South Carolina championship parade set for Sunday
The city’s parade to honor the South Carolina women’s basketball national championship team is to be held Sunday at 3 p.m., Mayor Steve Benjamin said Monday afternoon.
South Carolina defeated Mississippi State on Sunday to capture USC’s first basketball national championship.
The university band, cheerleaders and mascot Cocky all will be part of the event that is to end with a rally on the State House grounds.
Sunday was selected because the weather is forecast to be clear and in the mid-70s and team starter A’ja Wilson is to be back in town after the annual John Wooden award ceremony in Los Angeles, the mayor said. The Wooden award is presented to the nation’s most outstanding collegiate basketball players.
The men’s basketball team was eliminated from the NCAA tournament by Gonzaga on Saturday. Benjamin has said he would like the parade to also acknowledge the men’s season, which featured the school’s first appearance in the Final Four.
The parade for the @NCAA National Champions @GamecockWBB will be....Sunday April 9th 3pm @MainStDistrict @ColumbiaSC #GoCocks @UofSC
— Steve Benjamin (@SteveBenjaminSC) April 3, 2017
This story was originally published April 3, 2017 at 2:33 PM with the headline "South Carolina championship parade set for Sunday."