Caitlin Clark's Greatness Can't Overcome South Carolina's Dominance In National Championship
CLEVELAND – Caitlin Clark is the greatest women's college basketball player in history. But the South Carolina Gamecocks team, coached by Dawn Staley, is arguably the most dominant in any sport right now.
When those two collided on Sunday at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, it was the better team that captured the 2024 Women's NCAA National Championship.
South Carolina put the finishing touches on a 38-0 season, becoming the 10th team and fifth school – along with Baylor, UConn, Tennessee and Texas – to have an undefeated National Championship season. They defeated Iowa, 87-75.
South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley reacts against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2024 Women's NCAA Championship.
(Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports)
It's the third National Championship for Staley and the Gamecocks and second in the past three seasons. They've lost a total of three games since the start of the 2021 season, one of those coming in last year's Final Four over Iowa – which ended their bid for a perfect season. But USC got its revenge on Sunday afternoon and captured the crown.
Iowa burst out of the gate against South Carolina, scoring the first 10 points of the game. Hawkeyes not named Caitlin Clark scored the first seven before the star guard got into her rhythm. Following the 7-0 start, Clark would score the next 13 straight points for Iowa, stretching their lead to a game-high 11 points.
But that's when Dawn Staley made a key defensive adjustment that changed the course of the contest. Staley sent sophomore Raven Johnson to just go harass Clark every time she touched the ball.
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark dribbles the ball against South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson in the 2024 Women's NCAA National Championship.
(Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports)
Early in the game, the Gamecocks were content to let Clark enter the frontcourt with the ball. But the Johnson switch also changed that plan. Johnson worked to make it tough on Clark to even touch the basketball, no matter what she was on the court.
That stymied the Iowa star and allowed South Carolina to erase the early deficit and roar back. Clark scored 18 points in the first quarter, but just three in the second and had a costly turnover at the very end of the half that led to Johnson's only two points in the first 20 minutes.
Iowa led 46-44 before South Carolina scored the final five points of the second quarter, giving them a 49-46 lead going into the break in what was a frenetically-paced first half.
South Carolina kept rolling right into the second half, scoring the first six of the third quarter to put them on an 11-0 run and give them their biggest lead of the game to that point (9 points).
Gamecocks freshman Tessa Johnson – who openly talked about how she "lives through Christ" and wished the media a "Happy Easter" after her 15-point effort in South Carolina's Elite Eight win over Oregon State – played a major role once again.
South Carolina Gamecocks guard Tessa Johnson reacts after hitting a three-pointer against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2024 Women's NCAA Championship.
(Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports)
She hit two huge threes in the third quarter to help South Carolina take a nine-point lead into the final frame.
The fourth quarter wasn't without plenty of drama down the stretch. Caitlin Clark tried to keep her team in it, scoring five of her 30 points in the final frame, but it wasn't enough as the Hawkeyes couldn't get the defensive stops they needed down the stretch.
Caitlin Clark ends her Iowa and college career with the most points ever scored by any player, man or woman. But she never captured that elusive National Championship, which is sure to create a lot of debate about her GOAT status. Next stop for Clark: The WNBA Draft.