In a much-anticipated match, South Carolina, who has won the championship with a 38-0 perfect season, defeated Iowa 87-75. The win was a game of vengeance for the Gamecocks, blocking their sole defeat in 2023. This came as the team displayed dominance in the game through the adjustments they made in defense, flawless rebounding, and a big lead in the match against their opponent. The victory was a remarkable achievement in Dawn Staley’s career as it is her third national title, and it will just testify to the excellent work she has done with the team.
Clark, who is the all-time scoring leader in college basketball, dazzled the audience with his fashionable football jewels that he used to make a championship-game record 18 points in the first quarter. On the other hand, Raven Johnson, South Carolina’s player, drew himself to hold down the Iowa star, allowing the latter to score only 12 points in the final three quarters. South Carolina’s height advantage was a relentless and irrefutable defense as they outrebounded Iowa 51-29, including 18 offensive rebounds that translated into 30 points.
Starter players of Iowa saw playing for so long, while South Carolina’s substitutes made the racquet 37-0, particularly in the huge haul that freshman Tessa Johnson, with 19 personal best points, got. The Gamecocks squad kept their attack even with five The Gamecocks quad managed to even out the score in the first postseason game since the senior’s departure, proving that they are still a force to reckon with despite losing all five starters during the season. The team was also successful in the shooting of three-point shots, which was shown by the 8-of-19 shooting against Iowa, giving them unintended control over the game last season.
The defeat ended a marvelous college career for Clark, who could not live up to the expectation of the fans by winning Iowa’s first national title, although he scored 30 points in the final. As a matter of interest, Seniors Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall. The championship was the second season they participated in, and it was the end of their careers. Finally, with South Carolina’s, the tour is finished with a victory and a title, through which the team avenged the loss to the remaining five teams, Cleveland is one of them.
The coach’s brilliance was evident in building a championship roster around Cardoso and developing freshmen like Johnson and MiLaysia Fulwiley into immediate contributors. The Gamecocks’ defensive versatility was the key to an under-going Ihgha’s hot start, using length to contest and limit Clark’s signature deep threes. The rotations of South Carolina led to the Hawks as they also, on their thin bench, couldn’t contend with what the physicality was.
For Iowa, the game was the one that showed that the elite depth is not a joke. Clark’s eight assists showed her playmaking spark, but her teammates added just 7-of-24 three-pointers in the total list of shots from beyond the arc. The efforts of the Hawks’ ten points were not enough to calm the quiet of the doubters that came to the S. C. side; it was their time, and they never let it go.
The Championship game consolidates South Carolina’s place as the women’s basketball powerhouse of the South. This is the 10th Division I team to achieve a perfect season. The 51 rebounds that South Carolina accidentally set a new record for this may also be the answer. Clark’s 30 points also went down in the history books as the first player to have back-to-back 30-point NCAA championship game performances. The match also gained huge television ratings, underlining the increasing popularity of women’s college basketball.
While confetti rained in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, the tearful Staley dedicated the win to last year’s team, to whom she attributed the motivation they got after losing their semifinal game. The defeat of Iowa means the end of an era that saw Cloak being defined as the main character. The question of who will be in the game of potential new dynasties in Columbia has been answered. Maela said she did not like Iowa, so Carolina is her favorite team.
One could argue that the game is more than just the OxenCry scores, and the entirety of the event, both men and women, is full of competitivity. Being packed with fans and breaking the record of the highest number of viewers, the 2024 freak show called attention to the fact that the sport was quickly taking a leap off its traditional form. Sure, South Carolina is already on cloud nine now that everything is at its perfection. However, the basketball world is curious about the development of the rivalry, and it spells the start of a long journey for the two universities, in which both teams are aspiring for the national contenders.