South Carolina Gamecocks Beat UConn Huskies to Earn Their Second National Championship

One year after suffering a heartbreaking Final Four defeat to eventual champion Stanford, No. 1 South Carolina found vengeance with a 64-49 triumph over No. 2 UConn on Sunday at Minneapolis’ Target Center.

The Gamecocks, who went 14-0 against teams rated in the Associated Press Top 25, were the eighth program in NCAA women’s basketball history to win multiple national titles, joining UConn (11), Tennessee (8), Stanford (3), Baylor (3), Notre Dame (2), USC (2), and Louisiana Tech (2).

South Carolina is also the 12th team to be ranked No. 1 in the AP poll from start to finish and win the national championship.

South Carolina’s 35 wins are the most in a single season in program history; seven were over national championship-winning coaches, and two were over UConn’s Geno Auriemma, as the Gamecocks had previously defeated the Huskies 73-57 in the Bahamas on Nov. 22.

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley is also 2-0 in NCAA national championship games after leading her team to victory over Mississippi State in 2017.

The Huskies, who have 11 titles to their name and are tied for the most in Division I basketball, are still looking for their first crown since winning four in a row from 2013 to 2016. Their five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances without a championship is the longest streak the program has had since winning its first title in 1995.

National player of the year Aliyah Boston ended with 11 points and 16 rebounds, allowing the Gamecocks to outrebound the Huskies 49-24. Destanni Henderson had a career-high 26 points, four assists, two rebounds, and a strong defensive effort against 2020-21 national player of the year Paige Bueckers.

UConn

STARTERS	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
A. EdwardsF	38	4-9	0-0	0-0	1	1	2	2	0	1	2	3	8
O. Nelson-OdodaF	23	2-2	0-0	0-0	2	0	2	1	2	1	3	4	4
A. FuddG	16	1-3	1-2	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	0	3
P. BueckersG	39	6-13	1-3	1-2	0	6	6	2	1	1	1	1	14
C. WilliamsG	23	1-7	0-3	0-0	0	1	1	3	0	0	0	3	2
BENCH	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
A. DeberryF	4	0-1	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0
C. DucharmeG	22	4-8	1-3	0-2	0	1	1	1	1	0	1	5	9
N. MuhlG	16	1-1	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	3	0	0	2	1	2
E. WestbrookG	19	3-10	1-5	0-0	0	4	4	2	0	1	3	3	7
TEAM		22-54	4-16	1-4	6	18	24	14	4	5	15	21	49
		40.7%	25.0%	25.0%

South Carolina

STARTERS	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
A. BostonF	35	3-8	0-0	5-8	5	11	16	3	0	2	3	2	11
V. SaxtonF	25	1-1	0-0	4-6	5	0	5	0	2	1	2	2	6
B. BealG	29	1-7	0-2	0-0	2	2	4	1	0	1	2	4	2
Z. CookeG	30	5-13	0-4	1-2	0	5	5	0	0	0	1	1	11
D. HendersonG	34	9-20	3-6	5-6	1	1	2	4	3	0	2	1	26
BENCH	MIN	FG	3PT	FT	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	PTS
S. FeaginF	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
L. AmihereF	9	1-2	0-0	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	2
E. WesolekF	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
K. CardosoC	9	2-2	0-0	0-0	3	0	3	1	1	0	1	0	4
B. HallG	10	0-5	0-3	1-2	0	3	3	0	0	0	1	0	1
S. RiversG	5	0-1	0-1	1-2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
E. RussellG	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0
O. ThompsonG	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
D. LittletonG	1	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
L. GrissettG	9	0-1	0-0	0-0	2	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0
TEAM		22-60	3-16	17-26	21	28	49	9	6	4	14	11	64
		36.7%	18.8%	65.4%