NCAA Women’s Tournament Final Four Preview
Just four teams remain in the NCAA women's basketball tournament with the Final Four tipping off on Friday, March 31.
In one of the most highly anticipated matchups in recent memory, No. 1 South Carolina will face off against the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes.
South Carolina has cruised through its first four games of the tournament winning each of them by double digits.
To continue their quest for a second consecutive championship, the Gamecocks defeated the Maryland Terrapins 86-75 in the Elite Eight.
Senior forward Aliyah Boston led the way with a double-double performance consisting of 22 points and 10 rebounds.
That helped push the Gamecocks' record up to a staggering 36-0 and they’re now just two wins away from pulling off the tenth undefeated season in NCAA women’s basketball history.
Only five of these wins have been by single digits with the two closest games being road wins against UConn and Stanford, both top-five teams in the country at the time of the game.
The Iowa Hawkeyes will be tasked with trying to end the historic season that South Carolina has put together.
Speaking of history, Caitlin Clark has had some of those moments herself with one of her best games coming against Louisville in the Elite Eight. Clark put together the first 40-point triple double in NCAA women’s basketball history with 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds.
The junior guard has helped lead the Hawkeyes to just their second Final Four appearance in program history in a season where they already took home their second straight Big Ten tournament championship.
While that matchup should be one to watch, the best part is that’s just one of the two Final Four matchups.
Another No. 1 seed in Virginia Tech is coming off a 10-point win against the Big Ten tournament runner-up in Ohio State. The Hokies take on No. 3 LSU, who took down the underdog story of the tournament in No. 9 Miami.
It’s been a historic season for Virginia Tech who is set to play in its first ever Final Four.
After missing the tournament in each season from 2006 to 2020, the Hokies compiled just one tournament win in the past two seasons.
Now following an ACC championship victory, the Hokies have defeated tough opponents like Tennessee and Ohio State to get to this point led by an 18.2 points per game season from senior center Elizabeth Kitley.
They’ll take on the SEC runner-up in the LSU Tigers who survived a scare in the Sweet Sixteen against Utah.
The Tigers found themselves down by one point with 10 seconds left but they pulled through with late made free throws from the Tigers as well as late missed free throws from the Utes to complete a 66-63 win.
Sophomore forward Angel Reese has been on a tear this season with 23.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per game this season.
Reese has been a big part of the Tigers sixth Final Four appearance in program history and first since they made five straight from 2004-08 although they never advanced past that round.
Logan Bourandas is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email lxb5412@psu.edu.
