The undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks head into the NCAA tournament as the top seed, and the favorite to win the title.
They nearly lost in the SEC tournament to Tennessee, but a heroic 3-pointer from Kamilla Cardoso — the first of her career — saved the perfect record. That win only served to bolster the reputation of this South Carolina squad, a team that’s already achieved greatness, despite graduating all five starters from last year’s Final Four team.
Last year it was Caitlin Clark and Iowa unexpectedly defeating the Gamecocks to earn a spot in the title game.