After leading 76-55 after the first 4 1/2 minutes of play, South Carolina basketball defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes and Caitlin Clark 87-75 to win its third National Championship on Sunday.
Both during and during the victory, the basketball community had a lot to say about the Gamecocks.
Many well-known people voiced their opinions about the dreadfully biassed refereeing while the game was still in progress. In order to prevent the officials from playing a significant role in the final minutes, South Carolina basketball legend Tre Kelley and Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe—known to South Carolina football fans as “the younger brother of Sterling Sharpe”—knew that USC needed to be significantly ahead.
Some weren’t happy about how much more attention Iowa (and Caitlin Clark in particular) got during the show and in the hours before tip-off. Both Nick Delahanty of Keeping It Heel and Hollywood star Samuel L. Jackson noticed how little was said about the Gamecocks by the media and broadcast crew when compared to Clark and Iowa.
Many people were eager to congratulate South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley and her team after the team saw the final seconds pass. Not even NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, former SEC opponent Angel Reese, or veteran sports media pundit Skip Bayless could fail to applaud Staley and her South Carolina Gamecocks.
