South Carolina WBB vs. Texas in NCAA Final Four: How to watch, top storylines
South Carolina women’s basketball has made it to the final weekend.
Now, the Final Four awaits.
Coach Dawn Staley and the No. 1 Gamecocks will play fellow No. 1 seed Texas in the first of two national semifinals on Friday night in Tampa, Florida.
Here’s what else you need to know for the game:
South Carolina vs. Texas game, TV info
- Who: No. 1 South Carolina (34-3) vs. No. 1 Texas (35-3)
- When: 7 p.m. Friday
- Where: Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: 107.5 The Game locally (see full list of affiliates here)
- Stream: Via watchespn.com or the ESPN app
- Betting line: South Carolina by 5.5 points
- Next up: The winner of the South Carolina-Texas game plays either No. 1 UCLA or No. 2 UConn in the 2025 national championship game on Sunday (3 p.m., ABC)
A familiar group of final opponents for USC
Last year, South Carolina didn’t have much in-season bulletin board material. USC was 36-0 entering the 2024 Final Four before dispatching NC State and Iowa to win the national title. Things are a little different this year.
The 2025 Final Four features the Gamecocks and the only three teams that have beaten them this season. South Carolina lost at UCLA by 15 points, at Texas on Feb. 9 by 4 points and at home against UConn by 29 points (which snapped a major streak).
For context, USC lost three games combined from 2021-23.
Of course, South Carolina has already gotten some revenge by beating Texas in the 2025 SEC championship game in Greenville, 64-45, in early March.
Plus, USC beat Texas by 17 points in Columbia in January.
In terms of Final Four opponents, though, it’s the first time South Carolina has entered the final weekend alongside three teams it lost to earlier in the year. So, despite USC’s standing as the No. 2 overall seed in the field and the reigning national champion, there’s still some added pressure given who’s on the other side.
That’s evident despite South Carolina being favored by 5.5 points on Friday.
“It’s going to come down to heart, effort and controlling the things that we can control, which is attitude and effort,” USC guard Te-Hina Paopao said Thursday.
Added coach Dawn Staley: “The time that they beat us, it was foul trouble for us. Like, early foul trouble, where we had to change up how we just substitute. And that throws our cadence off. So I think it’s just about our bigger offensive runs at any given time within the game.”
Texas trending up?
The Gamecocks trailed in the fourth quarter of their Sweet 16 win against No. 4 Maryland and their Elite Eight win against No. 2 Duke. South Carolina won those games by a combined eight points – and the back-to-back four points were its two closest wins since its season opener against Michigan (six points).
Texas had a bit of a different second weekend in Birmingham.
The Longhorns trailed by two points early in the fourth quarter vs. No. 5 Tennessee in the Sweet 16 before taking control and winning by eight. And Texas never trailed during its Elite Eight win vs. No. 2 TCU on Monday night, ultimately winning by 11.
“We have a thing right now that the job’s not done,” UT coach Vic Schaefer said Thursday. “We’re excited we got past the Elite Eight in Birmingham. But these kids are here to compete and so am I.”
Teams are going to be challenged in the NCAA Tournament. But USC’s had a few more tense moments to date – which gives Texas an intriguing opportunity, as a team that’s already beaten the Gamecocks once (but trails 2-1 in the 2025 “series”).
One key for Texas will be getting star guard and SEC Player of the Year Madison Booker going. She has averaged 16.5 points per game this season but only 12.3 points per South Carolina and has more turnovers vs. USC (eight) than assists (four).
“I feel like we do know them inside and out as much as they probably know us inside and out,” Longhorns guard Rori Harmon, adding that “once talent meets talent and all that, it doesn’t really matter anymore. ... It’s about preparation and who’s going to step up on the biggest stage.”
South Carolina vs. Texas game notes
South Carolina is playing in its fifth consecutive Final Four, the longest active streak in the NCAA and the second-longest ever (UConn, 14 from 2008-22)
Staley has led USC to seven Final Fours, all of them since 2015
The Gamecocks are trying to become the first Division I women’s basketball team to win back-to-back national titles since UConn won four in a row from 2013-16
This is Texas’ first Final Four appearance since 2003 and fourth overall
The Longhorns have 11 wins over ranked teams and six wins over top 10 teams
This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 3:23 PM.
