The South Carolina Gamecocks walked away a team of happy hoopers following their decisive victory over the Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA championship on Sunday cemented a historic undefeated season.
In a hard-fought game that ended in an 87-75 Gamecocks’ victory, head coach Dawn Staley and guard Raven Johnson spoke to NBC’s “TODAY” show on Monday about the emotions they felt after the team capped their improbable run.
“I’m from Philly, so I don’t really get emotional like that, but you know, it was a blessing. It just poured out of me,” Staley said about breaking down in tears after the game.
The emotion that poured out of Staley was about more than the title win — it was the rocky road this season after losing all five starters from last year. In the face of this adversity, Staley and her team didn’t just win a championship, they remained undefeated throughout the entire season.
“We cried sad tears, unhappy tears,” Staley told “TODAY.” “And to get back to this place and finish the job and do it in a fashion that no one expected us to do it in, my cup runneth over with joy for our players.”
While talking about the booming popularity of women’s basketball, Staley took a moment to praise the Hawkeyes’ superstar guard, Caitlin Clark.
“I do have to give Caitlin Clark a lot to do with it. She is someone that attracts so many different people to our game,” Staley said. “Every so often, there’s a special individual that raises the level of our game, and she is it.”
“We made history,” Johnson said. The numbers outside of the final scorecard certainly support it, as the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament proved to be a massive ratings draw.
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