Women's Basketball: South Carolina Crowned 2021-22 NCAA National Champs
Aliyah Boston and her teammates were locked in since last year after losing to Stanford in the NCAA Championship by one point in the final seconds. After winning this years title, Boston stated, "Everybody had a meme of me crying after we lost to Stanford. So we locked in, and we got what we wanted. Now I'm going to shed tears of joy."
Yet again, the South Carolina Gamecocks are champions. On Sunday in Minneapolis, South Carolina held off UConn in a low-scoring game, 64-49, to guarantee the second title in school history. This was the first misfortune in a national title game for UConn, which had been undefeated in 11 past appearances. Boston was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player.
On the very first possession of the game, Destanni Henderson hit a 3-pointer to give South Carolina the lead, and they never released it. It required only four minutes and 44 seconds for them to assemble a double-digit lead, and they were up 22-8 after the opening quarter. While UConn, true to form, made a couple of runs to a great extent to stay nearby, they never truly took steps to start to lead the pack. By the last couple of moments of the final quarter, the festival was formally on for South Carolina.
Henderson drove the way for the Gamecocks with 26 points, four assists, and three steals. This was the most noteworthy performance of her career yet, and it could never have come at a superior time. Boston, the Naismith Player of the Year, finished with 11 points, 16 rebounds, and two blocks. South Carolina's strength was an all out attack on the glass - - 21 hostile rebounds - - which was a central point in the outcome.
Paige Bueckers led UConn with 14 points and six rebounds. She was the main player on the Huskies to complete in double figures.
Dawn Staley, head coach for South Carolina, led her team to the national championship. She had her squad locked in from the beginning of the season. Staley also made history. She is the first black coach in men's and women's NCAA Division 1 history to win multiple national titles. She is changing the game for those that are coming behind her.
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