South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch - UCLA
On3 • • general
Key Points:
- South Carolina is making its third consecutive national championship appearance but will be without Chloe Kitts and Adhel Tac, while UCLA will miss Timea Gardner (season-ending knee injury) and Megan Grant, an All-American who also plays basketball.
- South Carolina brings extensive experience with six straight Final Fours and four title games in five years, whereas UCLA is making its first championship appearance, having reached its first Final Four only last season.
- A key matchup will be containing UCLA’s star Lauren Betts, a 6-7 two-time All-American; South Carolina plans to rely on its post players, especially Madina Okot, to counter Betts’ size and scoring ability.
- South Carolina’s Agot Makeer has been a standout performer in the NCAA Tournament, averaging 14.6 points and 2.4 steals per game, and is expected to continue her strong play in the championship.
- UCLA features a deep roster with strong shooters like Charlisse Leger-Walker and Kiki Rice, and South Carolina aims to disrupt UCLA’s offense early in the shot clock to limit easy scoring opportunities.
