The Final Four of the 2023 March Madness Women’s NCAA tournament is set and the teams are heading to Dallas, Texas.
This is the first time in program history that Virginia Tech is advancing to the Final Four and it’s LSU’s first Final Four since 2008. The two schools go head-to-head on Friday, Mar. 31st at 6:00 p.m. CT.
This is not, however, the first Final Four appearance for powerhouse South Carolina as they are looking to defend their 2022 National Championship and finish this season with a perfect record.
Iowa, however, is earning its first trip to the Final Four since 1993. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark cemented why Iowa deserved to be in the Final Four with her Elite Eight dominance. She became the first player in NCAA Tournament history to record a 40-point triple-double. The Gamecocks and the Hawkeyes battle it out Friday, Mar. 31st at 8:00 p.m. CT for a spot in the National Championship game.
Both games can be seen on ESPN.
No. 1 Virginia Tech vs. No. 3 LSU
This matchup is unexpected, but will be full of superb basketball. The Tigers are already on fire with Angel Reese dominating with double-doubles this season and seemingly endless stellar on-court performances. The Hokies are walking into uncharted waters for their program, but their head coach Kenny Brooks is leading the way and anything is possible for this team.
Both teams are coming into this matchup with some impressive statistics. Hokies Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore combined for 49 points in their 84-74 victory over Ohio State in the Elite Eight. LSU’s Angel Reese leads the NCAA in double-doubles with 32 this season. In LSU’s win over Miami, LSU guard Alexis Morris led the Tigers with 21 points.
Both sides are doing impressive things in this tournament and it is difficult to predict who might pull out a victory. In LSU’s win against Miami, 54-42, they defended strongly and kept the score lower than expected. If the Tigers can continue to use that sort of defense against the Hokies then they might pull out a win. However, the Hokies have a fire that will be tough to extinguish and if they continue to rack up points then they will punch their ticket to the championship game.
Pick: Virginia Tech
The second game features two red hot teams on a collision course.
No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 2 Iowa
This is a matchup people have been hoping for all year and it will be the pinnacle of basketball this season. Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks are hungry for a repeat of last season and want to keep their season perfect. With big Kamilla Cardoso dominating in the paint and forward Aliyah Boston snagging rebounds and throwing up points, they will be an impressive opponent for the Hawkeyes. The Gamecocks come into this Final Four matchup after having defeated Maryland, 86-75.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark recorded her 11th career triple-double with 41 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds in their win over Louisville, 97-83. Clark became the first player in NCAA Tournament history, men’s or women’s, to record a 40-point triple-double. Clark isn’t the only Iowa player to rack up some impressive stats in the Elite Eight. Teammate McKenna Warnock notched her 20th double-digit game with 17 points and five rebounds and Gabbie Marshall had 14 points.
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If Iowa can pressure South Carolina and force turnovers then Clark will have the opportunity to do what she does and that will translate to a win for Iowa. However, this is new territory for the Hawkeyes and sometimes experience in these high-pressure situations equals victory. The Gamecocks have been here before and they understand what to expect. This gives them a slight edge over Iowa.