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On the afternoon of April 7, history was made in more ways than one. Head Coach Dawn Staley and the South Carolina Gamecocks completed the perfect season finishing 38-0 and winning the Women’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. This tournament proved to be different than years past, due to the exponential growth within the women’s game that has been facilitated by the star power and athletic prowess of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and others. The title game peaked at 24.1 million viewers, more than a 200 percent increase in viewers from the title game just two years ago.
Taking a step back from the growth of the game, South Carolina’s had an equally as historic undefeated season. South Carolina’s Road to dominance can be traced back to last season when they posted an impressive 36-1 record. Their only loss would come in the Final Four against the same Iowa Hawkeyes women’s basketball team, who they would face in this year’s championship. Channeling the disappointment from not winning it all in the prior season, Staley and her team set out on a mission this season to ensure that history did not repeat itself.
South Carolina consequently did just that, proving to be a force within women’s college basketball and was ultimately too much for Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes to handle in the championship game, toppling them with a final score 87-75 to cap off an undefeated season. Joining elite company, as only 10 collegiate programs on both the men’s and women’s side of college basketball have ever accomplished the touted “perfect” season.
It is refreshing to see the women’s side of the game finally receive the attention and recognition that it deserves. There has been no shortage of incredible performances throughout this year’s tournament, and despite the immediate disappointment that Clark feels after coming short of the championship, her performance this season has been nothing short of incredible.
After this year’s tournament, Clark has cemented her status as one of the all-time greats in women’s college basketball. Within the NCAAW tournament, Clark now holds the record for Women’s Division 1 record for points, assists, and 3-pointers. Alongside tournament specific records, Clark is also the active NCAA women’s all-time leader in career points. It is evident that she left everything that she had on the court and has a bright future in the WNBA as the projected first overall pick in this year’s upcoming draft.
Many hope that the excitement surrounding the women’s game carries over into next year because it is safe to say that there is no shortage of rising stars within the game that will seek to lead their teams to success in the future. However, for now, the South Carolina Gamecocks had a historic season that will be remembered for years to come.
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/caitlin-clark-iowa-ncaa-1d88d50c2db783b6e5b075e7243dcc85
Daniel Silva is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
