The Women’s Final Four doesn’t lack for any of the following things people love about sports “on the grandest stage.” Stars? Check. Traditional powers? Yep. An infusion of new blood? Got some. Superb coaching? All four teams have it. The historical “can it happen” factor? It’s why we’re all here, keeping our eyes on if, let alone who, can finally take down the defending champion Connecticut Huskies.
Without further ado, here is a look on both games with four teams looking to close this chapter in women’s college basketball with their own final word.
Connecticut vs. Mississippi State
The matchup is a fascinating one because these are two of the better defensive teams in the country with contrasting offenses that present challenges. For UConn, they’ll have to contend with the size factor as the Bulldogs have in the frontcourt with 6’7” starting center Teaira McCowan and 6’5” reserve center Chinwe Okorie. On both sides of the court, the Huskies will have to account for them, whether it’s defending them in the paint and kicking to an open teammate on the perimeter or moving around them on offense. For Mississippi State, they’ll have to try to press a team that can – and has – run every team out of the gym for the last three-plus seasons. There may not be a team anywhere that can play passing lanes as well as UConn… well, maybe except Mississippi State itself.
Players to watch
Morgan William, Mississippi State
It’s said that she’s generously listed at 5’6”, but the thing about diminutive guards at this level is that they have to be insanely quick and crafty on top of the energy and athleticism they bring on the court. William showed that in abundance in the Oklahoma City Regional Final against top-seeded Baylor with a career-high 41 points and seven dimes. She showed range with six three-pointers. She knocked down floaters and used a great backdoor cut to get open for a go-ahead shot late. But after this offensive explosion, the rightful question is can she do it again? UConn, just like this Bulldog team, is very strong defensively, and will throw multiple looks at William after she tested the size of Baylor all night.
Saniya Chong, Connecticut
Regardless of gender or level, it’s always fun to see basketball teams with multiple options on offense. Four of the five starters – Katie Lou Samuelson, Napheesa Collier, Kia Nurse and Gabby Williams – can go off at just about any time. Yet, observers always look at the fifth starter and think “if so and so doesn’t screw up,” as if it’s a given that the player is somehow the weak link. That’s far from the case with Chong. The senior guard’s 11 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals added to the ‘death by a thousand cuts’ loss for Oregon in the Bridgeport Regional Final. Hers is a game that doesn’t stand out to you at first because the focus is split among her teammates, but she’s the ideal pace-setter for a team that can run in transition as well as they can fluidly move in the halfcourt. When Chong goes, the Huskies go.
South Carolina vs. Stanford
Despite a historic defending champion aiming for more records in one game, the other Final Four matchup shouldn’t be considered ‘other’ by any stretch of the imagination. South Carolina vs. Stanford has the makings of being the best game of the entire tournament, which is saying a lot when both Stanford and Mississippi State won pretty thrilling regional finals just to get to Dallas. The top-seeded Gamecocks may have shown that they could make another Final Four push away from home for a couple of games, but the Cardinal had done so from the beginning thanks to a scheduling conflict and a second-seeding behind Notre Dame.
There’s no doubt that both teams are well-coached and experienced, with the mutual appreciation between SC’s Dawn Staley and Stanford’s Tara VanDerveer being rightfully discussed. And yet, it’s because of the coaching that the players will be even more scrutinized. Thus far in the tourney, we’ve seen Staley shorten the rotation to just seven players in two close games against Arizona State and Florida State, which could prove that she may not trust the team’s depth against an elite program like Stanford. As for the Cardinal, for as dynamic as they can be, they needed every bit of the second half to pull themselves from the brink and a 16-point deficit to Notre Dame. South Carolina’s defense may be too good to come back against, should Stanford struggle to find its footing early.
Players to watch
Kaela Davis, South Carolina
The daughter of former NBA big man Antonio Davis, you wouldn’t be wrong to think that the junior transfer picked up the slack for the team not having center Alaina Coates for this Final Four run. She’s shown her scoring touch off and on this season – from 37 points against Ohio State to start the season to 3 in a struggle against UConn. Yet in the last three tournament games, she’s averaged 23.7 points on 61% shooting from the floor. Davis is a bit of a streaky three-point shooter, the blessing and the curse of many a basketball team. Knocking down a few will keep Stanford’s defense honest, missing too many will just put more of the load on A’ja Wilson’s already broad shoulders.
Karlie Samuelson, Stanford
If you haven’t heard about her yet, you will. The story, of course, is about the potential family reunion in the national championship game with her sister, the previously mentioned Katie Lou, starring at UConn. Yet, she’s worth watching on her own because in most games, she’s been the third wheel of Stanford’s smooth offense. Brittany McPhee and Alanna Smith have combined for 25 points and 14 rebounds per game during tournament play, but Samuelson’s 12.8 points and four assists have given opponents another player to worry about. If she finds the right shots, she’ll help Stanford break the one of the better defensive teams in the nation. After all, at a 49% clip, Samuelson was the NCAA’s top three-point shooter in the regular season.
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