The long-awaited rematch is finally happening.
Approximately a year after a stellar performance by Caitlin Clark led to Iowa’s surprising victory over an undefeated South Carolina team in the Final Four in Dallas with 41 points, the two squads are ready to clash once more.
This time, it’s in the grand stage of the national title match.
The undefeated No. 1 South Carolina will meet No. 1 Iowa and their star player Clark on Sunday afternoon to wrap up a remarkable season for women’s college basketball, which has witnessed unparalleled growth in terms of audience and attendance.
The national championship showdown last year between Iowa and LSU attracted an average of 9.9 million viewers, as reported by ESPN. This number was surpassed by the Friday night’s electrifying showdown in the Final Four between third-seeded UConn and the Hawkeyes, with a viewership of 14.2 million, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever broadcast on any ESPN platform.
Iowa emerged victorious by defeating the Huskies 71-69.
With a prominent airing slot on ABC at 3 p.m. ET, Sunday’s game between South Carolina (37-0) and Iowa (34-4) is poised to draw even more attention.
“It’s a monumental game for our game. We’re very fortunate to be a part of it,” Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley said. “I hope it’s the most-watched game. … I hope that everybody gets exactly what they want out of it.”
What South Carolina cherishes the most is to wrap up an undefeated season and bring home their third national championship to Columbia, S.C.
In the semifinals, third-seeded North Carolina State stayed competitive with the formidable Gamecocks in the initial half, trailing by a solitary point at halftime. However, South Carolina surged ahead by outscoring the Wolfpack 29-6 in the third quarter, sealing a dominant 78-59 victory.
The key for the Gamecocks against North Carolina State was their dominant presence in the paint. Kamilla Cardoso led the charge with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while sophomore Ashlyn Watkins secured a career-best 20 rebounds.
When opponents prioritize defending against South Carolina in the interior, it creates opportunities for shooters like Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao, who collectively shot 5-for-10 from beyond the arc against the Wolfpack.
Paopao, the leading deep shooter on the team with an impressive 46.2 percent accuracy, didn’t participate in the matchup against Iowa in the previous year’s national semifinals. She transferred from Oregon to South Carolina in the offseason with the ambition of contending for a championship. Presently, Paopao is on the verge of accomplishing that dream.
“It’s an amazing feeling. Everything is sunk in already. … I know we’re not done yet,” Paopao said. “We’ve got one job to do. We’ve got to take care of business (Sunday).”
The opposing team boasts an adept 3-point shooter in Clark, the highest scorer in the annals of Division I college basketball (for men and women).
Despite her struggles during the win over UConn where she equaled her season-low of 21 points, Clark is primed to confront South Carolina’s robust defense, which leads the nation in defensive shooting statistics, restricting opponents to a mere 32.2 percent shooting accuracy.
“I didn’t shoot the ball great. I made some shots there at the end. I thought (UConn’s Nika Muhl) played tremendous defense, picked me up 94 feet,” Clark said of Friday’s game. “That’s something that South Carolina is going to do too.”
While Clark encountered difficulties in scoring against the Huskies, she excelled in facilitating with seven assists, aided by her teammates stepping up. Hannah Stuelke contributed 23 points and Kate Martin added 11 points along with eight rebounds.
“Hannah, let’s keep riding that high. She knows she can do it now. Every challenge gets bigger,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “Look at the challenges she’s had already in this tournament. Hannah has grown up throughout this tournament, and she’s going to have an unbelievable challenge (Sunday).”
Stuelke only played 12 minutes in the previous year’s faceoff against South Carolina, which resulted in a 77-73 triumph for the Hawkeyes.
