South Carolina reached the second consecutive national match after having ousted Texas in the Final Four Female

Athletics has a live cover of the Final Four Féminin.

Tampa, Florida – Southern Carolina was used to the position she was on Friday evening. Not just in the Final Four Female. Dragging into a makeup or breakup game.

For the fourth time this tournament, the Gamecocks rallied with the balance of a champion, raising a slow start to move away from Texas for a 74-57 victory in Amalie Arena. The South Carolina (35-3) will face Uconn (36-3) on Sunday for its third national title in four seasons and fourth under the coach Dawn Staley.

“We knew how to bounce back,” said striker Joyce Edwards. “We are a resilient team.”

“One more” ☝️- @Dawnstaley#Marchmadness X #Wfinalfour X @Gamecockwbb pic.twitter.com/h55xc44oev

– NCAA March Madness (@Marchmadnesswbb) April 5, 2025

The Gamecocks were to be after the way things started against the Longhorns (35-4).

The Texas Madison Booker star was up to her status as an American player and the game of the dry year, hitting her first three shots and adding an early flight to build an advance of 12-7. The South Carolina dragged less than 8 and looked in a way with three reversals in the first four minutes and 10 in the first half.

“These are just momentum killers,” said Staley.

The momentum has become partly because Booker could not stay in the field for Texas. She picked up a pair of faults in the first trimester at 22 seconds intervals – too early for the coach of Longhorns Vic Schaefer to even envisage the bench. Booker drew another in the second quarter when she tried to continue a 50-50 ball with the Tessa Johnson of the Gamecocks. Booker threw his hands in the air to try to convince the referees, then threw his hands on his head with disbelief before heading for the bench.

In the nine minutes, Booker played in the first half, Texas was ahead of South Carolina at 8 years old. In the 11 minutes she withdrew, the Gamecocks outclassed the Longhorns at 11 years old. It was a continuation of the Texas season; When Booker had trouble, the team had trouble. She scored 20 points in the only Longhorns victory against South Carolina earlier in the year and 28 in total in three defeats against the Gamecocks, including the 64-45 southern Caroline triumph in the game for the title of the dry.

But Booker’s big problem was only one of the reasons why South Carolina gave Texas an early end to its first Final Four since 2003. Gamecocks have obtained their shot to a second consecutive national title on their own merits. A team that dragged the Indiana at halftime in the second round, dragged Maryland with 3:25 to do in Sweet 16 and dragged Duke entering the fourth quarter of the Elite Eight did not panic.

“This is something we should not be used to,” said goalkeeper Te-Hina Paopao, “but we are used to it.”

And that means they know how to answer.

The dominant defense of South Carolina simply closed Texas in the third quarter. Longhorns missed 10 of their 14 shots during the period (including consecutive air balls) and failed to take an offensive rebound. The Gamecocks held their colleague No. 1 aimless for almost four and a half minutes to open an insurmountable 17 -point lead. It was only the fifth time all the season that Texas granted more than 70 points.

“We lost to a better team tonight,” said Schaefer.

. @ chloe1kitts is too smooth with that 😮‍💨#Marchmadness X #Wfinalfour X 🎥 ESPN / @Gamecockwbb pic.twitter.com/vnzdplhaax

– NCAA March Madness (@Marchmadnesswbb) April 5, 2025

Although Edwards (13 points, 11 rebounds) and Paopao (14 points) are the brightest stars of South Carolina, the Gamecocks have won, as usual, with a balanced effort adapting to one of the country’s deepest alignments. Seven players scored between 6 and 14 points and the Gamecocks collected 35 points on the bench.

“Just proud of our team,” said Staley. “Proud of our depth. Proud trays that have chosen to come here, and they really get the experience in a Final Four and now the national championship. ”

(Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images)