1 of 4 | Caitlin Clark will take on fellow All-American guard Paige Bueckers when her Iowa Hawkeyes face the UConn Huskies on Friday in Cleveland. Photo by Brian Ray/HawkeyeSports.com
April 5 (UPI) -- North Carolina State will test undefeated South Carolina before UConn and Paige Bueckers battle Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday night in the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.
The unblemished and top-seeded Gamecocks (36-0) will first take on the No. 3 Wolfpack (31-6) at 7 p.m. EDT at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. The No. 1 Hawkeyes (33-4) will face the No. 3 Huskies (33-5) in the next game on the same court, which is expected to tip off at 9:30 p.m.
"We are so excited to be here in another Final Four, to play against N.C. State," Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley told reporters Thursday in Cleveland. "It's a super cool opportunity for us to play in another Final Four to play in the last weekend of all of college basketball and play on the biggest stage.
"This is what our players came to South Carolina for."
Both matchups will air on ESPN. The least expensive ticket price on the secondary market for both sessions was about $355, before taxes and fees, as of Friday morning.
About 1,000 players from 68 teams started the tournament March 20 and navigated through different cities and opponents, shrinking the field to the four current contenders.
Unfamiliar accommodations, hectic travel schedules and a slew of interviews and other requests continue to impact those still active in the competition. But Clark said the Hawkeyes learned to tune-out the distractions after last year's runner-up finish to the LSU Tigers.
"This is business," Clark said. "We are here to win a basketball game and hopefully win two."
Clark, who claimed National Player of the Year honors on Thursday for the second-consecutive season, carried the Hawkeyes past No. 16 Holy Cross, No. 8 West Virginia, No. 5 Colorado and No. 3 LSU, the defending national champions, en route to Cleveland.
College basketball's all-time scoring leader carries the nation's top offense, which averages 91.9 points per game. They also average the most 3-pointers per game (11.1) and lead the nation with 21.2 assists per game, led by Clark, who ranks third in in NCAA history in that category.
Guard Kate Martin (13.1 points per game) and forward Hannah Stuelke (13.8) are the Hawkeyes' other top scorers, behind Clark's national-best 32 points per bout.
Bueckers, a two-time All-American and the 2021 Player of the Year, leads the Huskies with 22 points per game. All-American forward Aaliyah Edwards aids in the Huskies' two-headed scoring attack, with 17.6 points per game. Guard Ashylnn Shade also averaged double figures (11.2) this season.
The Huskies beat No. 14 Jackson State, No. 6 Syracuse, No. 7 Duke and No. 1 USC en route to Cleveland.
Friday's matchup also pits arguably the best player in women's basketball history (Clark) against its most decorated coach, UConn's Geno Auriemma. His 11 national titles are the most for any college basketball coach.
The Huskies also are strong offensively, averaging the fourth-most assists and third-highest field goal percentage in the country. They also own a superior defense, in terms of points allowed. The Huskies rank 27th in that category, compared to the No. 322 ranking of their foes. They ranked seventh-best in field goal percentage allowed (35.4%).
The Huskies dealt with a myriad of injuries and other adversity throughout the last several seasons, dampening their title expectations for the perennial contenders. Bueckers also missed large portions of her sophomore and junior campaigns because of knee injuries.
"This year was certainly one of the most challenging seasons of my career," Auriemma said. "I have a lot of admiration and I'm really proud of my team for everything they've been through the last four years.
"For them to be here right now in this spot is probably one of the most gratifying things I've experienced in all my years at Connecticut."
The Hawkeyes are 2 1/2-point favorites. The Gamecocks are 11 1/2-point favorites to beat the Wolfpack in the first game of the night.
The Gamecocks, who will make their fourth-consecutive Final Four appearance, rank third in points per game (85.6) and 17th in points allowed (56). They dominated the majority of their tournament matchups, starting with a 91-39 thrashing of No. 17 Presbyterian.
They then beat No. 8 North Carolina by 47 points before a four-point win over No. 4 Indiana. The Gamecocks beat No. 3 Oregon State 70-58 in the Elite Eight.
Senior center Kamila Cardoso leads the Gamecocks with 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Guards MiLaysia Fulwiley (11.9 points per game) and Te-Hina Paopao (10.9) also lead the Gamecocks offense.
Like the Hawkeyes, the Wolfpack are also seeking their first national title. They beat No. 14 Chattanooga, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 2 Stanford and No. 1 Texas to clinch their ticket to Cleveland.
The Wolfpack rank No. 47 in points per game (73.8) and No. 80 in points allowed (60.3). All five Wolfpack starters averaged double-figures in scoring this season, led by junior guard Aziaha James (16.7 points per game). Guards Saniya Rivers and Madison Hayes chipped in 12.7 and 10.4 points per game. Forward Mimi Collins (10.7) and center River Baldwin (10.6) also help drive the Wolfpack offense.
"We've been the underdogs since the season started," Rivers said. "It gives us confidence, but I also feels like it gives us so much motivation that we have something to prove.
"We played all season with a chip on our shoulders. It's the same thing now. We're the under dogs, and like coach said, we're the party crashers. And we are coming to crash the party."
Clark is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Cardoso and Edwards are among other players expected to draw first-round consideration. Bueckers plans to return to UConn in 2024-25.
The winners from Friday's games will meet at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday in the national title game in Cleveland. That matchup will air on ABC.
