The South Carolina Gamecocks have looked like the team to beat all season, and their 78-59 destruction of NC State in the Final Four only added to that notion. The Gamecocks were up by only one point, 32-31, at halftime. They used an incredible turnaround to stifle the Wolfpack and punch their ticket to the championship game.
South Carolina’s win against NC State unsurprisingly drew plenty of reactions on social media. Two of the more prominent figures who commented on the Gamecocks win were NBA legends and Hall of Famers Magic Johnson and Dwyane Wade.
Magic Johnson took to social media to say, “Another all around great performance for South Carolina to advance to the NCAA National Championship game! I’m really impressed with how Kamilla Cardoso carried her team on the offensive end in the first half. Coach of the Year Dawn Staley said Ashlyn Watkins would be a key player to get the win and she showed up by grabbing 20 rebounds off the bench, the new NCAA Tournament record! Congrats to the entire team and coaching staff for a chance at a perfect season on Sunday!”
Dwyane Wade was little more subdued in his response, posting a simple, “South Carolina,” with a pair of emojis and the hashtag, #WFinalFour.
Kamilla Cardoso led South Carolina with 22 points, 11 rebounds and two blocked shots. She shot 10-12 from the field and knocked down her only two free throws. Ashlyn Watkins had 20 rebounds and two blocked shots to go along with her eight points. Raven Johnson had 13 points and Te-Hina Paopao added 10.
South Carolina is looking to cap off an undefeated season
The Gamecocks improved to 37-0 with the win. Last season, South Carolina was also undefeated coming into the Final Four, but they lost to Iowa. If Iowa defeats UConn in the other Final Four game, the Gamecocks could have a chance at redemption.
The fact that South Carolina has dominated the 2023-24 season like this is a testament to Dawn Staley and her coaching staff. They lost their entire starting five from last season, players who were important pieces during their 2022 championship run.
Cardoso has done well stepping into the starting center role vacated by Aliyah Boston and becoming the team’s primary scoring threat. This season she’s averaged 14.1 points per game, 9.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 2.5 blocked shots with splits of 58.9 percent shooting from the field and 67.2 percent shooting from the free throw line.
But perhaps one of the biggest turnarounds from last season for the Gamecocks has been the play of Raven Johnson. Johnson struggled with her shooting last season but has emerged as a dependable outside shooting threat.
Johnson didn’t make any three point shots as a freshman during the 2021-22 season. Last year she shot only 24.1 percent from distance. This season she’s upped her percentage to 35.2 percent shooting from three point range and she’s taking around five three pointers per game.
Johnson has become one of team’s best all-around players, averaging 8.1 points per game, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals. She’s stepped right into the starting lineup and made a huge impact.
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