Staley, South Carolina beat Clark, Iowa to complete perfect season

The redemption season is nowcomplete.

On Sunday, South Carolinadefeated Iowa 87-75 to win the national championship and finishtheir season undefeated after falling short last year.

The Gamecocks avenged their lossto the same Hawkeyes team that denied them history last year whenCaitlin Clark lit them up for 41 points in the Final Four. Theywere on the brink of the same feat at 36-0 before Clark’sbrilliance booted them out of the competition.

After seemingly a deja vu oflast year’s result, Clark again shined through with 18 points inthe first quarter alone. However, South Carolina was not about tobe denied this time around.

Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staleyimmediately made the right adjustments to turn the game around, asClark scored just 12 points the rest of the way. The NationalPlayer of the Year scored 30 points in the game but was made towork by Staley’s gritty Gamecocks, needing 28 shots to score allthose points.

South Carolina, who finished theseason 37-0, joined an exclusive list of only 10 teams in thehistory of NCAA women’s college basketball to go undefeated in awhole season. This is Staley's third national championship withSouth Carolina.

It was a total team effort forthe Gamecocks, who had four players score in double figures led byprojected WNBA lottery pick Kamila Cardoso’s 15 points and 17rebounds.

As for Clark, she will end hercollege career coming up short in the title game in back-to-backyears but will leave a lasting legacy as arguably the best women’scollege basketball player of all time and holder of numerousrecords.