By Lydia Browne
The South Carolina Gamecocks reigned victorious by the end of the NCAA women’s basketball championship. The game pitted South Carolina against the Iowa Hawkeyes in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, April 7, creating a thrilling event.
Both teams had faced disappointments in the previous year, but this game provided the opportunity for redemption for South Carolina as, just last season, South Carolina had lost to Iowa in the Final Four, which was the team’s only loss that season. Iowa also had their share of disappointment when they lost to LSU in the championship game.
This year, both teams rebounded back from past disappointments, their starpower leading them towards victory. South Carolina had players such as ‘Most Outstanding Player’ Kamilla Cardoso, who is notable for her height of 6-foot-7 and strong basketball skills. She scored 15 points in the game and caught 17 rebounds—a high in her career. Tessa Johnson, a freshman, scored 19 points, also a career high. Furthermore, sophomore Chloe Kitts contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Te-Hina Paopao scored 14 points.
Iowa was not without their starpower, though, having famous players like Caitlin Clark, who is known for her high scoring performance on the court and the many records that she has broken during her college basketball career. She scored 30 points during the game.
The first quarter of the game was dominated by Iowa, who started the game with 10-0 and, at one point, led by 11. However, things took a turn in the second quarter, allowing South Carolina to take the lead with a score of 49-46 at halftime. This trend continued, and South Carolina was still on top by the end of the third quarter with a score of 68-59. The end of the game resulted in a South Carolina victory, with a score of 87-75.
This win marks multiple impressive accomplishments for the South Carolina team. They played a perfect season: 38 wins and no losses. This is the third time that the team has earned the national title, having previously won the championship in 2017 and 2022. The team continues to impress, having won 109 games with only 3 losses in the last three seasons.
There is no doubt that the results of the game are disappointing to the Iowa team, though perhaps even more so for their most well-known player Caitlin Clark. As a senior, the championship marked her final game playing for Iowa. Clark had previously announced that she planned to enter the 2024 WNBA draft, in which she is expected to be the No. 1 pick. Clark and basketball fans will soon be able to find out the results of the draft. It will be held in Brooklyn on April 15, and will air on ESPN.
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