Carolina will face the toughest test in women’s college basketball for the right to go to the Sweet 16: a road game at No. 1 South Carolina. The Gamecocks enter the NCAA Tournament undefeated for the second consecutive season and are seeking an appearance in their fourth consecutive Final Four. It’s the second meeting of the season between the two teams: South Carolina rallied past UNC 65-58 in Chapel Hill in November.
If you aren’t familiar with what makes South Carolina elite, here’s a quick rundown:
Head coach: Dawn Staley. Staley is already a legend in the basketball world, both for her exploits as a player and a coach. In her playing days, Staley led Virginia to three Final Fours and was named National Player of the Year twice. She is UVA’s all-time leading scorer, and the Cavaliers retired her No. 24 jersey. The WNBA’s Charlotte Sting selected Staley with the ninth overall pick in the 1999 draft, and she made six All-Star teams in the pros and was named to the WNBA’s 10th and 15th Anniversary Teams. As a coach, Staley has been even better, transforming a previously middling South Carolina program into a powerhouse. Under her guidance, the Gamecocks have won at least 30 games in seven of the past 10 seasons, reached five Final Fours and won two national championships. Staley has been named National Coach of the Year four times, becoming the first person to win the Naismith Award as both a player and a coach.
What’s the history? UNC and South Carolina have met 21 previous times, with the Tar Heels leading the series 11-10. But the Gamecocks have won the last three meetings, with two of those coming in the NCAA Tournament. Carolina’s last win in the series came in the 2014 Sweet 16, when the No. 4 seed Tar Heels upset the No. 1 seed Gamecocks 65-58.
Player to watch: Kamilla Cardoso. One of the most dominant forces in women’s college basketball, Cardoso looms both literally and figuratively over the court. Standing at six feet, seven inches, she towers over any post player the Tar Heels have on their roster: Teonni Key and Ali Zelaya are UNC’s tallest players at six feet, four inches. Cardoso has played at an All-American level this season, leading the Gamecocks in points (14 per game), rebounds (9.5 per game) and blocks (2.6 per game, 10th in Division 1). Cardoso grabbed 16 rebounds and blocked four shots in South Carolina’s win in Chapel Hill earlier this season.
South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso blocks a shot from Alyssa Ustby. (Image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini)
Cardoso also saved the Gamecocks’ perfect season by banking in a desperation three-pointer against Tennessee in the SEC Tournament semifinals. It was her first made three of her collegiate career.
NO. 1 SOUTH CAROLINA DEFEATS NO. 5 TENNESSEE ON A BUZZER-BEATER 🔥
Kamilla Cardoso's first career three-pointer keeps the Gamecocks undefeated on the season.
🎥 @GamecockWBBpic.twitter.com/9hemweOa39
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 10, 2024
Stats to watch: The Gamecocks are elite at most everything they do, but it’s their defense which has been a calling card this season. Led by Cardoso and a collection of long, athletic wings, South Carolina has held opponents to a miniscule 31.9 shooting percentage this season, the best in Division 1. The Gamecocks’ two-point defense (34.4 percent) also ranks first and their three-point defense (26.4 percent) ranks 11th. Simply put, any shot against South Carolina is likely a bad one. The Tar Heels shot 21-67 (31.3 percent) against the Gamecocks in November. South Carolina’s long wings also clog up passing lanes and allow opposing offenses just 10.1 assists per game on average, one of the lowest rates in the nation. It should come as no surprise that opponents score only 55.8 points per game against the Gamecocks, the 15th-lowest mark in Division 1.
If there was one area UNC was able to find success against South Carolina in the season’s first meeting, it was on the glass. The undersized Tar Heels actually outrebounded the Gamecocks 40-36, with Alyssa Ustby and Maria Gakdeng combining for 22. Fourteen of Carolina’s 40 total rebounds came on the offensive end. That is one area where the Gamecocks are not near the top of the leaderboards; in fact, they’re much closer to the bottom. South Carolina allows nearly 13 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks 305th in the country. All those missed shots provide plenty of opportunities. Ustby has been ferocious on the glass all season for UNC, and she’ll need to play her best game for the Tar Heels to have a chance.
Both South Carolina and UNC are substandard free throw shooting teams. The Gamecocks rank 278th at 68.5 percent, and the Tar Heels are even worse: 66.2 percent, which ranks 322nd. Foul shots very nearly cost Carolina its first-round game against Michigan State, as the Tar Heels finished 8-18 at the line and just 5-12 in the fourth quarter. Cardoso shoots by far the most free throws for the Gamecocks, but she sits at 67 percent. If the Tar Heels are truly desperate to stop her, giving away free throws may not be the worst option. But with serious depth issues, Carolina can’t accumulate too many fouls.
David vs. Goliath: The second round was the stopping point for Carolina last season, as the Tar Heels fell in the final seconds to No. 3 seed Ohio State in Columbus. Any observer could tell you UNC was overmatched against the Buckeyes, who have become one of the nation’s elite programs and are a No. 2 seed this season. But in a classic case of head coach Courtney Banghart’s team punching above its weight, Carolina led with less than two minutes to go before the Buckeyes rallied. Throughout Banghart’s tenure in Chapel Hill, the Tar Heels have given elite teams scares, including two close losses to No. 1 South Carolina. But this is her stiffest challenge yet. If Banghart can pull this off, she may earn herself a lifetime contract.
For information on how to watch Sunday’s game, click here.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Anthony Sorbellini
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