South Carolina -5 (-110) over Iowa
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- South Carolina has significant depth and physicality advantages going into this game, which will set them apart in this contest.
- Caitlin Clark struggled against the defense of UConn, which is nothing compared to the defense of South Carolina.
The 2024 Women’s Final Four will conclude on Sunday with an Iowa vs South Carolina matchup from Cleveland, OH. South Carolina is looking to close out an historic season, as they enter the national title game without a loss on the year. Meanwhile, Iowa is looking to avoid a second straight loss in the national title game, and to send Caitlin Clark off to the WNBA with a national championship. South Carolina opens the favorite, and we are here to break it all down for you.
Iowa Hawkeyes
The Iowa Hawkeyes won a classic in the Final Four, defeating the UConn Huskies by two points. They did that despite trailing by as many as 12 points in the first half and without Caitlin Clark playing her best game offensively. But for Iowa to win this game, Clark will need to be much better than she was against UConn and she must do it against an even better defensive team.
Depth will be the ultimate concern for Iowa in this matchup. They play seven or eight players most of the time, while South Carolina is able to throw more bodies on the floor effectively. Combine that with the uphill battle that the bigs of Iowa face against Kamilla Cardoso in this contest and Iowa is finally in the position of being an underdog in this tournament, which could prove too much for them to overcome.
South Carolina Gamecocks
South Carolina was in a close game in the Final Four against NC State, going into the half with a slim lead. But they blew NC State out in the second half of that game, running away with it in the final 20 minutes to get into their second national title game in three years. The Gamecocks have advantages in size, depth, and physicality coming into this game, but those could all be nullified if they don’t make things tough on Caitlin Clark.
The duo of Kamilla Cardoso and Ashlyn Watkins destroyed NC State on the interior in the national semifinals. They should be able to do the same to Hannah Stuelke and any other bigs Iowa can throw at them in the national title game. That should be what ultimately sets South Carolina apart in this matchup, even if Clark shoots the ball better than she did on Friday against UConn.
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