South Carolina has had several rematches en route to their fourth national championship appearance. Sunday won’t be any different, as the Gamecocks play the UConn Huskies for the second time this season and the second time in the big game.
The Gamecocks are 5-10 all-time against the Huskies, including a 1-1 mark in NCAA Tournament meetings, with four of South Carolina’s victories coming in the last five meetings.
After losing to UConn in the Elite Eight in 2022, South Carolina got their revenge, taking down the Huskies in the 2022 National Championship game 64-49 for their second title. Gamecock seniors Bree Hall and Sania Feagin are the only players from that championship roster playing for the Gamecocks.
South Carolina will be looking to find their stride against a UConn team that rolled over the Gamecocks in Columbia in February. The Huskies dominated South Carolina from start to finish, giving the Gamecocks their first loss at Colonial Life Arena since 2020.
South Carolina had no answers throughout the game. The Gamecocks were overwhelmed from the start, struggling to keep up with the Huskies’ crisp passing to shooters. This opened up opportunities in the paint, giving UConn’s guards lanes to pass inside as well.
Crashing The Glass
South Carolina has been one of the best rebounding teams in the nation, ranking 15th with 42.1 rebounds per game and 15th in rebounding margin (+7.9).
The Gamecocks are 30-0 when tying or out-rebounding its opponent this season, including 10-0 against ranked teams.
In their loss against UConn in February, South Carolina was outrebounded 48-29, including a 15-6 advantage on the offensive glass. Frontcourt players like Chloe Kitts and Sania Feagin will need to box out UConn Sarah Strong, who grabbed 13 in the February matchup.
Freshman Duel
Speaking of Strong, the UConn freshman has been one of the best players in the tournament. Strong is averaging 18 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists during March Madness with 3 double-doubles.
Not only that; the freshman is shooting 63.8% from the field and 47.8% from three. While Paige Bueckers is the #1 option for the Huskies, Strong is a key piece in their dominance over the last month.
The Gamecocks have a star freshman of their own. After some low-scoring outings for Joyce Edwards, she became the first player in the last 25 years to come off the bench to add at least 10 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in an NCAA Tournament game.
Her 13 points, team-high 11 rebounds, and career-best six assists helped South Carolina overcome an early deficit against the Longhorns in the Final Four.
Edwards has been one of the better defenders on the team and will be matched up against Strong for portions of the game.
Strong Bench
South Carolina arguably has the deepest bench in the country and has used it to their advantage all season.
The Gamecock bench leads the nation this year with 40.5 points per game – nearly 10 points more than the second-place team. Their bench production accounts for over 50% of the total offense.
Even in their loss to UConn, the Gamecocks outscored the Huskies’ bench 31-13.
Led by the electric MiLaysia Fulwiley and Joyce Edwards, South Carolina will look to their young stars to keep pace with a talented UConn team when starters have to sit or someone gets in foul trouble.
While players like Ashlyn Shade and KK Arnold are solid contributors for UConn from the second team, South Carolina will need to take advantage of their depth to wear down the elite play of Bueckers and Azzi Fudd.
Dancing With The Stars
While the inside play of South Carolina’s bigs will be a key in this game, containing the star backcourt of Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd will be arguably the most important factor of the game.
Paige Bueckers is one of the best college players ever and will likely be the #1 pick in the WNBA draft. The star guard has stuffed the stat sheet in the tournament, averaging 26.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.2 steals, and 1.2 blocks.
While Bueckers struggled from the field in their win in February, she finished the game with 10 assists.
South Carolina will need perimeter defenders like Bree Hall, Raven Johnson, and Te-hina Paopao to keep Bueckers frustrated, forcing tough shots and being aggressive early to keep her out of rhythm.
Azzi Fud is another player that the Gamecocks will need to key in one, maybe more than Paige! Fudd lit up the basket in the previous matchup between the teams, scoring a game-high 28 points, including hitting 6 of the Huskies’ 13 threes.
Fudd has been scorching hot from deep in the tournament, shooting 50%(!) from behind the arc. The combined scoring of Fudd, Strong, and Bueckers is the bulk of UConn’s scoring. While it may be tough to keep all three from big games, holding two may be enough to take control.
The National Championship will take place at 3 p.m. at the Amalie Arena in Tampa and will air on ESPN.
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