The South Carolina women's basketball team completed March Madness perfection against Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Dawn Staley's squad beat Iowa 87-75 to win the program's third national championship on Sunday. The Gamecocks' 38-0 season was dominant across ages.

South Carolina became the fifth program in the history of women's college basketball to complete a perfect season, as noted by The Athletic's Nicole Auerbach. Under the leadership of Dawn Staley, the Gamecocks have now won three titles in eight years (2017, 2022, and 2024).

The program's championship DNA was shown through their dominant team effort against Iowa. The Gamecocks received hefty production from their stars. Namely, senior center Kamilla Cordoso finished the game with a commanding 15-point-17 rebound double-double. The 6-foot-7 interior force has been vital to South Carolina's attack throughout the 2023-24 season, and she came up huge again on Sunday.

Moreover, the Gamecocks received valiant efforts from senior guard Te-Hina Paopao and sophomore forward Chloe Kitts. Paopao poured in 14 points, while Kitts notched a 10-point-11-rebound double-double.

Despite the production from their starters, South Carolina's real might shined through its back-ups. Freshman guard Tessa Johnson erupted with 19 points and four rebounds off the bench. In addition, fellow freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley contributed nine points, four assists, and four rebounds.

In the end, South Carolina's bench dominated Iowa with a whopping 37-0 advantage, a true testament to the Gamecocks' roaring depth. Moreover, Dawn Staley's squad won the rebounding battle 51-29. Iowa could not overcome South Carolina's intense crashing of the offensive boards.

Nevertheless, Caitlin Clark and company put forth a commendable effort. Clark scored a whopping 18 points in the 1st quarter, which broke the single-quarter record for a national title game. South Carolina eventually cooled her flames, but she still ended with 30 points, eight rebounds, and five assists.

South Carolina's perfect year was awe-inspiring, but the road was not easy.

Is the 2023-24 South Carolina women's basketball team the best in NCAA history?

Dawn Staley's Gamecocks were on the verge of a championship in 2023, but the team suffered a stunning 77-73 defeat at the hands of Caitlin Clark's Hawkeyes in the Final Four Semi-Final. Ironically, South Carolina faced their March Madness rivals again in 2024 for the grand crown, and they came battle-tested and ready.

The Gamecocks entered the 2023-24 season with questions after their collapse to Iowa. In addition, fellow SEC foe LSU won the championship in 2023. However, South Carolina answered the call and put on a historically dominant season.

They went undefeated, won the SEC Championship, and earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. South Carolina set the tone with a commanding 91-39 victory over Presbyterian in the first round. Then, the team marched through North Carolina, Indiana, Oregon State, and NC State to advance to the national title game.

The Gamecocks had their work cut out for them against the Iowa women's basketball squad. Caitlin Clark had broken too many records to count, and her team was confident after a stunning 71-69 win over Paige Bueckers and UConn.

South Carolina proved to be an overwhelming challenge for the Hawkeyes. Yet, Caitlin Clark's squad still had a tremendous season.

All in all, Dawn Staley and the South Carolina women's basketball team cemented their names in the records books on Sunday. Can the Gamecocks keep the tradition alive and continue to dominate for years to come?