(1) South Carolina knocked off (1) Texas 74-57, keeping its hopes of back-to-back titles alive. The Gamecocks carried a 38-35 lead into the half, and Dawn Staley’s squad dominated the final 20 minutes to cruise to a 17-point win.
South Carolina has still not lost a game when leading at half dating back to 2022 — a truly remarkable streak that illustrates the dominance of the Gamecocks in the past few years.
The Gamecocks were powered by freshman forward Joyce Edwards who dropped 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. But the difference maker was the depth Dawn Staley’s squad showed off tonight, tallying 35 bench points with seven players scoring six or more points.
Star forward for Texas, Madison Booker, notched six points in the first five minutes of play, but she was sidelined for most of the first half after three early fouls, and she wasn’t able to find her rhythm in the second half.
Staley’s squad outscored the Longhorns 36-22 in the second, including a 20-9 third quarter. The double-digit lead proved too much for Texas as it would not pull back within 10 for the final 15 minutes of play.
South Carolina awaits the winner of (1) UCLA vs. (2) UConn as the Gamecocks look to become the fourth team to capture back-to-back national championships in DI women’s basketball.
Everyone is scoring for the Gamecocks as they hold a 69-52 lead into the final three minutes. South Carolina has seven players with five or more points, recording 30 off the bench. Texas has been unable to find its rhythm in the second half, tallying just 17 points since halftime.
T3SSA CONNECTS 👌
— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) April 5, 2025
The reigning champs lead 58-44 entering the fourth quarter after holding the Longhorns to just nine points in the third quarter. South Carolina went on an 11-3 run the close out the quarter.
Gamecocks forward Joyce Edwards leads her team with 12 points and 10 rebounds while Te-Hina Paopao has 11 with two 3-pointers. Texas point guard Rori Harmon is 3-11 from the field as the Longhorns shot 4-14 from the field in the third.
END 3Q | USC 58, TEXAS 44
10 MORE MINUTES FAMS – LET’S GOOOOOO 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/PkATgP5rwr
— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) April 5, 2025
Into a media timeout, the Gamecocks hold a 49-41 lead. South Carolina’s Chloe Kitts and Bree Hall have combined for nine points in the third. Longhorn’s Madison Booker is keeping Texas in it with four points this quarter and 11 on the night.
Joyce Edwards is doing everything for Dawn Staley’s squad holding 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
Joyce floats it in and she’s up to 🔟 pts 👏
USC – 49 | 41 – TEXAS pic.twitter.com/2z7xblS0R4
— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) April 5, 2025
The Gamecocks come out of the half with a 3-pointer from Bree Hall and a pull-up jumper from Chloe Kitts. Texas’ Madison Booker ended the 5-0 run with her own mid-range jumper, scoring her first bucket since the five minute mark in the first quarter.
South Carolina leads 43-37 early in the third.
THREEZY FOR BREEZY to open the 3Q!! 😤 pic.twitter.com/NWGIAQ6r2B
— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) April 5, 2025
The Gamecocks lead 38-35 at the half. South Carolina closed the half on a 9-3 run powered by four points from Bree Hall and a huge three from Te-Hina Paopao. Each team is shooting 50% from the field but each also holds 10 turnovers on the night.
Star Longhorn’s forward Madison Booker enters the locker room with three fouls — the first time in her career entering halftime with three. She only played nine minutes in the first half after tallying six points early in the first quarter.
Here’s how the teams lineup at the break:
The SEC foes are trading punches in the first five of the second quarter. The teams have traded the lead four times into the media timeout. Freshman Jordan Lee has turned it on for the Longhorns, notching seven points in the second quarter already, including a 3-pointer.
The Gamecocks cut into the lead behind five points from MiLaysia Fulwiley and four from Joyce Edwards in the final three minutes of the first quarter. Madison Booker was subbed out midway through the first after catching her second foul. She leads the Longhorns with six points.
Texas carries a 19-18 lead into the second quarter after leading by as much as eight points.
Madison Booker’s six points carry the Longhorns to a 12-4 lead midway through the first quarter. South Carolina is just 2-8 from the field to start the game while Texas has knocked down five of its last seven attempts.
feeling it early 😮💨🤘#HookEm | @MaddiewitdaB_ pic.twitter.com/UdHJScgd3H
— Texas Women’s Basketball (@TexasWBB) April 4, 2025
Just 10 minutes until (1) South Carolina and (1) Texas take the stage in Tampa for the fourth rendition of Gamecocks vs. Longhorns this season. Tip is set for 7:10 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Here are the starting lineups for the first women’s Final Four matchup:
What does the Final Four mean to the Gamecocks and Longhorns?
For South Carolina, this was expected. Dawn Staley’s squad has established itself as a powerhouse in women’s basketball, searching for its third title in four years. But for Texas, this is only its second Final Four and first since 1986. The Longhorns made it to three Elite Eights in the previous four seasons, but Vic Schaefer’s team finally made it over the hump this year.
South Carolina
The Gamecocks (34-3) are looking to become the fourth team to win back-to-back titles, joining Tennessee, Southern California, and fellow Final Four participant UConn. Dawn Staley has led South Carolina to three national championships since moving to Columbia, hoisting the trophy in 2017, 2022 and 2024.
South Carolina boasts a solid core led by Joyce Edwards, MiLaysia Fulwiley and Chloe Kitts who are all averaging double-digit points on the season.
Texas
This may be Texas’ first Final Four in almost four decades, but the Longhorns are familiar with tournament play. They reached their fourth Elite Eight in five years this season before taking down the Hailey Van Lith-led Horned Frogs to earn a trip to Tampa.
However, Texas has a serious obstacle to overcome in the Gamecocks. The two SEC foes split the regular season series, but South Carolina cruised past the Longhorns in the SEC championship game, 64-45. Staley’s team has beaten Texas by a combined 36 points in its two wins, while the Longhorns only bested South Carolina by four points in their lone win at home.
But the Longhorns do boast a potent offense powered by forward Madison Booker who is averaging 16.5 points while shooting almost 50% from the field. Booker dropped 20 on the Gamecocks when Texas took them down, and Texas will likely need another big game from the sophomore to dethrone the defending champs.
The matchup
The conference foes lineup fairly even on paper each averaging roughly the same points per game and points allowed. The Gamecocks hold the edge in 3-point percentage (33.7%) as Texas sits right below 30%. But these teams are more than familiar with each other’s style, and this game could come down to the clipboard as Staley and Vic Schaefer gameplan for their fourth matchup this season.
South Carolina is looking to go back-to-back for the first time since UConn from 2015-2016. It is no surprise the Gamecocks are back in the Final Four as Dawn Staley’s squad is just a year removed from a perfect 38-0 championship season. South Carolina was the second-most picked team to win the national championship (20.8%) in this year’s Women’s Bracket Challenge Game. Here’s how they got to Tampa:
Texas is making its fourth Final Four appearance and first since 2003. The Longhorns picked up some impressive wins along the way, knocking off (5) Tennessee in the Sweet 16 before taking down a red-hot (2) TCU team in the Elite Eight. Texas was the fifth-most picked team to win the championship (6.05%) in this year’s Women’s Bracket Challenge Game. Here’s how the Longhorns got to Tampa:
