One of the quietly best stories of this tournament — both men’s and women’s — has been the stick-to-it-iveness of the NC State Wolfpack. On Friday, the opening women’s Final Four game will pit the underdog Wolfpack against the nation’s only undefeated team, Dawn Staley’s South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gamecocks are significant favorites in both this matchup and the odds for the outright winner of the title game.
But we’ve got a plot twist for you in our expert picks. And speaking of picks, if you’re looking for a betting angle on this game, you’ve come to the right place. We have analysis from our women’s college basketball team, odds, score predictions, players to watch and how to tune into the game.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Gamecocks vs. the Wolfpack heading into Friday night.
From our Final Four preview:
Aziaha James joked Sunday in Portland that nobody knew her name when she came to NC State from Virginia Beach, Va., as a true freshman two years ago. “But you know my name now,” she playfully said to reporters. “So you’ve seen how I’ve grown.”
NC State was picked to finish eighth in the ACC this season. None of its players was named to the preseason All-ACC team.
James now has led them to the Final Four for the first time…
