3 takeaways from South Carolina's national championship win over Iowa capping undefeated season
South Carolina has achieved perfection. The Gamecocks played their final game of the 2023-24 season, and finished 38-0 as national champions. The Gamecocks are the first undefeated champions since UConn in 2016.
Dawn Staley’s squad defeated Iowa 87-75 in a battle of 1 seeds for the Women’s NCAA Tournament championship game. The Hawkeyes got out to a 10-0 lead in the 1st quarter, but South Carolina chipped away and went ahead before the half and outlasted every Iowa rally in the 2nd half.
Here are 3 quick takeaways on South Carolina’s big win:
It all started on the glass
South Carolina dominated the glass, winning the rebound battle 51-29 in Sunday’s championship game. Kamilla Cardoso accounted for a career-high 17 rebounds.
When Iowa had the ball, the Hawkeyes managed just 7 offensive rebounds to South Carolina’s 33 defensive boards.
Offensively, the Gamecocks were the better shooting team. South Carolina shot 48% from the field to Iowa’s 40%, and grabbed 18 offensive rebounds in the process. When it came to second-chance points, South Carolina won the battle 30-16.
It’s no secret that Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes like to shoot the 3-ball. The Gamecocks finished as the more efficient team from beyond the arc, making 8-of-19 (42%) to the Hawkeyes’ 9-of-23 (39%).
Kamilla Cardoso, getting it done on both ends of the floor. pic.twitter.com/3mPCOoLbei
— Steve Jones Jr. (@stevejones20) April 7, 2024
Caitlin Clark was going to get her share of points, but the Gamecocks kept it from being a Clark Takeover game
There’s no shutting down Caitlin Clark, but South Carolina effectively contained the Iowa superstar for 3 of 4 quarters.
When Iowa jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the opening minutes without a Clark score, it looked like the Gamecocks might be in for a long day.
Clark, of course, was going to score. She made it a 10-0 game in the 1st quarter, which she ended up dominating with 18 points to give Iowa a 27-20 lead.
After Clark’s sensational 1st quarter, the Gamecocks were able to contain the sport’s scoring leader.
Over the final 3 quarters, Clark shot just 5-of-20 from the field, including 2-of-9 from 3-point range. Clark finished with 30 points, but at 10-of-28 shooting, South Carolina’s defense won the matchup.
Bench contributors made the difference
Dawn Staley takes pride in her team’s deep rotation. South Carolina’s depth was the difference on Sunday.
With a rotation of 9, South Carolina figured to win the bench-scoring battle. Still, no one expected the final tally to be 37-0 when it came to bench scoring.
Tessa Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley were two of South Carolina’s top reserve contributors.
Johnson led the Gamecocks with 19 points. Playing 25 minutes, Johnson was 7-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point territory. Johnson added 4 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 assist.
Tessa Johnson can’t miss right now ?@MarchMadnessWBB pic.twitter.com/mqtatRGDfb
— Overtime (@overtime) April 7, 2024
Fulwiley was key in the early going to keep up with Iowa. She scored 7 points in the 1st quarter on 3-of-4 shooting from the field, including a triple. She finished with 9 points, along with 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 block over 18 minutes.
This is a hell of a play from MiLaysia Fulwiley pic.twitter.com/txBOpUtbet
— Mark Schindler (@MG_Schindler) April 7, 2024
Congrats lady coots….what a season. Well deserved natty…
Congrats on USC!! Enjoyed the game. Glad someone put that “goat” nonsense to bed.
Bench points 37-0 and rebound differential won the game. Iowa had a lot of missed open lay ups too that started USC’s runs. Iowa’s role players didn’t play their best game and Clark would score in grooves because Iowa’s players would get good looks and couldn’t convert. USC shot the 3 well though. Congrats to USC, but don’t act like most people watching didn’t tune it just to see Clark especially in her last game. That 1Q was unreal. She changed the woman’s game and she will get all the hate for not winning a natty but all around player, best to ever do it. Hard to root for a coach who wants biological men playing women sports. If you have a daughter, that should upset you.
She’s not the best to ever do it. Can’t have that title without rings! She’s the best scorer in women’s history and she is fun to watch.
So you’re saying Pistol Pete isn’t the best to ever do it as well?
pistol pete was a great scorer and man, but no, not the best basketball player ever.
Congratulations and a “what a year” to the lady Gamecocks.And thank you so for beating Caitlan Clark and Iowa’s attempt to compare her to the “Pistol”.If there was a three point line when I was in school at UT,Pete would have averaged around 60 per game.
Iowa had a great player…we had a great Teal! Go COCKS!!
Iowa had a great player…we had a great Team! Go COCKS!!
That’s the moral of the story. Cocky had the best team and bench overall, Iowa had the best player.
Congratulations to the Lady Gamecocks!
SC bench points 37 . . . Iowa “0”
SC rebounds 51 . . . Iowa 29
SC offensive rebounds 18 . . . Iowa 7
SC 2nd chance points 30 . . . Iowa 16
SC points in the paint 48 . . . Iowa 32
SC total shots made 35 . . . Iowa 25
Total Team Dominance and sayonara to Caitlin Clark and her one-(wo)man show. Iowa will now return to mediocrity, especially with UCLA and Southern Cal joining the conference.
So salty for someone who just won the natty. I mean she did beat you last year when you had the “better” team. This year USC was too big down low and hitting 3’s.
Disagree that last year’s team was better. They were definitely more experienced…but this year’s team is more dynamic, has more depth, and has a much better long range attack than last year’s team.
Congrats to SC for a great season. Undefeated National Champs. Can’t do better than that.
It was a good game. Proud of the ladies on our team and Coach Staley on their accomplishments this year. Clark was amazing to watch throughout the finals and hopefully will do just as well in the WNBA.
South Carolina has a team full of talent. They hit shots all over the court and played tough defense. Fun game to watch, but SC was just too much and too deep to lose to a singular phenom who didn’t have her best game…
All the hype about and well deserved for Clark was understandable, but one star is not what it takes to beat a great TEAM and a great COACH. I do think all of this did bring interest in women’s college basketball. I know I will be following UK BB with our new coach.
Way to go USC WBB