NCAA Women's Basketball Bracket 2024: Odds, Predictions for Final Four
Two of the most electric scorers in college basketball history face off in the Women's Final Four on Friday.
Caitlin Clark captured the hearts of America with her scoring over the last two seasons and a national championship would be the perfect finish to her collegiate career.
Paige Bueckers and the Connecticut Huskies stand in the way of Iowa reaching a second straight title game.
Bueckers averaged 28 points per game in the first four rounds of the NCAA women's basketball tournament and she will at least try to match Clark's production in Cleveland.
The first game of the two on Friday pits the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks against the NC State Wolfpack.
South Carolina is playing in its third Final Four in the last four seasons and is looking for its second title in the last three years.
No. 3 Nc State vs. No. 1 South Carolina
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Spread: South Carolina (-11.5)
Over/Under: 139.5
Money Line: South Carolina (-900; bet $900 to win $100); NC State (+600; bet $100 to win $600)
South Carolina has experience on its side in the Final Four showdown with NC State.
The Gamecocks' minimum expectation under Dawn Staley is to reach the Final Four.
The two-time champion under Staley is understandably a massive favorite in its matchup with a No. 3 seed.
South Carolina should own the battle down low through Kamilla Cardoso, who can take River Baldwin out of the game for NC State. Baldwin scored 16 points in her best performance of the NCAA tournament in the Elite Eight, but she only had nine points in the head-to-head battle with Stanford's Cameron Brink in the Sweet 16.
The Gamecocks guards are better than any unit NC State faced this season. The well-rounded nature of the South Carolina team could give NC State all sorts of trouble.
South Carolina was threatened once in four NCAA tournament games, and even in the Sweet 16 win over the Indiana Hoosiers, Indiana played from behind in a majority of the contest.
The real question is whether or not South Carolina will cover the 11.5-point spread. The Gamecocks won three of their four NCAA tournament games by at least 12 points.
No. 3 UConn vs. No. 1 Iowa
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Spread: Iowa (-2.5)
Over/Under: 162.5
Money Line: Iowa (-148), UConn (+124)
Friday's second national semifinal should be all about Clark and Bueckers.
Clark is the star of women's basketball and is chasing the title she came just short of earning last season.
Iowa avenged its title-game loss to the LSU Tigers in the Elite Eight in a game where Clark was on point from her first three-point make.
Clark posted 41 points and contributed 12 assists in her best performance of the season. A similar showing is expected out of the Iowa superstar in Cleveland.
Bueckers is capable of matching Clark's production shot-for-shot, which makes the over 162.5 an intriguing bet to make.
Iowa plays at one of the fastest paces in the country. The Huskies have to match that to pull off the upset.
Neither team is particularly deep, so Clark and Bueckers should be on the court for the majority of the contest.
Iowa has not displayed many flaws throughout the NCAA tournament, and unless UConn slows down Clark for long stretches, it is hard to imagine the Huskies getting back to the title game for the second time in three seasons.
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