No. 1 South Carolina Tipped by WCBB Fans to Repeat as Champs After Routing No. 3 LSU

The South Carolina women's basketball team might be in a class by themselves this season.

The reigning champion Gamecocks welcomed No. 3 LSU to Columbia on Sunday and coasted past the Tigers 88-64.

Beyond the implications in the SEC title race and NCAA tournament seeding, this was viewed as a battle between two of the best players in the country. But neither LSU's Angel Reese nor South Carolina's Aliyah Boston shined the brightest. Reese had 16 points, four rebounds and four blocks, while Boston finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

Kamilla Cardoso and Zia Cooke ultimately stole the spotlight. Cardoso earned a double-double by scoring 18 points and collecting 13 boards, and Cooke chipped in with 17 points off the bench.

A national champion won't be crowned until April 2, but right now it's tough to envision the 2023 NCAA tournament ending with anything other than a second straight title for South Carolina.

For LSU, the outcome might be a bit of a reality check. The Tigers entered the contest with a perfect 23-0 record, but they had a relatively easy non-conference schedule that made it difficult to judge overall standing.

As a championship contender, LSU still has some work to do.

The Gamecocks and Tigers both have four games left in the regular season before the conference tournament tips off March 1.

Barring a major surprise, the teams appear to be on a collision course for the SEC title game on March 5 in Greenville, South Carolina.