South Carolina brings its big "D" to the Big D
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Call it the Big D in the Big D. South Carolina takes its dominant defense to Dallas, where the Gamecocks are the favorites to repeat as national champions.
South Carolina stands out among the Final Four teams in multiple ways: they are the only team with a previous national championship and the only team that has made a Final Four in the last 15 years.
They are also the only team whose identity is on the defensive end. It isn’t glamorous and not everyone likes that identity.
“Some people think the basketball is football,” Dawn Staley said.
The Gamecocks don’t care.
South Carolina’s defense was historically good a year ago when it allowed the second-fewest points per game in tournament history. This year, it’s even better.
South Carolina will almost certainly set the NCAA record for blocks in a season and blocks per game in a season (they need just four more blocks). The Gamecocks lead the nation in points per game allowed, field goal percentage allowed, and rebounding margin.
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Ahead of South Carolina’s Sweet 16 game against UCLA, commentator Debbie Antonelli said the Gamecocks might have the best defense ever. On cue, they went out and held the Bruins to their lowest point total in a decade.
After that game, a national writer getting his first up-close look at South Carolina approached me. He was shocked by how South Carolina negated all of UCLA’s screens. “Do they always play defense like that?” “Yep.” “But they didn’t switch back.” “They don’t.”
South Carolina’s ability to switch without giving up the advantage is just one of the things that makes the Gamecocks such a challenge.
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“Somebody kind of just described it to me as you’re going to a bar fight when you try to go rebound against them, they’re just so good,” Iowa’s Lisa Bluder said.
South Carolina is the only team with two players who are finalists for Defensive Player of the Year, Brea Beal and Aliyah Boston. Boston won the award last year and is the four-time SEC defensive player of the year.
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She might be one of the best defensive players in the sport’s history, yet Beal typically guards the other team’s best scorer. And that is just scratching the surface.
Zia Cooke has emerged as a lockdown defender this season. Kierra Fletcher is a strong, savvy defender. Raven Johnson can relentlessly press full-court. Kamilla Cardoso is an imposing 6-7 shot-blocker. Bree Hall looks like the feisty heir to Beal’s throne.
It goes on and on.
South Carolina’s defense will face its biggest challenge of the season in Dallas. Iowa leads the nation in points per game (87.6), field goal percentage (51.1%), and assists (21.1). Caitlin Clark is coming off a 41-point game.
But South Carolina has been here before. Hailey Van Lith was the hottest player in last year’s tournament until she ran into South Carolina. UConn had never lost a championship game until the Gamecocks shut them down.
“Defense wins championships” may be a cliché, but for South Carolina, it’s the game plan.
