individuals effectively and their tendencies (might be vital).”
What Iowa expects of South Carolina
Regardless of Iowa beating South Carolina in the course of the workforce’s final assembly, each groups are totally different and extra skilled than a 12 months in the past.
“I do know this South Carolina workforce poses a completely totally different problem,” Clark stated. “The way in which their guards shoot the ball is unbelievable and provides a complete different dynamic for us to be ready for.”
Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder additionally spoke in regards to the problem this Gamecocks workforce might be.
“This can be the perfect girls’s basketball workforce we’ve seen. I believe you may say that. They’ve all of the elements,” she stated.
What South Carolina expects from Iowa
South Carolina is aware of and respects the expertise and game-changer skills Clark has.
“Her sport is straightforward and but highly effective,” Staley stated. “How do you defend elementary basketball with offense with elementary protection? You possibly can’t. She’s going to win each time. So that you’ve received to indicate her totally different appears to be like to ensure that her to not settle in and selecting you aside. However we additionally should play our facet of the ball. We received to defend. We received to place some factors on the scoreboard.”
After a decent first half vs. NC State within the semifinal sport on Friday evening, South Carolina got here out of the locker room within the second half to have a monster third quarter, occurring a 16-5 scoring run. The Gamecocks have proved that they’ve the power to get out of robust conditions and in the end come out victorious.
“Coach informed us we’re going to make errors,” Johnson stated. “It simply depends upon how we react to these errors. She informed us to only go in, play our sport, play South Carolina basketball. Don’t get too excessive with the highs and too low with the lows.”
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Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports activities
Kamilla Cardoso vs. Hannah Stuelke
One of many essential matchups on this sport might be down within the paint. Senior heart Kamilla Cardoso stands at 6’7 and might be dealing with off in opposition to Iowa sophomore Hannah Stuelke who’s 6’2’’.
Stuelke has proved her capacity in opposition to proficient put up locations within the final two NCAA match video games — going in opposition to LSU’s Angel Reese and UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards. In Iowa’s sport vs. UConn, Stuelke led the workforce in scoring with 23 factors.
Staley stated on Saturday that this matchup is one her workforce must win and credited the sophomore’s capacity to maneuver in transition.
“Clearly Cordoso is an incredible participant. She is 6’7. So she is tall as effectively,” Stuelke stated. “I believe it poses a giant problem for me, however staying bodily and boxing out are my most vital jobs as they’re in each single sport.”
Don’t sleep on the opposite 4 Iowa gamers on the court docket
If we have now discovered something on this NCAA match, it’s that Iowa is a strong all-around workforce that occurs to even have the perfect participant within the nation on their roster. From defensive performs to others selecting up baskets, the Hawkeyes have proven you will should beat others on their workforce as a way to win.
“We don’t win all of the video games we have now this 12 months with out each single individual on our roster. And clearly Caitlin goes to get all her credit score as a result of she deserves it and he or she is an incredible participant however we don’t win all our video games with out [the others],” stated veteran participant Kate Martin. “[People] may assume it’s a one individual present however we all know it’s not and Caitlin is aware of it’s not.”
Undefeated groups in girls’s match historical past
Solely 10 groups have entered the postseason with an unbeaten document within the historical past of the ladies’s match. 9 groups all got here out winners, aside from Notre Dame, who misplaced to fellow undefeated UConn in 2004.
It could be a reasonably superb end to a season for South Carolina to by no means have dropped a sport and reducing down the nets ultimately.
“It’s actually onerous to consider that we’re undefeated as a result of I don’t really feel it. As a training workers, we have now to pinch ourselves to even know that’s true as a result of deep down we see what our shortcomings are each single day,” Staley stated.
Regardless of what Staley says, many coaches all through the match have talked in regards to the expertise on their workforce. South Carolina is a 6.5-point favourite over Iowa in Sunday’s nationwide championship sport and after 40 minutes of play, we could have a brand new champion.
