How South Carolina beat Iowa in women's 2024 NCAA title game - ESPN

CLEVELAND — As the final buzzer sounded, South Carolina completed its «revenge tour,» beating Iowa 87-75 to win the national championship and denying Caitlin Clark a title of her own. The highly anticipated rematch of last year's national semifinals delivered drama, energy, intensity and yes, lots of points from Clark. But it was South Carolina's far deeper bench — and its new class of superstar freshmen — that made the difference this time around.

Iowa may have kept South Carolina from winning a title a year ago, but coach Dawn Staley completely retooled her team and did what many thought improbable to start the season: win a national championship with a completely new starting lineup.

For Iowa, the heartbreak is especially tough. The Hawkeyes lost in consecutive years in the national championship game, but this one also ends the careers of seniors Clark, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall. On the other side, Staley wept as she celebrated the win.

ESPN's Andrea Adelson, Katie Barnes, Charlie Creme and Jake Trotter break down how South Carolina won its second championship in three years and became the 10th Division I women's basketball team to run the table.

South Carolina's size advantage was a long-discussed possible X-factor heading into this game. For good reason. It was huge. Eventually the Gamecocks wore down Iowa with their rebounding dominance and ability to contest so many shots because they were just bigger.

Down the line, the numbers tell the story: The total rebound differential was 51-29, Cardoso leading the way with 17. South Carolina had 30 second-chance points and 48 points in the paint. Carodoso also had three of the Gamecocks' eight blocks. Iowa started quickly and Clark was great early, but the constant