Iowa hasn’t been to the Final Four since 1993. LSU is back for the first time in 15 years. Virginia Tech has never been. This was the first Elite Eight since 1985 that did not include UConn, Tennessee or Stanford. New blood has been the mark of the 2023 women’s NCAA tournament, and now so much of it is heading to Dallas. Parity in women’s basketball is real.
And then there is South Carolina. Monday’s win over Maryland marked the Gamecocks’ school-record 36th victory of the season. They have now won 42 in a row. The Final Four has seemed like a foregone conclusion for a year since they hoisted the 2022 trophy. If South Carolina completes its perfect run in Dallas, the Gamecocks will be the 10th team to finish the season undefeated. UConn in 2016 was the last undefeated team and the most recent back-to-back champion.
The next step for the Gamecocks is a matchup nearly every observer of the women’s game has craved all season, and now Iowa-South Carolina arrives on the biggest stage. It’s the game’s toughest defense vs. the most prolific offense, and although they won’t match up directly, having Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark on the floor together…
