Gamecocks, Cardinal: 2021 Four Final Rematch

Stanford's Lexie Hull puts up a shot over a double-team block by Aliyah Boston (4) and Destanni Henderson (3) in the 2021 NCAA Final Four. Credit: Ben Solomon. 

Gamecocks. Cardinal. Tonight hosts the rematch of the 2021 Final Four game between #1 South Carolina and #2 Stanford. This season has proved to be the toughest in women’s college basketball. The Gamecocks are back with determination to win this year’s National Championship, the Stanford Cardinal will be their toughest game before the new year.

The Gamecocks are 11-0 so far this season. They recently earned their eleventh victory over #16 Duke on December 15th. With just less than a week’s worth of practice, the Gamecocks are ready for redemption. They lost 65-66 to Stanford in NCAA Tournament National Semifinals on April 2nd. Two late shots could not land for South Carolina giving the win to Stanford. The Cardinal went on the beat Arizona in the National Championship.

“I think we’re a totally different team than we were last year, certainly from an offensive standpoint,” Coach Dawn Staley said. “From a defensive standpoint, I think we’re a little sharper in what we’re doing on both sides of the basketball. We’re at home, so that should help.” 

Junior Zia Cooke had an impressive game for the Gamecocks back in April. Cooke scored 25 points, including 5 three-pointers on 8 attempts. She is also the second-leading scorer this year and second in assists on the stats sheet. Cooke has not had success with her three-point attempts this season. After rewatching last year’s game, her success with scoring those long-range shots came in the second half.

South Carolina's Zia Cooke brings the ball into play at the point. Credit: Associated Press

Who else is a standout for South Carolina? Junior Aliyah Boston is at the heart of this team. Since her freshman year, Boston has proved to be a tough defender in the post. Boston scored 11 points, had 16 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots. Her size and ability to hold off her opponents helped the Gamecocks get crucial points off of fast breaks. Boston leads with 34 blocks and 11 rebounds this season.

The reigning National Champions are currently 8-2 on the season. The Cardinal lost their first Top 25 game to the Texas Longhorns on November 14th. The Longhorns had quick energy that outlasted the loose defense of Stanford. On November 26th, the Cardinal was taken down by South Florida in the Baha Mar Hoops Challenge in the Bahamas. Stanford has won its last four games since.

The question to ask is will Coach Tara VanDeerver’s Cardinals win tonight’s rematch? It is tough to predict. Both teams have height. Stanford’s starting lineup typically consists of players that are 6’1 and 6’4. If Anna Wilson starts, she brings their height down. Stanford’s Cameron Brink is a perfect matchup for Boston, who stands tall at 6’5. 

It comes down to turnovers. Stanford struggled with keeping possessions that hindered their performance in the first half. Brink has to watch how she guards Boston and sophomore Kamilla Cardoso for the Gamecocks. If Coach VanDeerver wants to shut down the Gamecocks on the post, junior Ashten Prechtel will have to defend Cardoso. Cardoso is a 6’7 guard transfer from Syracuse and is a strong rebounder. She can block shoots anywhere in the paint. Coach Staley made a wise decision to add her to her roster.

Stanford's Hailey Jones points to her teammates after scoring a three-pointer in the 2021 Final Four game against the Gamecocks. Credit: Troy Taormina

Stanford has a wickedly-talented offensive. Junior Hailey Jones can score any on the court. She likes to drive the lane or take the pull-up in the paint. She is one of VanDeerver’s strongest utility players. Brink and Jones are smart players and stay in the paint to grab rebounds. They love to draw jump balls and win another scoring opportunity.

Twins Lexie and Lacie Hull add depth to the Cardinal for their quick agility. Lexie had a strong performance in the Final Four matchup. She was able to create scoring opportunities while bringing a consistent rebounder. She scored 18, adding 13 rebounds, and 4 assists. Lacie was quiet in their last rematch but has been a starter this year for the Cardinal. She is quick to draw fouls and is 12-16 on the stripe.

This could be the first game senior Destanni Henderson plays in since a leg injury in November. Henderson will feasibly earn a few minutes in tonight's game. She scored 18 points, 9 being in the final minutes in their April game. Junior Laeticia Amihere has been filling in as the point guard for the Gamecocks this season. She had a defensive presence earning 6 rebounds against the Cardinal.

Coach Dawn Staley has spoken on how her Gamecocks are not satisfied with their performances so far. For the past five weeks, her team has been the unanimous #1 AP ranked team since they defeated UConn.

“We’re in the number one spot, (but) if we weren’t, we’d be gunning for the team that’s in this spot,” Staley said. “I think our players are handling it well because we don’t think very highly of ourselves. We know what our weaknesses are, and we know we have yet to put a complete game together.”

You can see the Cardinal and Gamecocks in a rematch tonight at 7 P.M. on ESPN2.