South Carolina women’s basketball will not be able to defend its NCAA title in 2022 after losing 77-73 to 2-seed Iowa in the Final Four on Friday at American Airlines Center.

The Gamecocks (36-1) fell behind Iowa (31-6) early in the first quarter and never recovered. South Carolina led for only two minutes and never by more than one point despite eight lead changes. Despite cutting Iowa’s lead to two points in the final 10 seconds, the Gamecocks were never able to close the gap completely.

On Sunday, the Hawkeyes will face 3-seed LSU (33-2) in the national championship game (3:30, ESPN).

South Carolina’s season came to an end after 42 straight victories dating back to March 2022, as well as the program’s first undefeated regular season. Seniors for the Gamecocks finish their careers with a 129-9 overall record and three consecutive Final Four appearances.

The offense cannot recover from a disastrous first quarter.
The Gamecocks offense looked lost in the first quarter against one of the worst defenses in the country, and Zia Cooke was the only reason South Carolina stayed within striking distance. She led the Gamecocks with nine first-quarter points on 4-of-8 shooting, while the rest of the team combined for four points on 2-of-10 shooting. Cooke had 24 points and eight rebounds in the game.

South Carolina attempted 12 3-pointers in the first half, but only one was made by Bree Hall. Redshirt freshman Raven Johnson hit 3-of-6 beyond the arc in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Iowa’s seven team 3-pointers.

In the midst of foul trouble, bench forwards step up.
After picking up two early fouls, Gamecocks star Aliyah Boston sat out the entire second quarter, but Laeticia Amihere and Kamilla Cardoso filled in. Amihere led the team in scoring at halftime with eight points, six rebounds, and two assists.

Cardoso had an impact on every aspect of the game. She finished with 14 points and 14 rebounds on 7-of-9 shooting for her ninth double-double of the season. She also put in three blocks.

Caitlin Clark can’t be stopped by the Gamecocks’ defense.
South Carolina’s defense has been its calling card all season, but Clark and Iowa’s No. 1 scoring offense dismantled their system with an intense pace and a high volume of 3-point attempts. Clark led at halftime with 19 points, and despite shooting only 5-of-17 on her signature 3-pointers, she finished the game 15-of-31 from the field. She ended up with 41 points.

Monika Czinano also had a strong showing against the Gamecocks’ elite post players. Cardoso struggled to keep the Iowa center in front of her with Boston largely off the floor due to foul trouble. Czinano had 18 points and three rebounds.

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