Every Player On South Carolina’s Bench Feels Like A Starter. They Played A Pivotal Role In Title Run

CLEVELAND: South Carolina doesn’t really feel prefer it has 5 starters. The Gamecocks suppose they’ve 10. Maybe extra.

Coach Dawn Staley used that depth to put on down South Carolina’s opponents with relentless strain and tempo.

Even Caitlin Clark and Iowa — not precisely slowpokes themselves — couldn’t sustain. The proof was on the ground for all to see throughout the Gamecocks’ 87-75 win over Clark and the Hawkeyes on Sunday within the NCAA championship.

South Carolina’s reserves, led by guard Tessa Johnson, outscored Iowa’s 37-0, providing a reminder that whereas there’s extra parity within the ladies’s recreation than ever, the Gamecocks at the moment don’t have any parallel.

“When we play teams, they’ve got to scout everyone,” Gamecocks guard Te-Hina Paopao stated. “They’ve got to scout all 10, 11 of us. And I know that’s hard to do because they’re hoopers and there’s no let off when they come in.”

No, there isn’t.

There had been three video games on this yr’s ladies’s event when one crew’s reserves outscored their counterparts by 30 or extra. South Carolina was accountable for all three, in response to STATS, additionally undertaking the feat towards North Carolina and Presbyterian.

Iowa led by as many as 11 within the first quarter on Sunday. Rather than panic whereas Clark received scorching, Staley merely turned to the group that features Johnson, Ashlyn Watkins, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Sania Feagin and requested them to offer a lift.

They did way over that. Johnson scored 19 factors. Fulwiley added 9 factors to go along with 4 boards and 4 assists. All of them performed at the least 14 minutes. All of them made an affect.

“That’s just what they do, they produce,” beginning guard Raven Johnson stated.

And they produce at a stage that dares opponents to maintain up. Watkins had 20 rebounds in a Final Four win over North Carolina State, permitting the Gamecocks to drag away even with beginning middle Kamilla Cardoso nursing a proper leg damage.

Even Iowa, the nation’s highest-scoring crew led by its all-everything star, ultimately received worn out. The Hawkeyes received inside 5 within the fourth quarter earlier than South Carolina held Iowa scoreless over the ultimate 4:12.

“One thing that we’ve always been able to do is really push the ball and really run,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder stated. “We did score pretty well. We scored 20 more points than other people do against South Carolina, so we did score pretty well. But, yeah, to be able to have all those fresh legs on Caitlin was really tough.”

It’s what occurs to simply about everyone who performs the Gamecocks and their pipeline that consists of stars and gamers seemingly simply ready to be stars.

The time for Tessa Johnson and firm to maneuver into the beginning lineup is coming. It would have come sooner had they chosen to play elsewhere. They didn’t. And that made all of the distinction.

“They could start on any team in this country,” Paopao stated. “But they decided to sacrifice that and play for this team and win a national championship, which we did today.”

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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

(This story has not been edited by News18 employees and is printed from a syndicated information company feed – Associated Press)