What a season it was for women’s college basketball. In the quarterfinals of March Madness, eight teams (South Carolina, Oregon State, Texas, NC State, Iowa, LSU, USC, and UConn) put on quite the show for their fans. This year’s NCAA tournament was filled with exciting plays, each game bringing me to the edge of my seat.
Elite Eight:
South Carolina vs. Oregon State
In the Albany 1 bracket, South Carolina was favored to win. After an undefeated season, there was little doubt that any team could stop them. Ultimately, the team would go on to defeat third-seed Oregon State 70-58.
NC State vs. Texas
Next, NC State played the Texas Longhorns, whoever won would play South Carolina. After a close first quarter, the Wolfpack was able to grow a lead, and unfortunately, Texas could not close it. NC State made good use of their post players, particularly River Baldwin who scored 16 points. In addition, Saniya Rivers and Aziaha James lead NC State with a combined 38 points and 8 assists. Overall, these teams did an outstanding job, both being unranked in the preseason.
LSU vs. Iowa
Following the Portland 4 bracket was one of the most highly anticipated rematches—Iowa versus LSU. Averaging 12.3 million views, the first half of the game was filled with excitement. After a run by Iowa in the first couple minutes, LSU gained the lead through the first and second, however, the Hawkeyes were able to tie it back up at the half. In the third quarter, both Iowa and LSU put up a good fight, the lead going back and forth, however, the Hawkeyes were able to maintain a double-digit lead throughout the second half.
USC vs. UConn
Finally, USC versus UConn. After losing many of its players to injuries, UConn proved that their team was still able to play relentlessly and aggressively. After allowing an 8-0 run, the Huskies came back to trail USC 17-15 at the quarter. Both star players from each team (Paige Bueckers and Juju Watkins) scored 15 and 13 respectively in the second quarter. The game was close with many lead changes, but the Huskies were able to clinch the ticket to the Final Four with a run late in the fourth quarter.
Final Four:
South Carolina vs. NC State
What seemed like an easy matchup for the Gamecocks proved to be a tough battle against NC State. In the first quarter, the two teams were tied at 16 due to NC State’s tough defense against South Carolina’s top scorers, Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall, and MiLaysia Fulwiley. However, center Kamilla Cardoso led them to a one-point lead by scoring 16 points in the first half. The Gamecocks made a comeback in the third quarter, outscoring NC State 29-6. While South Carolina held star player Saniya Rivers to just 5 points the entire game, Aziaha James was the top scorer for her team with 20, followed by River Baldwin and Zoe Brooks, who each scored 12. After attaining a healthy lead, SC was able to cruise to victory.
UConn vs. Iowa
From the jump, UConn gave Nika Mühl the assignment of guarding Caitlin Clark, a job she put her all into. The Huskies limited Clark to 7-18 shots the entire game, but the guard still found ways to score 21 points. As the Huskies had only 6 players due to injuries, all players were indispensable. Despite only scoring 10+ points once before, freshman KK Arnolds finished the half with double-digit points. At the half, it seemed like UConn had secured a lead, up 32-36, but Iowa utilized post player Hannah Stuelke to gain a 2-point lead, and from there, it was an all-out battle. There were many lead changes, but Iowa was able to score after Caitlin Clark missed a free throw and Sydney Affolter secured an offensive rebound. A controversial foul call and crafty inbounds play later, Iowa had secured a ticket to the final round of March Madness!
National Championship:
South Carolina vs. Iowa
And finally, we have the two teams going to the Finals, South Carolina and Iowa. If Iowa won, Caitlin Clark would secure her spot as one of the greats. However, if South Carolina won, the team would have gone undefeated the entire season. Right off the bat, Iowa had an 11-0 run, forcing Dawn Staley, coach of the Gamecocks, to reassess her strategy. Pulling freshman Tessa Johnson off the bench, the guard scored a team-high 19 points. After the brutal first quarter, South Carolina came back during the second quarter to finish with the lead, 49-46. Both teams have exceptional post players, particularly Kamilla Cardoso and Hannah Stuelke. The two were all over the court with 3 and 2 blocks and 15 and 11 points, respectively. In the second half, South Carolina was able to beat the Hawkeyes in both rebounding and scoring. As the Gamecocks extended their lead, the clock wound down and it became evident who would go home with a trophy. In the end, seven players on SC were able to score and South Carolina went undefeated for the entire season, heightening their reputation as a basketball powerhouse.
Without a doubt, the 2024 women’s college basketball season will go down in history. With 18.7 million views, this year’s March Madness was the first time the women’s game averaged more views than the men’s tournament. So many records were broken, and I can’t wait to see how the WNBA and next year’s season will play out!