PicoBlog

Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also buy Her Hoop Stats gear, such as laptop stickers, mugs, and shirts!

Haven’t subscribed to the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter yet?

The madness has ended, and a new women’s basketball champion has been crowned. South Carolina became the fifth program in NCAA Division I history to finish a season undefeated after beating Iowa 87-75 in Cleveland.

To recap the most exciting weekend in women’s basketball, we’re highlighting the most important numbers, from sellout crowds to scoring records.

18,300

The national championship game was played in front of a soldout crowd of 18,300 in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. All three games had electric atmospheres, and even the open practice on Saturday drew a massive crowd, which is no surprise considering the drawing power of South Carolina and Iowa. The two schools were No. 1 and No. 2, respectively, in average attendance per game this season and the only schools whose 2022-23 average attendance was bigger than the crowd of 11,291 at the open practice.

109-3

South Carolina’s record in the last three seasons includes three trips to the Final Four, two undefeated regular seasons and two national championships. Coach Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks have been the most dominant team in college basketball. What’s even more impressive is that Staley has achieved a national championship with two different cores. The iconic “freshies,” 2019 recruits that included Aliyah Boston and Zia Cooke, led the way for the first two seasons of this run before moving on to the WNBA. This year, five brand-new starters picked up where they left off, continuing a regular-season winning streak that dates back to 2021.

14.2 million

More people tuned into Friday night’s Final Four game between Iowa and UConn than any other basketball game on ESPN, including NBA games. At the time this article was written, viewership numbers for the championship game had not been released, but the numbers from Friday highlight just how popular women’s basketball became this season. The game between the Gamecocks and Wolfpack also drew a huge audience with 7.1 million viewers, proving the popularity of the sport as a whole.

17

Kamilla Cardoso tallied a career-high 17 rebounds in her final collegiate game, helping the Gamecocks outrebound the Hawkeyes 51-29. Cardoso had seven offensive rebounds, the same number as the entire Iowa team. South Carolina finished with more than a third of its points coming from second-chance opportunities. Cardoso finished the tournament with 23 offensive rebounds, the most by any player this year.

492

Caitlin Clark scored 180 points in this year’s tournament, averaging 30 per game. Her run this year gives her 492 career points in the NCAA Tournament, an average of 28.8 points, both of which are tournament records. While Clark’s college career may have ended without a championship, her point totals in the NCAA Tournament prove that she can compete at the highest level. 

20

In Friday’s Final Four game between South Carolina and NC State, sophomore Ashlyn Watkins nabbed a career-high 20 rebounds, tied for the third-most of any player in the Final Four. Unlike the others to reach that milestone, Watkins came off the bench for the Gamecocks, highlighting the team’s depth and the number of players who can play a starring role for them. 

37-0

Speaking of South Carolina's depth, the team’s bench outscored Iowa’s bench 37-0 in the championship game. The bench points are a testament to how Staley has built her program. Players who would likely start at any other school come off the Gamecocks' bench ready to make an immediate mark on the game. A prime example is freshman Tessa Johnson, who led South Carolina with 19 points on 63.6% shooting from the field.

39.1

With her team’s limited bench, Paige Bueckers played 39.1 minutes per game in the NCAA Tournament. A year after missing the entire season with a torn ACL, Bueckers flourished and proved why she’s still one of the best players in college basketball. While her comeback season was cut short in the Final Four, she was the only player not in the championship game to be named to the All-Tournament team, a testament to her impact. Bueckers averaged 25.8 points, eight rebounds, and 4.6 assists in this year’s tournament.

Thanks for reading the Her Hoop Stats Newsletter. If you like our work, be sure to check out our stats site, our podcast, and our social media accounts on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

ncG1vNJzZmiglae1sLvPrKuarKNjwLau0q2YnKNemLyue89omaudkaC2r7OMnaawpl2ptaZ5za6km52iqHq1tMCtZJ2dlp67prA%3D