Last season, the South Carolina Gamecocks were 36-0 when they met the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Final Four. In shocking fashion, Iowa upended SC by four points, 77-73, sending the Gamecocks home, and any chance of a perfect season along with it.
On Sunday afternoon, South Carolina avenged that defeat, handling Iowa 87-75 for the program's third championship since 2017 (2022 was the occurrence of the other title).
The Hawkeyes started the game scorching hot, racing to a 10-0 lead as second team All-Big 10 senior Kate Martin hit a wing three and then a pull-up jumper from the right baseline. Caitlin Clark hit a right-wing triple over Kamilla Cardoso to get the lead to 10-0. Cardoso, expected to be one of the top choices in the WNBA Draft next week, stopped the run with a layup after missing on her first two attempts inside. 15 points, 17 rebounds, and three blocks was her final stat line, a major factor on the interior.
On the next Iowa possession, Clark was fouled by Bree Hall beyond the three-point arc, and made all three-free throws. Moments later, she was fouled on another three-point attempt, and this time made two-of-three from the line as the Hawkeyes led 20-9.
Like the great teams do, the Gamecocks responded, going on an 11-2 run, a stretch in which guard MiLaysia Fulwiley scored on a scoop layup and a three off the right wing. Fulwiley, at 5 feet, 10 inches, is unusually quick and fast for someone her size. She, along with fellow freshman Tessa Johnson, provides some of the core of Dawn Staley's program over the next few years.
Johnson, who had a tremendous output off the bench with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting, also played a key role in a 7-0 run that tied the game up at 27, hitting a jumper and a transition layup. Cardoso continued to make her presence known early, blocking a shot from Addison O'Grady and scoring a layup at the offensive end. The teams played each other tight for the remainder of the quarter, with a major sequence at the end of the half allowing South Carolina to take a 49-46 lead into halftime.
First, Te-Hina Paopao, a senior who had a great game with 14 points, hit on a three to give her team a 47-46 edge. Then Raven Johnson, who played solid defense all game long on Clark, stole the ball and laid it up as the seconds ticked off. Clark scored 21 in the half while Cardoso scored 11 and had seven rebounds.
To begin the second half, Chloe Kitts got the Gamecocks off to a good start, hitting a leaning layup inside and connecting on a smooth baseline jump shot. Paopao hit a pull-up jumper to stretch the lead to nine, 55-46. Clark stopped the run with a tough driving layup inside, and found Gabbie Marshall in the corner for a triple. Moments later, Clark, running in transition, found a cutting Hannah Stuelke for a layup. On the next possession, Clark drove and spun on Raven Johnson for a layup, cutting the deficit to two, 57-55. Ashlyn Watkins, who had 20 rebounds against North Carolina State in the Final Four, cleaned up a Hall miss for a timely rebound and score that gave SC breathing room, if just a little, and stopped the Iowa run. With just under four minutes to go in the quarter, Tessa Johnson hit a three for her 12th point to get the lead to seven, and Hall connected from downtown from virtually the same spot to extend the lead to 10, 65-55. The Gamecocks took an 11-point lead after Tessa Johnson drilled a three with 1:06 to go in the quarter, and they took a 68-59 lead into the fourth.
South Carolina was able to keep the Hawkeyes at bay in the final frame - Cardoso too much inside, whether it was scoring or putting pressure on Iowa to defend. Fulwiley and Watkins made two particular standout defensive plays - Fulwiley skying to knock a three-quarter court pass from Clark out of bounds, and Watkins chasing down Sydney Affolter with 6:13 on the clock, knocking the ball away (recovered by Hall) after Iowa went on an 8-0 run to get within six, 76-70. After Raven Johnson missed a jumper, Watkins, leaping for the rebound, was fouled by Martin.
After a mid-range jump shot from Hall got the lead back to eight, Affolter drove and was fouled, connecting on the layup. The three-point play brought the deficit to five, 80-75, with just over four minutes to go. Raven Johnson missed a wing three, but Martin drove, stopped and attempted a turnaround fade-away but was called for traveling. Paopao, driving at the other end, squeezed between Affolter and Marshall to draw the foul. Paopao hit one of two, and on the other end Cardoso stuffed an O'Grady shot attempt inside. After Raven Johnson missed a pull-up, Cardoso was clutch once again, securing the rebound and getting the put-back. Clark launched a triple from the top of the arc over Raven Johnson, but it was too strong.
The Gamecocks did a great job on Clark after her 18-point first quarter. Raven Johnson, primarily defending Clark the rest of the way, played a major role in Clark being just 5-for-20 shooting over the final three quarters. Johnson, when guarding Clark, forced her into four turnovers and held her to just seven points on 3-for-11 shooting. Clark finished with 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists but was 10-for-28 and made just five of 13 three-point attempts.
The 12-point victory for South Carolina was sweet revenge from last season's Final Four defeat. What they failed to do last year - a perfect season - was done this season. Staley, in tears in her on-court post game interview, did a fantastic job in leading her team to an undefeated season this year, spearheading a group of talented young women to a 38-0 record. You run out of words to describe Staley's impact on the program and in women's basketball in general. In the last three seasons, her program is 109-3 with two national championships. A star as a former player, she has brought more visibility to the women's game.
Also undoubtedly bringing visibility to the women's game was Clark, who had a spectacular, record-setting career as a Hawkeye. Among the records she set were passing Pete Maravich for career points in Division I, setting the single-season Division I women's points record passing Kelsey Plum, setting the women's Division I career three-point record, passing Taylor Robertson, and passing Steph Curry and Darius McGhee (who played at Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA) for the overall Division I three-point single-season record.
To say that Iowa will miss Clark is a grave understatement. They will return key players Stuelke and Affolter.
Staley's group, meanwhile, will see the returns of key players Raven and Tessa Johnson, Watkins, and Fulwiley, along with Kitts, Hall, and Sania Feagin. They are poised to be the favorites again next season.
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