South-Carolina

South Carolina women’s basketball dominates Vanderbilt in the paint, wins 91-74

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2024

South Carolina women’s basketball dominates Vanderbilt in the paint, wins 91-74

COLUMBIA — Senior center Kamilla Cardoso tied a season-high with 23 points, helping push South Carolina women’s basketball to a 91-74 victory over Vanderbilt in front of a sold-out crowd Sunday at Colonial Life Arena.

The No. 1 Gamecocks (19-0, 7-0 SEC) used their size advantage to dominate the Commodores (17-4, 4-3) in the paint, outscoring them 48-28.

Vanderbilt hung around for much of the first half, taking a lead early in the second quarter. It was down just four points halfway through the quarter when the Gamecocks went on an offensive run.

Senior guard Te-Hina Paopao scored five points and sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins added three more in an 8-0 run for South Carolina. Junior guard Bree Hall added a 3-pointer to extend the Gamecocks’ lead at halftime to 12 points.

South Carolina continued to build its lead in the third quarter, extending it as large as 20 points thanks to Cardoso’s performance in the paint and a 3-pointer by sophomore guard Raven Johnson.

Vanderbilt struggles against Cardoso’s size

Cardoso scored 23 points, taking advantage of her length against a smaller Vanderbilt team.

The Commodores, who don’t have a player taller than 6-foot-4, struggled to match the 6-foot-7 Cardoso’s size. Cardoso made four of her first five shots in the game, then started the second half off by making five shots in a row.

After missing her last five shots in the first half, Cardoso came out after the break and was much better underneath the rim. She scored 13 points in the third quarter alone, making all five of her field goal attempts and added three points at the charity stripe.

After starting 2-for-4 from the free throw line, Cardoso finished 5-for-7. She also had six rebounds and two blocks.

Raven Johnson dishes assists

Sophomore guard Raven Johnson contributed 10 points and seven assists to the win in one of her best all-around performances in SEC play.

Johnson’s seven assists, her most since recording 17 assists in a win over Clemson, 109-40, on Nov. 16, and her most in conference play this season. Johnson was also the Gamecocks’ best 3-point threat Sunday and was one of two players with multiple 3-point makes. She finished the night 2-for-3 from deep.

Both Te-Hina Paopao and MiLaysia Fulwiley struggled from beyond the arc. Paopao, who leads the nation in 3-point shooting percentage, was 1-for-7, while Fulwiley finished 2-for-9. The Gamecocks, who lead the nation shooting 43.5% as a team from deep, were 7-for-23 in the game.

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South-Carolina

South Carolina vs UCLA prediction, national championship analysis, March Madness expert picks

Published

12 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Press Room

South Carolina vs UCLA prediction, national championship analysis, March Madness expert picks

The women’s 2026 NCAA Tournament concludes Sunday as No. 1 South Carolina and No. 1 UCLA battle for the national championship live on ABC and ESPN at 3:30 p.m. ET.

Head coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina are seeking their fourth title since 2017. The Lauren Betts, KiKi Rice and the Bruins are hoping to win the NCAA tournament for the first time in their program’s history.

USA TODAY Sports’ college basketball experts have analyzed all the angles and determined a path to victory for each side. Here’s everything you need to know — including how to watch, betting odds and analysis — before the Sweet 16 matchup tips off.

Stay up to date with USA TODAY’s team of journalists covering the women’s NCAA Tournament throughout the 68-team dance.

Favorite national championship storyline

Nancy Armour: Ta’Niya Latson. She transferred to South Carolina just for this moment and has made the most of it.
Meghan Hall: South Carolina getting to/potentially winning a title with no “stars.”
Heather Burns: UCLA winning its first title since 1978.
Cydney Henderson: The Dawn Staley-Raven Johnson has been special to watch, as is the Lauren Betts-Cori Close bond. Seeing the seniors close out their college careers will be something to watch.

South Carolina will win National Championship game vs UCLA if…

Nancy Armour: It has another smothering defensive performance.
Meghan Hall: It takes away UCLAs ability to move the ball and limit everyone else outside of Lauren Betts.
Heather Burns: it plays the kind of disruptive, dominating defense it did against UConn.
Cydney Henderson: South Carolina put on a defensive masterclass against UConn and the Gamecocks will walk away with another national championship if they can slow down Lauren Betts and shrink the floor.

UCLA will win National Championship game vs South Carolina if…

Nancy Armour: Lauren Betts can create space for herself inside.
Meghan Hall: It can match South Carolina’s defense for four quarters.
Heather Burns: It dominates the paint with Lauren Betts on both offense and defense.
Cydney Henderson: Three words: Feed Lauren Betts.

South Carolina vs UCLA: 1 Stat to watch

Nancy Armour: UCLA had 23 turnovers against Texas and still won. It’s going to need to tighten up against an opportunistic South Carolina.
Meghan Hall: Fast break points and second chance points.
Heather Burns: Points off turnovers: Whichever teams can score the most points in transition will win.
Cydney Henderson: Turnovers. UCLA had 23 turnovers in their Final Four win. South Carolina’s defense is stout and will look to capitalize on takeaways.

South Carolina bold prediction

Nancy Armour: Tessa Johnson is going to go off. She won’t go 0-for-3 from deep like she did against UConn.
Meghan Hall: Agot Makeer makes a championship-sealing basket.
Heather Burns: Raven Johnson, who spent a lot of her time shutting down Azzi Fudd in the semifinals, will hit at least three 3-pointers.
Cydney Henderson: Freshman Agot Makeer will have a career-high points off the bench.

UCLA bold prediction

Nancy Armour: Lauren Betts will have another big game but she won’t get enough help.
Meghan Hall: Lauren Betts scores 40 points
Heather Burns: Lauren Betts will notch her second double of the weekend and win MOP.
Cydney Henderson: Senior guard Kiki Rice has a signature game to end her college career.

March Madness Most Outstanding Player winner

Nancy Armour: Ta’Niya Latson — She was spectacular against UConn and will be hard for UCLA to contain.
Meghan Hall: Raven Johnson — Johnson is the heart and soul of South Carolina. Everything, on both sides of the ball, starts and ends with her.
Heather Burns: Lauren Betts — UCLA won in the semifinals because of her play on both sides and THE block in the final seconds.
Cydney Henderson: Ta’Niya Latson — Sunday will mark Ta’Niya Latson’s first national championship appearance, but she’ll look just at home with an offensive performance that will lead South Carolina to a championship.

South Carolina vs UCLA National Championship winner

Nancy Armour: South Carolina
Meghan Hall: South Carolina
Heather Burns: UCLA
Cydney Henderson: South Carolina

No. 1 South Carolina vs No. 1 UCLA

Opening Moneyline: South Carolina (-185), UCLA (+154)
Opening Spread: South Carolina (-1.5)
Opening Total: 133.5

How to Watch South Carolina vs UCLA in the National Championship

No. 1 South Carolina takes on No. 1 UCLA at Mortgage Matchup Center on April 5 at 3:30 PM The game is airing on ESPN and ABC.

Stream March Madness on Fubo

2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament full schedule

March 18-19: First Four
March 20-21: First Round
March 22-23: Second Round
March 27-28: Sweet 16
March 29-30: Elite 8
April 3: Final Four
April 5: National Championship

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South-Carolina

Showdown in Phoenix. South Carolina, UCLA meet for national title

Published

24 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Press Room

Showdown in Phoenix. South Carolina, UCLA meet for national title

The teams in the Women’s Final Four might have been a repeat of the previous year, but the national championship will be different.

South Carolina avenged the 2025 national championship loss against UConn and ended the Huskies’ undefeated campaign in the Final Four.

UCLA got the better of Texas since losing to the Longhorns in November, and continued the 30-game winning streak that transpired since with a statement win.

The epic conclusion to the season will take place at Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday, April 5, at 12:30 p.m. MST.

UCLA will play for its first national championship, while South Carolina will try for its fourth title and third in five years.

What the Gamecocks can do to win

South Carolina’s defense exploited UConn’s shooting struggles and ran away with an 11-1 run to end the game.

Several players have stepped up offensively throughout the NCAA Tournament. Against UConn, Ta’Niya Latson used her athleticism to float to the rim and came away with 16 points, including 10 from free throws.

Agot Makeer has been effective off the bench, averaging 14.3 points per game and using her length to impact the game on both ends.

The Gamecocks have size in 6-foot-6 center Madina Okot, but it was 5-foot-9 guard Raven Johnson who really impressed on the defensive end. Johnson matched up against 6-foot-2 forward and National Player of the Year Sarah Strong and held her to 4-of-16 shooting.

“We went to a smaller lineup just to match what they were doing out there. I mean, Raven thrives on any matchup, right?” coach Dawn Staley said.

Staley added that Johnson guarded taller players than Strong in the past, including 6-foot-5 Kentucky center Clara Strack.

“We know she’s fearless when it comes to who she’s guarding. She takes really great pride in not letting people score on her,” Staley said. “When you have a guard like that that has elite defensive skills, you let ’em be great.”

Johnson, one of the veterans on a younger South Carolina team, will play a significant role in the national championship and will go up against the best offense in the country.

What the Bruins can do to win

UCLA didn’t have the best night offensively in the Final Four, but the defense came through against Texas.

Texas cut UCLA’s 10-point lead to three late in the game, but Lauren Betts got a big block with 18.1 seconds to go on a would-be Madison Booker layup to help the Bruins advance.

Betts will undoubtedly draw a lot of South Carolina’s defensive attention, as she did with Texas, but it opens the floor for UCLA’s shooters such as Gianna Kneepkens.

“The amount she draws in on offense helps all the guards, because you can go one-on-one, but I don’t know, that’s a choice if you want to make it,” Kneepkens said. “If they double, she’ll kick it out because she’s a great passer.”

UCLA managed to get past Texas without its offense clicking, but Kneepkens played a role with two 3-pointers on five shots.

What got UCLA ahead was Betts, a 6-foot-7 center, providing an intimidating presence inside. The Gamecocks didn’t face a lot of size in the Final Four, which will require adjustments. Texas tried against Betts, but saw three shots blocked from her, while Angela Dugalic blocked two.

UCLA is new to the national championship, but it is an experienced group with six players graduating. Betts, Kiki Rice and Gabriela Jaquez have spent three seasons together.

“We want this so bad for each other,” Betts said. “The way we come out, the way we prep, the way we practice, the way we work on defense, the way we go for steals, that’s all because we just want to earn more days with each other.

“We want to make history. We want to do this for each other.”

Reach the reporter or send tips for stories at jenna.ortiz@arizonarepublic.com, as well as @jennarortiz on X.

Catch the best high school sports coverage in the state. Sign up for Azcentral Preps Now. And be sure to subscribe to our daily sports newsletters so you don’t miss a thing.

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South-Carolina

NCAA women’s Final Four: UConn v South Carolina, UCLA v Texas – live updates

Published

1 day ago

April 3, 2026

Press Room

NCAA women’s Final Four: UConn v South Carolina, UCLA v Texas – live updates

Key events

South Carolina 40-39 UConn, 0:46 left, third quarter: South Carolina thought they had UConn trapped, but the Huskies work the ball around to a wide-open Quiñónez, who atones for her fouls by hitting the open 3-pointer. Raven Johnson turns it over, and at last, Azzi Fudd hits a 3.

Nine points in about 90 seconds.

South Carolina 40-33 UConn, 2:11 left, third quarter: Quiñónez fouls Latson. The South Carolina player hits both free throws, and the Gamecocks have a double-digit lead.

Heckel is stunned to find herself open from six feet out, and her shot draws the front rim. But UConn fights to keep the ball, and Heckel hits a three.

South Carolina 38-30 UConn, 3:09 left, third quarter: Edwards draws a foul from Strong and has a chance to put the Gamecocks up 10, but her first free throw is too … well, strong. She misses her second as well.

Strong bangs hard in the post to create some space but still misses a shot.

It’s chaos now.

Expected:

For South Carolina, Joyce Edwards has 10 points, and Madina Okot has seven rebounds.

For Connecticut, Sarah Strong has eight points and six rebounds.

Unexpected:

For South Carolina, Raven Johnson is 1-for-5.

For Connecticut, Ashlynn Shade has 10 and Azzi Fudd has two.

South Carolina 38-30 UConn, 4:16 left, third quarter: Quiñónez races out of control down the lane and misses a layup. Tessa Johnson rushes a shot at the other end and barely hits the rim.

Ashlynn Shade finds her range again, hitting from the free throw line.

Edwards restores the eight-point lead. She follows up with a steal and draws a foul in transition from Azzi Fudd.

Timeout on the court.

South Carolina 36-28 UConn, 5:35 left, third quarter: Okot drains two free throws to put South Carolina up by four. KK Arnold answers with a sharp change of direction and a layup. Edwards scores on a forceful drive.

UConn misses, gets a rebound and resets, but Raven Johnson steals again. This time, the Huskies get back quickly and disrupt her drive.

Shade has gone cold for UConn.

Latson, who scored several early points for South Carolina, hits two free throws. ESPN’s graphic tells us this is the largest deficit UConn has faced this season.

And now it’s even more, as Makeer hits from the baseline. UConn calls timeout.

South Carolina 28-26 UConn, 7:30 left, third quarter: South Carolina continues its outstanding offensive rebounding but can’t finish in three tries. But at the other end, Raven Johnson picks off a pass and races for a layup, her first points of the game.

South Carolina 26-26 UConn, 8:45 left, third quarter: Turnover by Raven Johnson, airball by Azzi Fudd. Strange game this is.

Okot scores for the first time, and we’re tied.

Back underway …

South Carolina’s lowest score of the season is 60, in a 60-56 win over Kentucky in their regular season finale. They were held to 61 in the SEC final, losing 78-61 to Texas.

UConn’s low is 63 from their 63-42 win over North Carolina in the Sweet 16. They broke 70 in every other game.

Some stats

Rebounds: South Carolina 24-16. Imagine if Strong didn’t have six rebounds for UConn.

Field goal percentage: UConn 40-31

3-pointers: South Carolina 1 for 2, UConn 1 for 8

Leading UConn scorers: Strong 8, Shade 8, Williams 4 (and hasn’t been seen since midway through the first), three players with 2 each.

Leading South Carolina scorers: Edwards, Latson and Tessa Johnson with 6 each. Makeer has 5, McDaniel 1.

Halftime: South Carolina 24-26 UConn

Shade makes yet another contribution with an offensive rebound, but Fudd misses the resulting shot. South Carolina can’t find a decent shot as the clock runs down, though. UConn gets the rebound but has no time to advance the ball, and a compelling first half is over.

South Carolina 23-26 UConn, 1:10 left, second quarter: Not the restart Staley had in mind, as UConn picks off a pass and is off to the races. But the Huskies can’t finish, and South Carolina continues to have a rebounding edge.

Ashlynn Shade once again pops free for a 3-pointer … nope, her foot is on the line again. She still picks up two points to run her total to eight.

South Carolina 23-24 UConn, 2:08 left, second quarter: Quiñónez gets her first points on a nifty post move. South Carolina rushes things at the other end, and then Azzi Fudd’s first points of the game put UConn out in front. Dawn Staley calls timeout.

South Carolina 23-20 UConn, 3:05 left, second quarter: Wild shot by Mateer misses, but UConn takes two inaccurate shots at the other end. South Carolina beats UConn back down the court, with Edwards converting the layup. Edwards gets back on defense to pick up a steal.

South Carolina 21-20 UConn, 4:28 left, second quarter: Ashlynn Shade wasn’t the person you might have expected to keep UConn close, but she’s doing just that, as she runs her point total to six. After another South Carolina miss, Sarah Strong makes a … well, strong move in the lane to pull the Huskies within one. They tie up the ball and will have possession after the media timeout.

South Carolina 21-18 UConn, 5:35 left, second quarter: Tessa Johnson hesitates as if unable to believe how open she is after a South Carolina inbounds play.

Another miss for UConn, and Edwards scores in the post at the other end. The Gamecocks are on a tear.

South Carolina 17-16 UConn, 7:15 left, second quarter: Sarah Strong takes a turn on the breakaway, poking the ball free and racing upcourt. Maddy McDaniels fouls the UConn star to put on the free throw line. She clanks the first off the rim but hits the second.

South Carolina 17-15 UConn, 7:47 left, second quarter: South Carolina pokes the ball free, and Latson has a breakaway. She easily converts.

Fudd misses a 3-pointer. She has not yet scored.

The defenses are back in the ascendancy.

South Carolina 15-15 UConn, 8:30 left, second quarter: Raven Johnson picks up a second quick foul. Coach Dawn Staley gives a look of disapproval.

South Carolina 15-15 UConn, 9:00 left, second quarter: Missed opportunity on defense for South Carolina, as they force UConn to run down the shot clock but allow the Huskies to reset after Raven Johnson commits a foul.

End first quarter: South Carolina 15-15 UConn

Quiñónez picks up her second foul and takes a seat.

UConn forces South Carolina to use all of the shot clock, and Latson has to try an acrobatic scoop. It’s off the rim, but South Carolina taps the ball out to Mateer, who hits a 3-pointer with just a couple of seconds left in the quarter. We’re tied.

South Carolina 12-15 UConn, 1:35 left, first quarter: Pretty fadeaway jumper from Kayleigh Heckel, who transferred to UConn from the other USC (Southern California).

Quiñonez commits the game’s first foul, and Agot Makeer hits both free throws.

South Carolina 10-13 UConn, 2:03 left, first quarter: UConn brings in impressive first-year player Blanca Quiñonez, but she shows a bit of inexperience by stepping over the baseline for a turnover.

Good work in the post by Joyce Edwards to pull South Carolina within three.

South Carolina 8-13 UConn, 3:27 left, first quarter: We’ve hit the first media timeout.

Both teams sputtered at the start but have figured things out offensively. The defenses are solid – UConn has already forced a shot clock violation, and South Carolina nearly did so at the other end – but these teams have too much offensive talent to hold back for too long.

South Carolina 8-13 UConn, 3:55 left, first quarter: And as I type that, Sarah Strong bails out her team with a 3-pointer as the shot clock nears zero. She scores again after another Okot miss, and the Huskies are already running away.

Tessa Johnson responds with a layup and then a jumper.

Shade hits a long 2 – this is frenetic stuff.

South Carolina 4-6 UConn, 5:49 left, first quarter: Williams again after some dizzying ball movement.

Tessa Johnson rushes things for South Carolina at the other end. UConn misses on their next possession but forces a turnover with a tough trap along the baseline. They miss a 3-pointer, and Latson ties it.

Ashlynn Shade scores for UConn – the big names for each side have been held scoreless as the teams collect their first 10 points.

South Carolina 2-2 UConn, 7:35 left, first quarter: Great defense by the Huskies to force Madina Okot to take a long jump shot. She seems uncomfortable with it and misses the rim, yielding a shot clock violation.

Serah Williams picks up the first points for UConn.

Tipoff

South Carolina 2-0 UConn, 9:23 left, first quarter: South Carolina controls, and Latson hits a layup for the game’s first points.

One minute to go? Maybe?

The national anthem is finished … but we still have nearly 10 minutes until tipoff. What they plan to do until then, I have no idea. Classwork?

AP All-Americans in the Final Four …

First team
Sarah Strong, UConn
Azzi Fudd, UConn
Madison Booker, Texas
Lauren Betts, UCLA
(Also Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt)

Second team
Joyce Edwards, South Carolina

Third team
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Raven Johnson, South Carolina

Honorable mention
Rori Harmon, Texas
Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA
Ta’Niya Latson, South Carolina

Since last year …

In last year’s Final Four, Connecticut beat UCLA 85-51 in the semifinals and finished off South Carolina 82-59 in the final.

The defending champion Huskies had to reload after No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick Paige Bueckers departed, along with Kaitlyn Chen and Aubrey Griffin. To give some idea of how deep that team was – Griffin averaged 11.1 minutes per game and played just three minutes in the final, but she was still taken in the WNBA draft. Connecticut had two players with 24 points each in the final, Azzi Fudd and Sarah Strong, and they’re both ready to run it back tonight.

South Carolina came into the tournament as the defending champions, having fended off Caitlin Clark’s Iowa team the year before. Like UConn, the Gamecocks had three players picked in the WNBA draft – Te-Hina Paopao, Sania Feagin and Bree Hall. MiLaysia Fulwiley transferred to LSU. Two senior transfers, Madina Okot (Mississippi State) and Ta’Niya Latson (Florida State), have joined senior Raven Johnson and junior Tessa Johnson in an experienced starting lineup in which the only younger player is second-team All-American sophomore Joyce Edwards.

Thanks, Ella and Stephanie, for making me cry. (I went to Duke. The Blue Devils came agonizingly close to a championship a few times, but they needed some rebuilding by the time Kara Lawson took over.)

Would anyone know anything about the University of Connecticut if they didn’t have the most dominant women’s basketball team of the past 30 years? What? They have a men’s team? I’m unfamiliar with that. I know Duke lost in the Elite Eight (same day at the women), but I think they lost to Southern California or Hofstra or Georgia or someone.

Back to the games at hand today – these teams’ presence in the Final Four is a surprise to exactly no one. They were all here last year. They were No. 1 seeds. Is it a good thing that women’s college basketball is so predictable? I asked that question recently.

But tonight, we have the potential for two fascinating games. If any teams can give UConn a game, it’s the three other teams in Phoenix.

Enjoy.

Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, read Stephanie Kaloi’s piece on the word echoing throughout this year’s NCAA Tournament, through the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.

Kara Lawson’s Duke team saw their Final Four dreams dashed with a 70-58 loss to UCLA on Sunday. The Blue Devils had pulled an impressive, buzzer-beating upset of No 2 seed LSU in the Sweet 16 days before, but against the No 1 Bruins in the Elite Eight, they didn’t give a repeat performance. They missed a few key moments in transition that could have changed the game and helped them to their first Final Four in 20 years.

In the end, though, it was OK.

“I told the group after the game, just before we came up here, what a great season it’s been for us. And this group has been a joy to coach every day,” Lawson told reporters after the game. Duke lost six of their 13 games played between 3 November and 28 December, and many had written off the team before they even had a chance to get into a groove.

“From where we started to where we finished, I don’t know that there’s a team that grew more than we did in the country, from where we started to where we finished,” Lawson added. “That is all because of our players, their belief, their faith and their trust in each other and our staff. That’s hard to find. That’s rare.”

Suffering a big loss that simultaneously ends a team’s March Madness hopes isn’t easy to swallow, and summoning joy from that experience isn’t for the weak. But over and over again, that’s what players and coaches have done so far during this tournament cycle. While there’s been plenty of emphasis on what went wrong and how it can be fixed before next season, there’s also been an intentional focus on what went right, too.

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