The 2024 Women’s March Madness National Championship occurred Sunday, April 7th, at 3 p.m. The Iowa Hawkeyes and South Carolina Gamecocks battled for 40 minutes, but the Gamecocks came out on top. Coach Dawn Staley and her team had a perfect season, going 39-0 with the conclusion on the Championship.
The Gamecocks beat the Hawkeyes 87-75 with the leadership of Senior Kamilla Cardoso. Cardoso had 15 points and 17 rebounds. Te-Hina Paopao and Tessa Johnson also had strong games to secure the win for their team. South Carolina was dominant throughout the regular season and they continued their dominance into the tournament.
This game also concluded the college careers of many student-athletes, the most influential being Caitlyn Clark. Clark had a tremendous impact on the world of women’s sports and made her mark at Iowa and in the NCAA. Clark is the projected first pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Clark played the full 40 minutes and was able to score 30 points for her team, but her efforts were not enough.
South Carolina was able to get their revenge after getting beat by the Hawkeyes in the Final Four of last year’s tournament 77-73. This is their 2nd National Championship in 3 years and although they will be losing a few essential pieces, the Gamecocks look forward to another powerful season. Staley and her Gamecocks are able to celebrate their win and cheer on the WNBA hopeful teammates.