South Carolina Books a Sixth Straight Appearance in the Final Four; Johnson Named Sacramento 4 Regional MOP

After dominating TCU on Monday, the Gamecocks have found themselves back in a familiar place. This is the sixth straight final four appearance the school has made.

Mar 30, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson (25) cuts the nets after defeating the Texas Christian University Horned Frogs in an Elite Eight game in the Sacramento Regional 4 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at the Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images

South Carolina has once again found themselves in arm's reach of another national title game. After defeating TCU 78-52 in the elite eight on Monday night, Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks booked their sixth straight ticket to the final four.

This has been a historic run for South Carolina women's basketball under the leadership of head coach Dawn Staley. The team has made six trips to the final four in six years, a run that includes two national championships and multiple SEC championships as well. This also marks the seventh appearance in the last four teams of the tournament in nine seasons.

The stars once again showed up during last night's win and the tournament overall. Reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Raven Johnson, is one of the best defenders in the country and was named the Sacramento 4 Regional Most Outstanding Player (MOP) ahead of the team's final four appearance.

Staley called her star guard a winner and is glad people are seeing the "type of player she is."

Forward Joyce Edwards and guard Agot Makeer were unstoppable for the Gamecocks against TCU. Ewards finished the game with 24 points on 10 of 20 shooting with 12 rebounds, three blocks, two assists, and one steal. Makeer added 18 points on 8 of 14 shooting with four rebounds, three assists, and three steals.

For a team that has been winning games by an average of 40+ points in this run, this was the most challenging game of the tournament so far for the Gamecocks. South Carolina trailed early 22-18, before closing out the half on a 17-5 run. Makeer and Edwards would combine for 12 of the team's 29 fourth quarter points to ultimately lead to a 26 point victory for the Gamecocks.

National Title Rematch

Apr 6, 2025; Tampa, FL, USA; A general overall view as UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) is defended by South Carolina Gamecocks guard Bree Hall (23) on the Final Four logo at midcourt during the national championship of the women's 2025 NCAA tournament at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Next up for the Gamecocks is a matchup against the national champion favorite UConn Huskies in the Final Four on Friday. These two teams met in last season's national championship game, with the Huskies coming out on top 82-59.

In last night's press conference, Staley spoke about the challenge ahead. She said her team cannot be afraid of the moment.

"ou got to go pound for pound and be unafraid playing against an undefeated team," Staley said.

Tip off for South Carolina and UConn is Friday Apr 3, at 7:00 pm (ET).