In Cleveland, Kamilla Cardoso, a top player, scored 22 points as South Carolina, who hadn't lost any games, won against N.C. State with a score of 78-59 in the women's Final Four on Friday night.
The highly skilled and determined Gamecocks (37-0) were leading by one at halftime and then performed very well in the third quarter. They scored 29 points while their opponents, the Wolfpack, only managed to score 6 points, turning the tense game into a big win.
South Carolina made it to the championship game on Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. They will face the winner of the second semifinal between Iowa and UConn, where popular players Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers will compete, creating excitement across America.
N.C. State, ranked third, and with a record of 31-7, was led by Aziaha James, who scored 20 points. They had previously defeated a number 1 and a number 2 seed to reach Cleveland.
The Wolfpack were no match for the Gamecocks, who were consistently ranked number 1 during the season and are aiming to become the first undefeated national champion since UConn in 2016.
In just 23 minutes of play, Cardoso scored 11 rebounds but injured her right leg in the first half. She was back on the court in the third quarter wearing a black sleeve on her leg, but did not play in the fourth quarter.
Ashlyn Watkins also played a dominant role inside for the Gamecocks, grabbing 20 rebounds and scoring eight points. Raven Johnson contributed 13 points.
