Caitlin Clark’s famous Iowa job is now over. Dawn Staley’s South Carolina tradition is now famous.
South Carolina won its subsequent NCAA Women’s hockey name in the past three years, defeating Iowa and its superstar sun, Clark, 87- 75, in the championship game of the Women’s NCAA Tournament Sunday at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Field House.
At 38- 0, the Gamecocks, coached by Staley, are the first tournament team to win the children’s game since University of Connecticut in 2016. It’s their second national final since 2017, and they’ve been to the Women’s Final Four six times in the past nine years.
At the end of the second half, South Carolina overcame a 10-0 opening salvo from Iowa and Clark to come out on top. The Gamecocks, led by Clark, who also set an entire NCAA championship job point record in the game, made up for Iowa’s exceptional size and athleticism.

Clark had 30 points, her ordinary for the event, but merely went 5- for- 13 beyond the 3- level stripe in the last.
The Gamecocks avenged their decline to Iowa last year at Houston in the regional final, and are 74- 1 over the past two months.
” We did a devil of a job, a devil of a career. I’m really extremely happy. It’s great. Unbelievable”, said Staley, who broke down in tears after the activity.
Clark’s Iowa-based college career ended with the Hawkeyes ‘ second straight title game defeat.
Then for Clark it’s on to the 12- group, low- budget WNBA, where it’s hoped her popularity will raise the league. Each team has a salary cap of$ 1.5 million to spend on players, and the max salary for each is$ 208, 219. Compare that to the 30- team NBA, where the cap is$ 141 million and the average salary for the men is$ 4.6 million.
Clark, the top scorer in the college basketball history, has taken the women’s college game to new heights. The Indiana Fever is slated to pick her on April 15 with the first pick in the WNBA draft. The Los Angeles Sparks may choose South Carolina’s Camilla Cardoso as their second pick. She had 15 points, a career- high 17 rebounds and three blocks in her final college game.
If they remain healthy and excel as expected, Clark and Cardoso could be on hand for the July 20 WNBA All- Star Game in Phoenix, the home of the WNBA Mercury. Everywhere she goes, Clark draws large crowds.
” Now we’ll be seeing her in the WNBA, so we’ll be packing Footprint Center”, said Jay Parry, the chief executive of the Men’s Final Four this weekend at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
Sunday’s game ended what has been a record- breaking tournament for the NCAA and its media partner, Disney’s ESPN, which had record ratings at nearly every stage.
The Iowa- LSU Elite Eight showdown averaged 12.3 million viewers, making it the most- watched women’s basketball telecast in history.
Iowa’s win over UConn in the Final Four drew 14.2 million, according to early estimates, setting a new bar, and this championship will likely break the record once again.

That’s especially welcome news to Disney this year—ESPN recently agreed to an eight- year,$ 920 million extension to keep its rights to broadcast a set of 40 NCAA championships ( including women’s March Madness ) through 2032.
” I’m a big proponent and supporter of the women’s game”, Parry said. ” We’re excited to see the growth. I’m personally excited that it’s getting more support and notoriety. And it will keep growing.
Following Amalie Arena in Tampa the following year, Footprint will host the Women’s Final Four in 2026. The women’s tournament is held in a real basketball arena setting because the women do n’t play in the same football stadium as the men.
” I’m thrilled with it”, Parry said. The women’s potential in the 2026 Final Four is enormous, according to Arizona. … We embrace the Mercury. So, we’re in a really good spot with the women’s game”.
The Gamecocks ‘ position as the new money-grabbing force in women’s sports is strengthened even more by South Carolina’s victory. The school made its first Final Four appearance in 2015, and since then has built a program that spends, earns—and wins—more than almost all of its peers.
Staley, a six-time WNBA All-Star who South Carolina hired as its coach in 2008, has been credited with a large portion of that. She’ll make$ 3.1 million in base pay this season, the second highest total among women’s coaches at public schools, plus more than$ 500, 000 in bonuses with the team’s postseason success.
The Gamecocks spent$ 10.8 million on women’s basketball in fiscal 2023, more than any other public school in the country, according to Sportico’s college finance database, a decided advantage over Iowa, which was was seventh at$ 8.2 million. On the revenue side, the Gamecocks ranked fourth in ticket sales at$ 1.4 million.
It all contributed to South Carolina’s eventual victory and erasing championship win.