CLEVELAND — A year after a stunning Final Four defeat that ended what could have been a perfect season and national championship run, the South Carolina Gamecocks finished the job Sunday in historic fashion.
South Carolina defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75 in the women’s NCAA tournament title game to become the 10th team in Division I history to complete an undefeated season (38-0), joining UConn (6 times), Baylor (2011-12), Tennessee (1997-98) and Texas (1985-86) as the only programs to achieve such a feat.
With its third national title in seven tournaments and second in three seasons, South Carolina tied Baylor and Stanford for the third-most championships all time and cemented its status as women’s college basketball’s latest dynasty. Coach Dawn Staley — a former two-time player of the year who played in three Final Fours but missed out on a championship herself — became the fifth head coach to win at least three national titles.
“It doesn’t always end like you want it to…
