South Carolina plays Louisville in the WBB Final Four. How to watch, what to know
The No. 1 overall seed South Carolina women’s basketball team starts the final leg of its journey to the ultimate goal Friday at Target Center in Minneapolis.
The Gamecocks will play fellow No. 1-seed Louisville, which won the Wichita Regional, in the Final Four — with a trip to the NCAA tournament championship on the line.
“At the end of the day, we’re going to be judged by championships,” Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley said. “That’s the thing that most people remember. Do we feel pressure to win? Yeah, because we’re a pretty good basketball team. We’re here. Will us not winning define who we are and what we’re able to accomplish? No.”
Here’s what you need to know before the Gamecocks’ Final Four game.
SC brings strong defense, offensive improvement to Final Four
The Gamecocks have allowed an average of 41.25 points through their first four games of the NCAA tournament. They made history by holding No. 16 Howard and No. 8 Miami to a combined 54 points, the lowest ever in the first two rounds.
While South Carolina’s defensive presence was never in question, its offense sputtered in the tournament’s early rounds. The Gamecocks shot 35.4% against Howard, 29.5% against Miami and 33.3% against UNC, mustering wins because of their defense.
The good news? South Carolina’s offense pieced together a stronger performance on the offensive end against Creighton in the Elite Eight, shooting 50.9% from the field.
USC junior guard Zia Cooke said this week’s practices have been focused on both self-improvement and scouting Louisville.
“We do practice to know our opponent,” Cooke said, “to know exactly what we need to do, how we can score on offense. Just an all-around combination of both.”
Gamecocks open Minneapolis trip with big awards
South Carolina started its Minneapolis trip with a clean sweep of the Naismith awards Wednesday.
Aliyah Boston won both National Player of the Year and National Defensive Player of the Year, while Staley won the award for national women’s college Coach of the Year.
“I’m definitely excited for both of them,” Cooke said. “It was a moment for me that I looked at, and I was super excited for both of them, just seeing them able to do that. Aliyah, I definitely thought she deserved it 100 percent. Even if she didn’t get the award, to us, she would have been our Player of the Year.
Boston won the Naismith Trophy over Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, Stanford guard Haley Jones and Baylor forward NaLyssa Smith.
“It’s exciting to see (Staley and Boston win), but it’s more exciting to be coached by (Staley) and play next to (Boston),” South Carolina junior guard Brea Beal said. “I think you get to learn so much just watching and listening. That’s really the best part for me.”
Scouting the Louisville Cardinals
Jeff Walz’s Louisville team earned the fourth No. 1 seed in the tournament with a placement in the Wichita Region. The Cardinals finished second in the ACC, behind the NCAA tournament’s third overall seed N.C. State, but were eliminated from their conference tournament early in a close quarterfinals upset to Miami.
South Carolina defeated Miami in the Greensboro Region, when the 8th-seeded Hurricanes lost 49-33 in round two at Colonial Life Arena.
The Cardinals bounced back from their early exit in the ACC tournament, advancing to the Final Four behind wins over No. 16 Albany, No. 9 Gonzaga, No. 4 Tennessee and No. 3 Michigan.
Louisville is powered by sophomore guard Hailey Van Lith, who’s scored 20 or more in all four of Louisville’s NCAA tournament games. She dropped 22 points on 60% shooting in the Cardinals’ 62-50 Elite Eight win over 3-seed Michigan on Monday and was named the Wichita Region’s most outstanding player.
Cardinal forward Emily Engstler is another primary player, averaging 13.5 points and 11 rebounds in this year’s NCAA tournament. She finished with 20 points and 10 rebounds in Louisville’s Sweet 16 win over Tennessee.
Staley has coached with Walz in USA Basketball and had high praise for the Louisville head coach ahead of Friday’s matchup.
“I like how he’s wired,” Staley said. “He’s a super competitor, great basketball mind, great motivator. I’m looking forward to the challenge of playing Louisville. There are only four teams standing, and we’re very, very lucky to be matched up with each other. I’m looking forward to an exciting semifinal.”
How to watch South Carolina vs. Louisville in the NCAA tournament
Who: No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks (33-2) vs. No. 1 Louisville Cardinals (29-4)
When: Friday, 7 p.m.
Where: Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Watch on TV and stream: ESPN and ESPN app
South Carolina women’s basketball roster
Listed with position, height, class and hometown
- 0 — Olivia Thompson (G, 5-8, Jr.) Lexington, SC
- 1 — Zia Cooke (G, 5-9, Jr.) Toledo, Ohio
- 2 — Eniya Russell (G, 6-1, So., Baltimore, Md.)
- 3 — Destanni Henderson (G, 5-7, Sr.) Fort Myers, Fla.
- 4 — Aliyah Boston (F, 6-5, Jr.) St. Thomas, USVI
- 5 — Victaria Saxton (F, 6-2, Sr.) Rome, Ga.
- 10 — Kamilla Cardoso (C, 6-7, So.) Montes Claros, Brazil
- 11 — Destiny Littleton (G, 5-9, Sr.) San Diego, Calif.
- 12 — Brea Beal (G, 6-1, Jr.) Rock Island, Illinois
- 15 — Laeticia Amihere (F, 6-4, Jr.) Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
- 20 — Sania Feagin (F, 6-3, Fr.) Ellenwood, Ga.
- 23 — Bree Hall (G, 6-0, Fr.) Dayton, Ohio
- 24 — LeLe Grissett (G, 6-2, Gr.) Durham, NC
- 25 — Raven Johnson (G, 5-8, Fr.) Atlanta, Ga.
- 32 — Elysa Wesolek (F, 6-1, Sr.) Charleston, SC
- 44 — Saniya Rivers (G, 6-1, Fr.) Wilmington, NC
This story was originally published April 1, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
