The stage is set. In their second-ever NCAA Final Four appearance, the Iowa Hawkeyes are tasked with dethroning reigning champions South Carolina.
That’s right folks, South Carolina. We are now in the big leagues facing the best of the best for a chance at the National Championship. The Gamecocks have dominated this March Madness, blowing out Norfolk State and Southern Florida before defeating tough opponents in UCLA and Maryland.
This is what Dawn Staley’s team has done all season. As the top team in the nation, they’ve dominated the teams that they should put into the dirt while constantly locking in to defeat the tougher opponents. For how tough their road to the Final Four has been, they haven’t faced a team soaring quite like the Hawkeyes yet.
Iowa took that massive loss to Maryland at the end of the season personally. After that 96-68 loss to the Terps, the Hawks have rattled off eight straight victories. They’ve seemingly hit that next level this postseason, set to prove that their second seed doesn’t mean a thing. They’re out to win the whole thing.
If star guard Caitlin Clark has her way, she will cut down the nets when it’s all said and done. The likely Player of the Year exploded in the Hawkeyes’ Elite Eight matchup against Louisville, with the first-ever 40-point triple-double in an NCAA Tournament game.
On the other side is the mighty undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks. Led by Dawn Staley and reigning Player of the Year Aliyah Boston, they aren’t keen on giving up their crown just yet. They want a repeat.
Ahead of possibly the biggest matchup in NCAA women’s basketball history, here is a look at South Carolina.