CNN
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The ladies’s NCAA basketball event has been stuffed with star energy, with Iowa’s Caitlin Clark entrance and middle.

However there wasn’t a group as loaded as South Carolina’s.

For the third time, the Gamecocks are nationwide champions, defeating Iowa 87-75, finishing an ideal 38-0 season and stopping Clark from having the right finish to her school profession.

The win additionally avenges South Carolina’s loss to Iowa in final 12 months’s Ultimate 4, the group’s solely loss that season. The Gamecocks are actually 109-3 within the final three seasons.

For the second 12 months in a row, Iowa and Clark have come up quick within the nationwide championship recreation, dropping to LSU a 12 months in the past.

This was Clark’s last recreation in an Iowa unform earlier than heading to the WNBA, the place she is anticipated to be the highest decide within the draft April 15. Clark completed with a game-high 30 factors.

South Carolina freshman Tessa Johnson, coming off the bench, had a career-high 19 factors. Senior middle Kamilla Cardoso, additionally WNBA-bound, pulled in a career-high 17 rebounds to go along with 15 factors.

Cardoso, who additionally had three blocked photographs, was named Ultimate 4 Most Excellent Participant.

“Kamilla Cardoso was not going to allow us to lose a recreation within the NCAA event,” South Carolina head coach Daybreak Staley mentioned.

Te-Hina Paopao had 14 factors, whereas Chloe Kitts added 11 factors and 10 rebounds.

South Carolina is now 3-0 in nationwide championship video games. The opposite titles got here in 2017 and 2022, all underneath Staley.

On Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the best group beat the group that had one of the best participant. Clark, regardless of all of the accolades she’s obtained, will go away Iowa as a two-time nationwide runner-up.

With 20.2 seconds to go, Clark was subbed off the court docket and obtained a convincing ovation from the gang.

“For me, simply the feelings will in all probability hit me over the following couple days,” Clark mentioned. “I don’t have a lot time to sit down round and sulk and be upset. I don’t assume that’s what I’m about both.

“Yeah, I’m unhappy we misplaced this recreation, however I’m additionally so happy with myself, I’m so happy with my teammates, I’m so happy with this program. There’s so much to be happy with.

“However there’s going to be tears. It’s unhappy that is throughout, and that is the final time I’m going to placed on an Iowa jersey.

“I feel simply reflecting again and soaking in every thing that I used to be capable of do, as a result of mainly anyone apart from me and Coach (Lisa) Bluder by no means thought this was doable.”

Staley, whereas being interviewed by ESPN after the win, couldn’t instantly discover phrases and was overcome by emotion. Later, throughout the celebration on court docket, she made some extent to handle Clark.

“I actually would similar to to say that I’ve to congratulate Iowa on an unbelievable season,” Staley mentioned. “Superior. Superior.

“And I need to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport. And it’s not going to cease right here on the collegiate tour, however when she is the No. 1 decide within the WNBA draft, she’s going to elevate that league up as properly.

“So Caitlin Clark, if you happen to’re on the market, you might be one of many GOATs of our recreation and we respect you.”

A 12 months in the past, South Carolina’s Raven Johnson was on the improper finish of a viral second when the 2 groups performed towards one another within the Ultimate 4. In that 2023 recreation, Clark, who was within the paint, may be seen waiving off defending the South Carolina guard, who was by herself in three-point territory.

On Sunday, the sophomore, who picked up guarding Clark throughout the recreation, completed with 4 steals – together with one which went viral on X when she picked off Clark within the last seconds of the primary half – and two blocks.

“All I’ve to say is the revenge tour is over,” Raven Johnson mentioned.

Regardless of being the highest total seed, the lone girls’s school basketball group undefeated and a loaded roster with depth, South Carolina seemingly flew underneath the radar whereas persevering with its dominance.

Whereas the highlight was on Clark, South Carolina simply saved successful.

Iowa got here out firing, beginning the sport with a 10-0 lead and led by as many as 11 within the first quarter.

Clark scored 18 factors within the first quarter. In response to ESPN, that’s probably the most factors in any quarter by a single participant within the nationwide championship recreation.

However Clark cooled off significantly within the second quarter, going 1-for-6 from the sector with three factors – and South Carolina showcased its depth, closed the hole, seized momentum and took a 49-46 lead into halftime.

The Gamecocks’ push continued into the third quarter, capping an 11-0 run to take a 55-46 lead. They’d later prolong the result in 14.

Iowa minimize South Carolina’s result in 57-55 with a layup from Clark, however the Hawkeyes may get no nearer.

The Gamecocks bench outscored Iowa’s bench 37-0 within the recreation.

“I wished to win. Our group, we need to win.” Tessa Johnson mentioned. “My teammates are simply encouraging, at all times having my again, telling me, ‘Play the way you play.’ So I simply did that.”

There was a ton of hype forward of the ladies’s NCAA event, and it lived as much as it with the motion that has taken place the previous few weeks.

The main focus primarily had been Clark, however stars like UConn’s Paige Bueckers, LSU’s Angel Reese and USC’s JuJu Watkins stepped up and had big NCAA event performances. The Gamecocks’ prime scorer and rebounder, Cardoso, is projected to be a top-five WNBA draft decide.

Clark continued to set information her senior season, together with changing into the all-time main scorer in NCAA Division I males’s and girls’s basketball. For the second consecutive season, Clark has been named the Naismith nationwide participant of the 12 months, named the Related Press participant of the 12 months and received the Wade Trophy, awarded to one of the best participant in girls’s school basketball.