South Carolina Wins WCBB Title vs. Caitlin Clark, Iowa, Wows Fans in Undefeated Year
Joseph Zucker@@JosephZucker
Featured Columnist IVApril 7, 2024
South Carolina needed just one year to rebuild itself all the way to a title.
The Gamecocks fended off a late charge by Iowa to beat the Hawkeyes 87-75 in the national championship game of the 2024 women's basketball tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.
The victory caps a perfect 38-0 season. UConn in 2015-16 was the last team to go unbeaten in Division I.
Iowa couldn't have hoped for a better start as it jumped out to a 20-9 lead with star guard Caitlin Clark scoring 18 points in the first quarter. South Carolina proceeded to outscore the Hawkeyes by 10 points in the second frame and didn't look back from there.
Clark finished with 30 points as she struggled to carry over her hot shooting across the rest of the game. Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson, who had plenty of motivation coming in, did a great job of smothering the national player of the year.
Center Kamilla Cardoso anchored the paint on both ends of the court with 15 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. The departure of Monika Czinano from last year's runner-up squad was glaring for the Hawkeyes.
Much like Jasmine Carson for LSU a season ago, Tessa Johnson was the wild card Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder didn't plan for. The South Carolina guard had a season-high 19 points off the bench.
Sean Hurd @seanahurdTessa Johnson only led South Carolina in scoring three times this season.<br><br>One of those came in the Elite Eight.<br><br>Another came today in the National Championship where she posted a career high 19 points.<br><br>The freshman stepped up BIG for the Gamecocks in the tournament. <a href="https://t.co/faGkoktx04">pic.twitter.com/faGkoktx04</a>
In general, it was impossible not to marvel at what Dawn Staley accomplished. The Gamecocks lost all five of their primary starters along with Laeticia Amihere from the 2022-23 season. This should've been a bit of a transitional year for the program.
Instead, South Carolina is the national champion.
Barack Obama @BarackObamaCongrats to <a href="https://twitter.com/GamecockWBB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GamecockWBB</a> and Coach <a href="https://twitter.com/dawnstaley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DawnStaley</a> on a perfect season and their third title! It's been an incredible year for women's basketball, and this team was so disciplined and talented. Well deserved. <a href="https://t.co/df5oWdl5a7">https://t.co/df5oWdl5a7</a>
Lindsay Gibbs @linzsportsWhat a season for South Carolina. What a coaching job from Dawn Staley. What a performance from the Gamecocks. What a special moment to witness in person.<br><br>What a day, what a weekend, what a year, what a LIFETIME OF EXISTENCE for women's sports.<br><br>Thank you, SC. Thank you, Iowa.
Staley and her coaching staff won't waste much time before they lay out the objective for 2024-25: going back-to-back.
Nearly the entire roster is due to return, with Cardoso the most notable player on the way out. Johnson and fellow guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, one of the most electrifying players in the country, are both just freshmen. Ashlyn Watkins and Chloe Kitts are sophomores.
Future success can never be assumed, but it's tough not to wonder how much more such a young squad can achieve.
