South Carolina Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley celebrating.
(Photo Courtesy Los Angeles Magazine)
The South Carolina Gamecocks are the NCAA Women’s Basketball National Champions after defeating the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75.
This title marks the third for head coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks and their second in the last three seasons. Their win topped off an incredible 38-0 season, making the Gamecocks the 10th team to have an undefeated season and the fifth program to do so. The win was also sweet revenge, as Iowa eliminated South Carolina from the NCAA Tournament last year.
Tessa Johnson and Kamilla Cardosa led South Carolina with 19 and 15 points respectively. Raven Johnson had 13 points, five assists, and two rebounds, but it was her defense that limited Iowa’s Caitlin Clark to 30 points, with only 12 in the final 30 minutes of the game. Kamilla Cardosa also had 17 rebounds and was named the MVP.
After the game, coach Dawn Staley was very emotional. In her interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, she said “I’m so proud, so proud. I am so incredibly happy for our players. It doesn’t always end like you want it to end, much like last year. I’m just super proud of where I work, I’m super proud of our fans. It’s awesome. It’s unbelievable.”
Staley is the AP Coach of the Year and has a 109-3 record in her last three seasons at South Carolina. She became the fifth coach to win three championships.
The growing popularity of women’s basketball was evident throughout March Madness. On Sunday, ESPNPR reported on X: “18.7 million viewers, up 89% from ’23 & 285% from ’22, most watched basketball game (men’s or women, college or pro since ’19, and most watched sporting event since “19 (excl. football & Olympics.”
Although disappointed to not have won an NCAA title, Caitlin Clark finished her college career as the NCAA Division I All-Time Leading Scorer. Next week, Clark is expected to be the WNBA’s first overall pick. Coach Staley said, “I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport. And it’s just — it’s not going to stop here on the collegiate tour, but when she is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well.”
Caitlin Clark will be joined in the WNBA Draft by other top prospects like South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards, LSU’s Angel Reese, and Stanford’s Cameron Brink.
As for South Carolina, they will continue celebrating their 2024 NCAA Women’s Championship and strategize for next season. Congratulations to the South Carolina Gamecocks and Coach Staley!
Written by Justin Hill for The Dean Daily - Dean College's Student-Run Newspaper
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