Iowa, LSU, and UConn have received a lot of the media and fan attention during March Madness for women's college basketball, but it is South Carolina that is the favorite to win the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina is loaded with talent, but they will be taking on an NC State team that, along with NC State's men's program, has made a surprising run deep into the postseason tournament. In this article, we will explain how you can watch the Final Four matchup.
When and where is the Women's Final Four?
South Carolina will face NC State at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, April 5. The game will be at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio. After the conclusion of the game, Iowa will take on UConn.
How to watch South Carolina vs. NC State
The Women's Final Four will be on ESPN, but you can also stream it on fuboTV.
Date: Friday, April 5 | Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse — Cleveland, Ohio
TV channel: ESPN | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
Odds: South Carolina -11.5
Storylines
While a lot of eyes during March Madness have been on individual stars like Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese, it has been South Carolina's team game that has made them the best in the nation. Seven different players average at least eight points per game for the Gamecocks.
Kamilla Cardoso has led the way. Her 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game lead the team, as Cardoso is a force in the paint. At 6-foot-7, Cardoso is one of the biggest players in the women's game, and it shows. It is nearly impossible for opposing teams to score around the rim, and few teams have the size to stop her on the other end. Cardoso isn't alone, though.
MiLaysia Fulwiley and Te-Hina Paopao both score in double figures as well, with the former being a great slasher and the latter being a great shooter. South Carolina is 36-0, and their hopes for a perfect season are still alive. Beating NC State is not a surefire thing, though.
NC State entered the tournament as a three-seed, and they won 31 games this season in their own right. The team has shown they are capable of beating dominant bigs, too. In the Sweet 16, the Wolfpack beat Stanford and their 6-foot-4 star in Cameron Brink. Brink is expected to be one of the top picks in the WNBA Draft, but NC State found a way to neutralize her.
Mimi Collins did a good job of defending Brink in that game, but NC State won because they countered Stanford's size with speed. The 5-foot-9 Aziaha James had 29 points against Stanford, and she is averaging a team-high 16.7 points per game on the season. James attacked Brink all game and was able to get her into foul trouble, and taking a similar approach against Cardoso could prove smart.
Of course, that is easier said than done. Dawn Staley has her team well-coached. Her team has reached the Final Four in each of the last four seasons, and they rank third in the nation in scoring. The team's loss in the Final Four last year, on top of the lack of attention they have received in comparison to other teams during March Madness, will surely motivate the squad going forward.
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