With South Carolina’s national title win on Sunday, Dawn Staley has cemented herself as one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, in the middle of what's becoming a South Carolina dynasty. 

Over the past eight seasons, Staley has led the Gamecocks to five Final Fours and three national championships (2017, 2022, 2024). Staley's Gamecocks have also won eight SEC tournaments and eight regular season conference titles since she took over in 2008. 

On Sunday, her team capped off a 38-0 season, becoming the first team to go undefeated since UConn in 2016. They’re just the 10th team in women’s college basketball history to do so.  

They did it in front of a women’s basketball record viewership of 18.7 million, which peaked at 24 million viewers on ABC. It’s the most-watched basketball game on any network, men's or women's, college or professional, since 2019. 

“I think it just cements her greatness in this time where there is so much parity in the game,” Seattle Storm assistant coach and former LSU coach Pokey Chatman told Andscape. “The rules literally have changed in the game. She’s been able to maintain the highest level of basketball – retainability, respectability, everything in between.”

What makes the feat even more impressive is the fact that Staley won it all while replacing her entire starting five from last year.

At times, she’s likened this year’s team to a daycare – and even said she contemplated retirement prior to the season starting. 

She went on to win Naismith and WBCA Coach of the Year – same as the previous two seasons – and is a two-time AP National Coach of the Year. She’s also a seven-time SEC coach of the year. 

“A lot of people don’t want to see her here. I think they kind of side-eye her in some places and she is unexpected to be in those places. But she’s there and she’s 10 toes down and she’s keeping her head up, her chin up and going head forward into all adversity or anything that looks abnormal,” said former Gamecocks forward A’ja Wilson. “She’s already GOATed in my eyes but another championship is another thing that a person can’t take away from her. 

“A lot of people try to discredit her in different places like ‘well she’s still got to do this.’… She still just continues to be herself. … It’s just another cherry on the cherry on top of her legacy.”

Adding to Staley’s legacy is the fact that she was an equally-as-impressive player, leading Virginia to three Final Fours and was twice named Naismith College Player of the Year. She went on to become a six-time WNBA All-Star, and won three Olympic gold medals with Team USA as a player. She’s also won a fourth gold medal as a coach.

At a time of unmatched parity in college basketball, Staley has built a modern dynasty at South Carolina.

“Dawn Staley is the leader of women’s basketball right now,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said after Sunday's loss. "For a while it was Pat [Summitt], then it was Geno [Auriemma]. And now it's Dawn setting the bar for everyone else."

Even as the Gamecocks have gone on an unprecedented 109-3 run over the last three seasons, Staley has been lauded for her grace and sportsmanship. In her postgame comments on Sunday, Staley took the time to commend Iowa star Caitlin Clark for her contributions to women’s basketball.

She also shouted out both her bench players — who had 37 points — and last year's seniors, who were ousted in the Final Four by Iowa.

“It was emotional for me because of how it ended last year,” Staley said. "You carry the burden of every single one of your players, all the coaches and staff members that put so much into our team."

Dawn Staley just led South Carolina to a perfect season and a national championship — with an entirely new starting five from last year.

After the Gamecocks won their second title in three years, and became the first team to go undefeated to the title since 2016, Staley took time to shout out, her players, her coaches — and Iowa star Caitlin Clark. 

“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” Staley said. “She carried a heavy load for our sport and it’s not going to stop here on the collegiate tour. When she’s the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft she’s going to lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game and we appreciate you.”

Staley then doubled down in her postgame press conference, congratulating the Hawkeyes and Clark for making it back to the championship. She also called them a “formidable opponent that took everything that we had to win a basketball game.”

“Her shoulders were heavy, getting a lot of eyeballs on our game,” Staley said of Clark. “And sometimes as a young person it can be a bit much. But I thought she handled it with class and I hope that with every step of the ladder of success that she goes, she’s able to elevate whatever room she’s in.”

When asked about the praise meant to her, Clark called it “special.”

“Anytime somebody like Coach Staley is able to recognize you and what you did for the game is pretty special,” she said.

“Obviously she’s somebody I respect so much. I respect what she’s done for South Carolina, I respect what she did as a player for our game. And anytime you can get the praises of her is pretty special, so it means a lot.”

Caitlin Clark’s storied college career came to a close on Sunday, and she leaves with no regrets. She walks away from the college game with two national championship games lost, but an excess of scoring records and attendance records won.

Clark finishes her time at Iowa with 3,951 career points, the D-I career scoring record, as well as the record for scoring in a single season. She is also the Big Ten’s all-time assist leader and leaves college as the first Division I women's player to score at least 1,000 points in two different seasons, according to ESPN.

"It's really hard to win these things. I think I probably know that better than most people by now," Clark said after the game. "To be so close twice, it definitely hurts. But at the same time, we were right there. We battled. We took down some really great teams to get back to this point."

Clark insisted after the game that she's not going to sulk. Instead, she reflected Sunday on the entirety of her college career. 

"Whether it's the way the fans have supported me, the way I've been able to represent my state where I grew up, my family being at every single game -- there's not a regret in my mind of how things went," Clark said. "I'll be able to sleep every night even though I never won a national championship.

Those around Clark took time on Sunday to re-affirm the impact she's had on the sport.

"She moved needles, she did things that no one was doing other than Steph Curry, shooting from where she shot, but never losing her sense of fun and flair," said longtime Iowa assistant coach Jan Jensen. "I wish we could have helped her get us to the title ... Maybe they won't call her 'GOAT' ... But she'll always be our GOAT."

Clark also gave credit to coach Lisa Bluder for giving her the space to be the player she could be.

"I have to give Coach Bluder a lot of credit because she's allowed me to be myself," Clark said. "She's allowed me to be me, and I don't know if there's many coaches across the country that I could have committed to that would have allowed me to do that. I wouldn't have had this type of career."

Despite being the face of the recent surge in interest around women's college basketball, Clark insists the talent has always been there.

“Women’s basketball isn’t just suddenly good,” she said. “It’s been good. … No matter what sport it is, give [women] the same opportunities, believe in them the same, invest in them the same, and things are really going to thrive."

South Carolina finished the season the same way they started: undefeated. 

The Gamecocks beat Iowa 87-75 on Sunday to finish 38-0, becoming the first team to win a national title without dropping a game since 2016.

It came a year after Iowa ended South Carolina’s bid for an undefeated season in the Final Four.

"We're unbeatable," junior Bree Hall said. "That's the statement that was made tonight."

"We've come a long way," Te-Hina Paopao said. "It's been a long journey. We've trusted each other so much over the season. We have so much confidence with each other, so much love. ... We genuinely love to be with each other. We genuinely want to see everyone succeed. It's been a great journey and to cap it off with a perfect season, it's just a blessing."

Sophomore Raven Johnson, who was waved off by Clark from behind the arc in the 2023 semifinal game, held Clark to 3-11 with four turnovers after she had 18 points in the first quarter. She had just 12 points in the game’s final 30 minutes. 

"It doesn't always end like you want it to end, much like last year," Staley said. "But my [seniors from last season] are at the top of my heart because they wanted this. And I hope we can erase whatever pain they had, last year experiencing not being able to finish it here.

"It's awesome. It's unbelievable."

South Carolina’s bench was the differentiator, outscoring Iowa’s bench 37-0 on the night. Key in that was freshman Tessa Johnson, who had 19 points in just 25 minutes of playing time. She joined former Gamecock Destanni Henderson as the sole players to have career highs in the national championship game in the last 25 seasons. 

"They've done so much for this team," Paopao said of the bench. "A lot of people sleep on them. But they could start on any team in this country, but they decided to sacrifice that and play for this team and win a national championship, which we did today."

The Gamecocks out-rebounded Iowa 51-29, including 18 on the offensive glass due in part to Kamilla Cardoso, who had 15 points and 17 rebounds. She earned Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four for her efforts, becoming just the fifth player with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds in a championship game in the past 25 seasons.

"Kamilla Cardoso was not going to let us lose a game in the NCAA tournament," Staley said. "She played through an injury, she played like one of the top picks in the WNBA draft and her teammates did something that no teammates have done for anybody who went to the WNBA in our program. They sent her off as a national champion. So this is history for us."

Speaking ahead of UConn and Iowa’s Final Four matchup, Clark noted that both she and Bueckers’ have games that are similar but at the same time “very different.”

"Her game is just so smooth, she's fun to watch," Clark said of Bueckers. "She moves effortlessly out there like it's just so natural. Then she additionally works really hard at it. Paige has always been one of the most dominant players, that has never changed. She's always been able to go up against the best."

Clark also said she's in awe of Buecker's resilience. While Clark’s NCAA career has gone relatively smoothly from an injury standpoint, Bueckers has spent much of the last four years injured – including missing last year with an ACL tear. 

“The coolest thing about Paige is how resilient she is,” Clark said. “Obviously she’s kind of been dealt a tough hand. … The way she carries herself on and off the court, the way she works hard. None of that has changed since I’ve known her since she was in middle school, she’s always worked that same way. She’s always had that fire, she’s always been a great leader. 

“I really couldn’t be happier for her and the year that she’s had and the way she’s led [UConn] back to the Final Four.” 

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Bueckers was equally complimentary of Clark, who she calls “a winner.”

"She's just a competitor," Bueckers said of Clark. "She wants to win. She has just intangibles of the game. She knows how to play, a great IQ. I think the biggest thing about her is she competes, and she's just a winner. She wants to win at all costs."

Hailey Van Lith is back in the transfer portal after just one year with LSU, according to multiple reports. 

While Van Lith was eligible for the WNBA draft this year, her name did not appear on the preliminary draft list published Thursday. 

Van Lith will be a graduate transfer, and has just one year of eligibility left for the 2024-25 season. She spent a single season with the Tigers, which ended in the Elite Eight with a loss to Iowa. 

One of the top players in the portal last season, Van Lith changed positions at LSU as part of a headline-grabbing transfer class that included DePaul standout Aneesah Morrow. Van Lith left Louisville, where she had been the focal point of the offense, was an honorable mention All-American, and helped the Cardinals to the Final Four in 2022. 

Previously a shooting guard, Van Lith played the point for the Tigers throughout the season. While a welcome change, it also came with some awkwardness. Van Lith averaged 11.6 points and 3.6 assists per game, both lower than her previous career highs, which included 19.7 points per game as a junior at Louisville. 

Van Lith’s final defensive assignment at LSU against Caitlin Clark saw the 22-year-old struggle on the big stage, with limited coaching adjustments in the game. 

Ahead of LSU’s Sweet 16 matchup with UCLA, Van Lith defended her decision to go to LSU. 

"A lot of people have a lot to say about how this year went for me," Van Lith told reporters before LSU's Sweet 16 matchup against UCLA, "but one thing that they can't argue with is that at this point, I know how to fend for Hailey and I know how to fight for Hailey and that's going to help me the next level."

Former Virginia Tech guard Georgia Amoore is transferring to Kentucky, she announced Thursday on social media. 

Amoore follows former Hokies coach Kenny Brooks, who took the job in March after the program fired previous coach Kyra Elzy. 

The Australian point guard was part of the Virginia Tech teams that won the ACC tournament title last year and the regular season title this year. Alongside three-time ACC Player of the Year Liz Kitley, Amoore also helped the program to its first Final Four last season.

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A two-time first-team all-ACC selection, Amoore averaged career highs this season with 18.8 points and 6.8 assists per game. She leaves Virginia Tech as the program’s all-time assists leader. 

While Amoore was eligible for the WNBA draft, she opted to return for her fifth and final season of collegiate eligibility.

Former Hokies center Clara Strack also announced on Thursday that she will be joining Amoore in transferring to Kentucky. 

Iowa star Caitlin Clark has been announced as the Naismith Player of the Year for women's college basketball for the second year in a row.

Finalists alongside Clark were Stanford’s Cameron Brink – who won Defensive Player of the Year – USC’s JuJu Watkins and UConn’s Paige Bueckers.

The Iowa star is the first player to go back-to-back for the award since UConn’s Breanna Stewart won it three times in a row from 2014-16. Just seven players prior to Clark have won the award in consecutive seasons, and she becomes the 10th women’s basketball player to earn the Naismith multiple times. 

Among Clark’s accolades this year include becoming the all-time leading scorer in D-I basketball while averaging a career-high 32 points, 9.0 assists, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. 

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley was named the Coach of the Year for the third straight season, becoming the first coach to three-peat in the award’s history. It’s her fourth coach of the year accolade in the last five seasons.

LeBron James thinks the meteoric rise of women's college basketball is due in large part to "icons" building a legacy in the game.

That star power, he says, is the differentiator between the women's and men's college game.

"I don't think there's much difference between the men's and women's game when it comes to college basketball," James said on Wednesday. "I think the popularity comes in with the icons that they have in the women's game.”

James pointed to JuJu Watkins, Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink and Paige Bueckers in particular, before also highlighting Iowa State’s Audi Crooks and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo, who are both freshmen alongside Watkins.

The reason the star power is so much bigger than in the men’s game, James says, is due in part because the players aren’t departing for the WNBA after their freshman year.

In a typical year, most of the biggest stars in men's college basketball will leave after only playing a season.

"You're able to build a real iconic legacy at a program," James said of the women's game. "And that's what we all love about it. That's what we all love. We love the girl's game because of that moment you actually get to see those girls [build to]. That's what makes the girl's Final Four and the Elite Eight so great. Yeah, Iowa was a great team; Caitlin Clark is the reason we tuned in.

"Players, depending on who they are, will drive the attention when it comes to viewership. … It's just a different time between the men's and women's."

Geno Auriemma doesn’t want Caitlin Clark to have a personal agenda against his team. 

After Clark dropped 41 points in Iowa’s win over LSU, Auriemma joked with the media about her upcoming performance against his UConn Huskies in the Final Four.

UConn and Iowa are set to match up for the third time in four seasons. The Huskies have won their previous two meetings against a Caitlin Clark-led Iowa team.

"I hope Caitlin Clark had a personal agenda against LSU, and I know there's nothing personal between me and her," Auriemma said. 

“I know there's nothing personal between me and her. I don't need to be seeing her drop 50 on us next weekend,” Auriemma continued. “I love her. I think she's the best player. Forget I ever said Paige [Bueckers] is the best player in the country. I think [Caitlin's] the best player of all time. I don't know whoever said Paige is the best player.” 

Even with Geno's jokes, it might already be personal for Clark, who revealed last month that Auriemma didn’t recruit her to UConn when she was a star in high school.

The Iowa star was heavily recruited by Iowa, Notre Dame, Texas and Oregon before initially committing to Notre Dame. But Clark, a massive fan of Maya Moore – who starred at UConn – called UConn her “dream school.”

"Honestly, it was more I wanted them to recruit me to say I got recruited," Clark told ESPN in a feature published ahead of the NCAA Tournament. "I loved UConn. I think they're the coolest place on Earth, and I wanted to say I got recruited by them. They called my AAU coach a few times, but they never talked to my family and never talked to me."

As for UConn’s plan regarding Clark, Auriemma said that the team doesn’t have any plans to stop her. 

"We don't. We don't plan on stopping her,” he said. “Because I tried calling all the other coaches that have stopped her, and none of them answer the phone. So we're going to have to find a different way to win than stopping Caitlin Clark."