Overview
- South Carolina faces undefeated, No. 1 overall seed UConn in Friday's national semifinal in Phoenix, a rematch of last season's championship game.
- The Gamecocks reached a sixth straight Final Four after scoring triple digits in the first two rounds and then pulling away from Oklahoma and TCU.
- Point guard Raven Johnson has become the team's tone-setter, averaging career highs and earning SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
- The roster adapted after ACL setbacks to Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins by elevating transfers Ta'Niya Latson and Madina Okot and bringing freshmen up to speed.
- Dawn Staley and players cite last year's 82–59 loss to UConn as motivation that sharpened focus rather than a quest for revenge.