By Marlee Ressa | @marleeressa

Sports Capital Journalism Program

TAMPA – For the third time in four years, South Carolina is heading to the NCAA Championship game. The defending national champion is looking to repeat after last year’s title victory over Iowa. This time around the team will face off against the Huskies of UConn.

The two teams squared off just two months ago in a game that severed South Carolina’s 71-game home winning streak.

“It was embarrassing,” said senior guard Te-Hina Paopao, “It sucked, but we [had] to swallow it and come back the next day knowing we’ve got to be better.” Paopao plays a major role in the Gamecocks’ success with her shooting consistency. In last night’s semifinal against the Texas Longhorns, she made 9-12 total shots for a combined 14 points.

Though South Carolina has shooters like Paopao capable of huge offensive runs, the team relies heavily on its ability to outrebound its opponents. In the team’s last game against the Huskies, UConn was able to outrebound the Gamecocks by 19.

In the championship game, a top priority of South Carolina’s defensive strategy will be to control rebounds and keep the ball out of the Huskies’ hands. “They’re a great shooting team,” junior point guard Raven Johnson said, “so we definitely need to cut down on their extra possession because when they get good looks, they don’t miss.”

Johnson was a freshman on the team in 2022, the last time the Huskies and Gamecocks played each other in the NCAA Championship game. That year, South Carolina beat UConn 64-49.

Johnson isn’t the only veteran on the Gamecocks. Senior point guard, Bree Hall, was also on that 2022 team. When she reflects on her state of mind as a freshman preparing for the championship game, she recalls taking melatonin the night before due to nerves. “I don’t think I am going to have to do that this year,” Hall said, “I’m just confident.”

A portion of that confidence comes from knowing that South Carolina has players like freshman forward Joyce Edwards on the bench ready to come in as a substitute. In the Final Four game against Texas, Edwards scored 11 points and had a team-high eight rebounds and six assists.

“We have a bench that can play,” Hall stated, “so [we can] go out there and play as hard as [we] need to play, and [we] can rest knowing that [the] team is going to take care of business when they sub in. It’s a very comforting feeling.”

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley doesn’t think that revenge for the home loss against UConn is what motivates her team. “I think the fuel is to win another championship,” Staley said, “they’re competitors. If they weren’t… they probably wouldn’t be on our team.”

Both Hall and Paopao stated that no matter which team, UConn or UCLA, had reached the championship game, it would be one that the Gamecocks had lost to during the regular season. Either way, they were going to come into the game on Sunday fired up to win.

“We are a different team now,” Paopao said, “so we just have to go showcase that tomorrow for 40 minutes.”

In her press conference today, Staley was asked about the strategies the team will use to contain UConn redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers. Bueckers won the 2025 Wade Trophy and is projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 WBNA draft. While Staley recognizes Bueckers’ talent and praises her basketball skills, she doesn’t agree with some of the sentimental narratives surrounding her on her quest for a national championship.

“There is room in our game for all of us to be covered,” Staley said, “Let’s not choose a history. Let’s not choose one program over another program’s history. Let’s not choose one player over another one’s history… because we are all creating history for our game.”