South Carolina Gamecocks Secure Spot in National Championship

TAMPA, Fla. — The South Carolina Women’s Basketball team advanced to the NCAA championship after defeating the Texas Longhorns 74-57 in the Final Four on April 4, 2025. This marks South Carolina’s second consecutive appearance in the national title game.

Despite a challenging start, the Gamecocks rallied under the leadership of head coach Dawn Staley. Te-Hina Paopao led the scoring with 14 points, while bench player Joyce Edwards contributed significantly with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

South Carolina faced early adversity, beginning the game down 10-2 and committing five turnovers in the first five and a half minutes. However, they quickly regrouped, launching a 10-3 run that closed the gap to one point by the end of the first quarter.

The matchup was competitive, marked by various lead changes—a departure from the teams’ previous meetings, which featured just one lead change. Texas star Madison Booker ran into foul trouble after accumulating three fouls in the second quarter, impacting her performance.

The Gamecocks capitalized on this opportunity, closing the first half on a 9-3 run to lead 38-35 at halftime. The second half shifted momentum fully to South Carolina, as they stretched their lead to double digits near the end of the third quarter and maintained a margin of 20 points in the final stretch.

Looking ahead, South Carolina will play the winner of the UCLA versus UConn matchup in the national championship game scheduled for Sunday at 3 p.m.