Dawn Staley and her South Carolina squad knew there was a strong chance they’d see UConn again in the national title game—months after the Huskies handed them a tough regular-season loss.
Now, that matchup is set: South Carolina will take on UConn in Sunday’s national championship, marking their second meeting in the final over the last four years. For the Gamecocks, it’s a shot at back-to-back national titles—something that hasn’t been done since Geno Auriemma’s Huskies won four straight from 2013 to 2016—and a potential fourth championship under Staley.
South Carolina will also be looking to avenge one of the most lopsided defeats of Staley’s coaching career: an 87-58 loss to UConn on Feb. 16 that snapped the Gamecocks’ 71-game home win streak at Colonial Life Arena.
Could that loss provide extra motivation?
“The real motivation is winning another national championship,” Staley said Saturday, per The State/GoGamecocks.com. “But we know we have to play much better than we did a month and a half ago.”
That loss may have served as a turning point—South Carolina has rattled off 12 straight wins since then. One more victory would not only bring redemption but also another national title to Columbia.
