There may have been more hype for JuJu Watkins and USC, UCLA and Lauren Betts or even Paige Bueckers and UConn, but so far, no one has been able to beat South Carolina when it’s mattered.
They are the defending champions and are back in the Final Four. On Friday, they will play fellow No. 1-seed Texas.
Here is why the Gamecocks have a great shot at winning the program’s fourth national title:
Why South Carolina is as dangerous as ever
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The Gamecocks might not have a bona fide superstar who gets national attention, but the basketball gods do not care. They have a top-heavy team and a trio of dangerous players in MiLaysia Fulwiley, Joyce Edwards and Chloe Kitts.
South Carolina has a Goldilocks-like dream scenario with Edwards as their freshman leading-scorer, Kitts as their veteran forward and Fulwiley as their budding backcourt star. With such balance and diversity, it’s hard for teams to take anything away from the Gamecocks and turn it into an actual advantage.
During the NCAA Tournament, South Carolina has thrived with its depth. In its four games, it has had a different leading scorer in each, with different players also leading the team in assists. Now, they had some scares, trailing for moments against Indiana, Maryland and Duke, but in second halves, they’ve ramped things up and taken over each contest when it’s mattered.
South Carolina also suffered some tough losses against all the teams left in the tournament, but they beat Texas twice this year, and if they do it again, they’ll be back in the national title game.
Why South Carolina still has work to do
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While South Carolina has beaten Texas twice, they aren’t favorites, and that is fair considering how good UConn and UCLA have been. Those teams have senior leadership and play like the experienced and poised teams that they are.
Also, with UConn and UCLA having beaten South Carolina, they have proof of concept that they can get it done. Bueckers and Betts are on a mission to win it all, and for South Carolina to defend their title, they’ll have to beat one of them in the end. Winning it all is tough; repeating feels borderline impossible given the current parity in women’s college basketball.
In a single-elimination tournament, it’s so easy for something to go wrong and end your journey to greatness. So far, South Carolina has had struggles, but they shouldn’t be counted out until someone takes them down.
I might be late to the party, but until I see them lose, I’m going with SC the rest of the way.
