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SOURCE SPORTS: Women’s National Title Game Has Largest Basketball Audience Since 2019

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dawn staley ncaa champ

South Carolina’s win against Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes in the women’s NCAA championship drew a preliminary audience average of 18.7 million on ABC and ESPN, with viewership expected to rise upon Nielsen’s final release.

Nielsen reported a peak audience of 24 million. This marks the most-viewed basketball game since 2019, surpassing the men’s NCAA title game’s 19.6 million average on CBS.

According to ESPN, the only sporting events with bigger audiences were the NFL, World Cup, and the Olympics. The last basketball game to grab 18 million eyes was the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors in Game 6 of the 2019 NBA Finals.

In a thrilling showdown, the South Carolina Gamecocks emerged victorious over the Iowa Hawkeyes, securing their third national championship under coach Dawn Staley and capping off a flawless 2023-24 season. The Gamecocks avenged their only loss from the previous season, defeating Iowa 87-75 in a hard-fought battle.

Last season’s stunning defeat to Iowa in the semifinals served as a motivating factor for South Carolina, driving them to reclaim the national title and end their season on a high note. The victory also marked the end of an illustrious college career for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who, despite her remarkable achievements, fell short in the championship game once again.

Freshman guard Tessa Johnson emerged as a standout performer for the Gamecocks, surpassing her scoring average with a stellar display throughout the tournament. Johnson’s stellar performance, coupled with contributions from key role players, propelled South Carolina to victory, despite a valiant effort from Iowa’s Clark.

Clark, playing her final game for the Hawkeyes, showcased her scoring prowess with 30 points on 10-of-28 shooting. However, South Carolina’s relentless defensive effort limited her effectiveness, ultimately tipping the scales in favor of the Gamecocks.

“I wanna personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport, she carried a heavy load,” Coach Staley said. “When she’s the number 1 pick in the WNBA draft she’s gonna lift that league up as well. So Caitlin if you’re out there you are one of the GOATS.”

The Gamecocks’ dominance extended beyond the scoreboard, as they asserted control in various aspects of the game, including rebounding, second-chance points, and bench scoring. South Carolina’s relentless defensive effort limited Iowa’s offensive opportunities and paved the way for their triumph.

With a remarkable season culminating in an unbeaten national championship, South Carolina solidified its status as a powerhouse in college basketball. The victory not only secured Coach Staley a significant bonus but also highlighted the team’s resilience and determination to achieve greatness on the court. As celebrations ensued, the Gamecocks basked in the glory of their triumph, marking a historic moment in their basketball legacy.

Dawn Staley has made history as the first African American college basketball coach to win three national championships, and her rising popularity is reflected in her social media activity. The analytical team at CasinoenligneGuru conducted an analysis and observed a significant increase in her Instagram following, indicative of her growing popularity. For instance, on March 8, 2024, she had 327,097 followers, but just a month later, this number surged to 345,199. Gaining over 18,000 fans in a month is indeed an impressive achievement for an influencer.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Women’s National Title Game Has Largest Basketball Audience Since 2019 first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Women’s National Title Game Has Largest Basketball Audience Since 2019 appeared first on The Source.

SOURCE SPORTS: Dawn Staley and South Carolina Claim Unbeaten National Championship

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dawn staley ncaa champ

In a thrilling showdown, the South Carolina Gamecocks emerged victorious over the Iowa Hawkeyes, securing their third national championship under coach Dawn Staley and capping off a flawless 2023-24 season. The Gamecocks avenged their only loss from the previous season, defeating Iowa 87-75 in a hard-fought battle.

Last season’s stunning defeat to Iowa in the semifinals served as a motivating factor for South Carolina, driving them to reclaim the national title and end their season on a high note. The victory also marked the end of an illustrious college career for Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who, despite her remarkable achievements, fell short in the championship game once again.

Freshman guard Tessa Johnson emerged as a standout performer for the Gamecocks, surpassing her scoring average with a stellar display throughout the tournament. Johnson’s stellar performance, coupled with contributions from key role players, propelled South Carolina to victory, despite a valiant effort from Iowa’s Clark.

Clark, playing her final game for the Hawkeyes, showcased her scoring prowess with 30 points on 10-of-28 shooting. However, South Carolina’s relentless defensive effort limited her effectiveness, ultimately tipping the scales in favor of the Gamecocks.

“I wanna personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport, she carried a heavy load,” Coach Staley said. “When she’s the number 1 pick in the WNBA draft she’s gonna lift that league up as well. So Caitlin if you’re out there you are one of the GOATS.”

The Gamecocks’ dominance extended beyond the scoreboard, as they asserted control in various aspects of the game, including rebounding, second-chance points, and bench scoring. South Carolina’s relentless defensive effort limited Iowa’s offensive opportunities and paved the way for their triumph.

With a remarkable season culminating in an unbeaten national championship, South Carolina solidified its status as a powerhouse in college basketball. The victory not only secured Coach Staley a significant bonus but also highlighted the team’s resilience and determination to achieve greatness on the court. As celebrations ensued, the Gamecocks basked in the glory of their triumph, marking a historic moment in their basketball legacy.

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Dawn Staley Thanks The “Basketball Gods” Ahead Of March Madness

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Dawn Staley has said that “preparation” has earned her South Carolina Gamecocks the favor of the “basketball gods”. “Sometimes the basketball gods favor that [preparation]. Preparation has allowed us to get lucky sometimes. I think our players play free. They play as if there are no consequences, and that’s a gift and a curse for someone like me. If you have a conversation with [players], it’s like they have short-term memory. They only think about the winning part of it. They don’t really think about how we won or how we could have lost. It’s worked for this team thus far. I don’t know if it’ll work throughout the tournament,” Staley said.

South Carolina, the only undefeated team left at the Division I level and the top overall seed in the women’s tournament, start their March Madness campaign on Friday. They face first-time dancers Presbyterian in a rematch of a game South Carolina won 99-29 back in December. However, the team will be without leading scorer Kamilla Cardoso, who is suspended for her role in a fight at the end of the SEC tournament title game. With South Carolina heavily favored to win, Cardoso will be cleared to return for their second-round game against either North Carolina or Michigan State.

Read More: South Carolina Star Becomes Steph Curry’s First NIL Signing

Elizabeth Kitley To Miss March Madness, Virginia Tech’s Hopes Of Final Four Repeat Fade

Dawn Staley
(Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Elsewhere, the basketball gods aren’t so kind. Virginia Tech star Elizabeth Kitley will miss March Madness due to a torn ACL. “On March 3rd I suffered a knee injury that is keeping me out of this year’s NCAA tournament. This is not at all how I anticipated ending this year with my team, but I’m so proud of all of our accomplishments, and I’m excited to see my girls continue to compete. Thank you to all of Hokie Nation for being so supportive during this tough time. I’m looking forward to making a strong comeback,” Kitley wrote on Instagram. She is expected to declare for the WNBA Draft after a standout career in Blacksburg.

However, the news is a devastating blow for the four-seed Hokies. Kitley forwent the WNBA Draft last season to play one more year in college. Becoming the all-time ACC leader in rebounds, Kitley catapulted the Hokies to a historic regular-season title. However, she missed the conference tournament due to the aforementioned ACL tear. With Kitley gone, it is unlikely that Virginia Tech will make back-to-back appearances in the Final Four. The Hokies reached that historic benchmark for the first time last year. Virginia Tech’s tournament begins against Marshall. However, the road back to the Final Four is guarded by a matchup against USC as well as the potential threats of UConn and Ohio State.

Read More: Paige Bueckers Forgoes WNBA Draft To Play Another Year At UConn, Basketball World Stunned

[via]

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Dawn Staley Thanks The “Basketball Gods” Ahead Of March Madness

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Dawn Staley has said that “preparation” has earned her South Carolina Gamecocks the favor of the “basketball gods”. “Sometimes the basketball gods favor that [preparation]. Preparation has allowed us to get lucky sometimes. I think our players play free. They play as if there are no consequences, and that’s a gift and a curse for someone like me. If you have a conversation with [players], it’s like they have short-term memory. They only think about the winning part of it. They don’t really think about how we won or how we could have lost. It’s worked for this team thus far. I don’t know if it’ll work throughout the tournament,” Staley said.

South Carolina, the only undefeated team left at the Division I level and the top overall seed in the women’s tournament, start their March Madness campaign on Friday. They face first-time dancers Presbyterian in a rematch of a game South Carolina won 99-29 back in December. However, the team will be without leading scorer Kamilla Cardoso, who is suspended for her role in a fight at the end of the SEC tournament title game. With South Carolina heavily favored to win, Cardoso will be cleared to return for their second-round game against either North Carolina or Michigan State.

Read More: South Carolina Star Becomes Steph Curry’s First NIL Signing

Elizabeth Kitley To Miss March Madness, Virginia Tech’s Hopes Of Final Four Repeat Fade

Dawn Staley
(Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Elsewhere, the basketball gods aren’t so kind. Virginia Tech star Elizabeth Kitley will miss March Madness due to a torn ACL. “On March 3rd I suffered a knee injury that is keeping me out of this year’s NCAA tournament. This is not at all how I anticipated ending this year with my team, but I’m so proud of all of our accomplishments, and I’m excited to see my girls continue to compete. Thank you to all of Hokie Nation for being so supportive during this tough time. I’m looking forward to making a strong comeback,” Kitley wrote on Instagram. She is expected to declare for the WNBA Draft after a standout career in Blacksburg.

However, the news is a devastating blow for the four-seed Hokies. Kitley forwent the WNBA Draft last season to play one more year in college. Becoming the all-time ACC leader in rebounds, Kitley catapulted the Hokies to a historic regular-season title. However, she missed the conference tournament due to the aforementioned ACL tear. With Kitley gone, it is unlikely that Virginia Tech will make back-to-back appearances in the Final Four. The Hokies reached that historic benchmark for the first time last year. Virginia Tech’s tournament begins against Marshall. However, the road back to the Final Four is guarded by a matchup against USC as well as the potential threats of UConn and Ohio State.

Read More: Paige Bueckers Forgoes WNBA Draft To Play Another Year At UConn, Basketball World Stunned

[via]

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South Carolina Star Becomes Steph Curry’s First NIL Signing

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South Carolina freshman MiLaysia Fulwiley has become the first collegiate athlete to sign with Steph Curry’s NIL brand. Per the brand, Fulwiley will be an “ambassador” at the NCAA tournament later this month and will sport Curry-branded shoes for the rest of her collegiate career. Fulwiley was recently crowned MVP of the SEC tournament, the first freshman to capture the award.

Fulwiley is averaging 11.8/2.9/2.3 this season amid the Gamecocks’ second consecutive undefeated regular season. However, here solid contributions have been overshadowed by the outstanding seasons of USC’s Juju Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hildago. South Carolina will enter March Madness as the number one overall seed. However, in a rare move, they will be without star senior Kamilla Cardoso for their opening game. Cardoso is serving a one-game suspension for fighting in South Carolina’s title game against LSU.

Read More: Juwan Howard Fired By Michigan After Historically Bad Season

Selection Sunday Looms

Just one day remains until the brackets for March Madness 2024 are revealed. Saturday and Sunday will see the final 13 conference titles decided, finalizing the 32 teams that receive an automatic berth to the tournament. This group already contains everyone from giants like South Carolina and UConn to first-time dancers such as Presbyterian and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi. The remain conferences to be decided are the MAC, WAC, MAAC, MEAC, SWAC, C-USA, Ivy League, Big West, Atlantic Sun, Patriot, CAA, and MVC. Additionally, nine champions will be decided on Saturday, with the final four decided just hours before the bracket reveal on Sunday.

36 teams will be announced alongside the conference champions tomorrow. This will include the 8 “First Four” teams, who play a preliminary play-in game. The bracket is split into 16 quadrants, with the highest seed in each quadrant hosting the first two rounds. After the first two rounds, the tournament moves to two regional sites – Portland and Albany. The final four and national championship game will take place in Cleveland. Meanwhile, the men’s national championship game takes place in Glendale, Arizona this year.

Read More: NCAA Sued Over Transgender Inclusion Policy

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SOURCE SPORTS: Brother of Flau’Jae Johnson Arrested After Storming Court During LSU-South Carolina Fight

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Brother of Flau'Jae Johnson Arrested After Storming Court During LSU-South Carolina Fight

The brother of LSU guard Flau’Jae Johnson, Trayron Milton, has been arrested and charged with assault, battery, and disorderly conduct.

The charges handed down by the Greenville Police come after Milton jumped a security barricade to rush the court while his sister was engaged in an on-court fight.

Milton came in contact with South Carolina forward Kamilla Cardoso, who pushed his sister on the court.

As of writing, Milton remains in jail.

Six players were ejected from the South Carolina and LSU basketball teams after a scuffle in the women’s SEC championship game.

The game was chippy and physical the entire way through, leading to the fourth quarter moment where heated trash talk between South Carolina players and LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson escalated.

Johnson bumped South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins after she yelled at the former following a turnover. As an argument ensued, SC center Kamilla Cardoso charged toward the group of players, forcefully pushing Johnson over.

From there, everything broke down, leading to players leaving the bench and Johnson’s brother hurdling the fan barricade and the scorer’s table to get to the field.

You can see the chaotic scene below.

After the game, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley spoke to the moment’s intensity. “For us playing a part in that, that’s not who we are,” Staley said. “That’s not what we’re about.”

LSU coach Kim Mulkey delivered a different message: “It’s ugly, it’s not good, no one wants to be a part of that. But I’ll tell you this, I wish [Cardoso] would’ve pushed Angel Reese. If you’re 6-8, don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for in my opinion. Let those two girls who were jawing, let them go at it.”

Cardoso would apologize on X after the game.

South Carolina would win the game, continuing their undefeated season with an SEC championship.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Brother of Flau’Jae Johnson Arrested After Storming Court During LSU-South Carolina Fight first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Brother of Flau’Jae Johnson Arrested After Storming Court During LSU-South Carolina Fight appeared first on The Source.

SOURCE SPORTS: Fight Erupts Between LSU-South Carolina in SEC Title Game

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USCLSUFight

A scuffle in the Women’s SEC championship game resulted in ejections of six players ebtwene the South Carolina and LSU basketball teams.

The game was chippy and physical the entire way through, leading to the fourth quarter moment where heated trash talk between South Carolina players and LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson escalated.

Johnson bumped South Carolina’s Ashlyn Watkins after she yelled at the former following a turnover. As an argument ensued, SC center Kamilla Cardoso charged toward the group of players forcefully pushing Johnson over.

From there, everything broke down, leading to players leaving the bench and even Johnson’s brother hurling a fan barricade and the scorer’s table to get to the field.

You can see the chaotic scene below.

After the game, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley spoke to the moment’s intensity. “For us playing a part in that, that’s not who we are,” Staley said. “That’s not what we’re about.”

LSU coach Kim Mulkey delivered a different message: “It’s ugly, it’s not good, no one wants to be a part of that. But I’ll tell you this, I wish [Cardoso] would’ve pushed Angel Reese. If you’re 6-8, don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for in my opinion. Let those two girls who were jawing, let them go at it.”

Cardoso would apologize on X after the game.

South Carolina would win the game, continuing their undefeated season with an SEC championship.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Fight Erupts Between LSU-South Carolina in SEC Title Game first appeared on The Source.

The post SOURCE SPORTS: Fight Erupts Between LSU-South Carolina in SEC Title Game appeared first on The Source.

South Carolina & LSU Bench-Clearing Brawl Leads To Several Ejections & An Arrest

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A bench-clearing brawl during the South Carolina-LSU game on Sunday led to several ejections as well as an arrest. With two minutes left in the SEC Tournament championship, South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley stole the ball from LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, who then fouled Fulwiley to prevent an easy layup.

After the play, Johnson threw an elbow at Ashlyn Watkins. Kamilla Cardoso quickly retaliated by shoving Johnson to the ground. From there, the benches emptied and a police officer jumped onto the court to chase down a fan, who was reportedly later revealed to have been Johnson’s brother.

Read More: Angel Reese Says She Can No Longer Attend Classes In Person

LSU & South Carolina Go At It

GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 10: Flau’jae Johnson #4, Janae Kent #20 of the LSU Lady Tigers, and MiLaysia Fulwiley #12 of the South Carolina Gamecocks wrestle for a ball in the first quarter during the championship game of the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 10, 2024 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Eakin Howard/Getty Images)

Referees eventually ejected Cardoso for physical fighting and both benches for going on the court. Cardoso will miss the first round of the NCAA tournament for the ejection. South Carolina went on to win 79-72. Check out a clip of the fight below.

LSU-South Carolina Game Leads To Brawl

Earlier in the weekend, LSU’s Last-Tear Poa suffered a scary injury that resulted in her needing a stretcher to get off the court during the team’s win over Ole Miss. Angel Reese said afterward: “That was the hardest last five minutes of a game I’ve ever played, emotionally, physically, mentally.” Be on the lookout for further updates on NCAA Women’s Basketball on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: LSU Apologizes For Flau’jae Johnson 9/11 Reference

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Kamilla Cardoso Sinks First-Ever Three-Pointer To Save South Carolina, Sports World Goes Wild

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South Carolina remained undefeated as senior Kamilla Cardoso hit her first career three-pointer to give the Gamecocks a 74-73 win over Tennessee in the SEC Conference Tournament semifinals. South Carolina had squandered a 13-point halftime lead and were staring down their first loss in almost a year when the Brazilian star hit her miraculous buzzer-beater. She was immediately mobbed by her teammates, disappearing under a pile of bodies. South Carolina will face Angel Reese and LSU later today in the tournament final.

The sports world was quick to react to Cardoso’s heroics. “Oh My God!!! What a game!!! #kamillacordoso with the game winning 3 with 1.1 seconds on the clock!! Wow!! What A Shot!!! This was awesome to watch!!!” wrote NFL legend Terrell Owens. “Kamilla you shoot now!? 😱 where was this in AAU,” wrote WNBA star and Cardoso’s former AAU teammate Rhyne Howard.

Read More: Sam Kerr Hailed As “National Hero” In Australia As Full Details Of Her Racial Harassment Case Emerge

Kamilla Cardoso Three Headlines Wild Day Of Women’s Basketball

However, Cardoso’s heroics were not the only big story of the day. Iowa State kept their postseason dreams alive as they took down No. 17 Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament. They will face conference regular-season champions Oklahoma on Monday. Meanwhile, High Point, a favorite to win the Big South, was stunned by Presbyterian, who had gone 8-8 in conference play. They will face Radford in the tournament final later today.

Today sees multiple automatic bids to March Madness locked up. Iowa looks to win their third consecutive tournament title as they take on Nebraska. Meanwhile, NC State and Notre Dame face off in the ACC. As mentioned, South Carolina and LSU battle it out for the SEC crown. Additionally, USC and Stanford play for the final Pac-12 crown. There are also automatic bids on the line in the Southern Conference and Atlantic 10. Conference tournaments continue through March 17. Later that same day, Selection Sunday will occur to announce the brackets for March Madness.

Read More: Travis Scott Supports Caitlin Clark At Iowa Game

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SOURCE SPORTS: South Carolina Outlasts LSU in Thriller

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South Carolina Outlasts LSU in Thriller

The South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team faced their first season loss while visiting fellow basketball powerhouse LSU. In front of a sold-out crowd, the Gamecocks were down for 33 minutes but still pulled out a 76-70 victory.

A pivotal swing in the game was LSU’s Angel Reese fouling out with 4:02 left, aiding an 11-3 run to close the game. South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said the matchup “was a game of runs.”

“They made big plays,” Staley said. “We made big plays. The team that made the last play was the one that was going to win this basketball game.”

“Experience — that was a big hit for us,” LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson said. “We had four minutes left — that’s too much time to not have Angel Reese on the floor.”

Reese had 15 points and eight rebounds. Johnson had 10. Aneesha Morrow added 16 points and ten rebounds for the Gamecocks.

Chloe Kitts had 14 points for the Gamecocks, and Raven Johnson added 13 points and nine rebounds.

The Gamecocks have now won 28 straight home games.

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