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The first game of the Final Four is a battle of the Carolinas as NC State takes on the undefeated No. 1 overall seed South Carolina. Both teams have formidable post players, including Kamilla Cardoso for the Gamecocks and River Baldwin for the Wolfpack. However, the most intriguing part of the game will be the matchup in the backcourt.

Each of the six guards, three on each team, is a different type of player, but all have impressed this tournament. They’ll need to show up in big ways if they want to send their team to the championship.

NC State’s Aziaha James has been one of the best offensive players in this year’s tournament. She has averaged 24.3 points per game during March Madness with elite shooting numbers. Her field-goal percentage is 50.8%, and her 3-point percentage is even higher at 57.1%. James is both a high-percentage and high-volume shooter, averaging four made 3-pointers so far this tournament.

But James isn’t just a scoring threat; she’s also great at involving her teammates, averaging four assists per game during the tournament. The sophomore guard has also turned the ball over on just 4% of plays and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 5.33 in four tournament games, the latter is the second-highest among players in the Final Four.

James will need to continue her hot streak against one of the best perimeter defenses in the country if the Wolfpack want to upset the overall No. 1 seed. The Gamecocks hold their opponents to just 26.9% shooting from beyond the arc.

The other member of NC State’s backcourt is former South Carolina player Saniya Rivers, who has been an impact player for her team all season. She scored 33 points against UConn in the first week of the season to help the Wolfpack upset the then-No. 2 Huskies, proving her ability to take over a game.

Averaging 15 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in this year’s tournament, the junior guard has been the team’s second-best scorer, best rebounder and best shot-blocker in the Wolfpack’s run. In the last three games, she’s played nearly the whole time, sitting for just seven seconds against Stanford.

Rivers is impactful on both ends of the court; she’s sixth in the country in defensive win shares this season. Her defense will be crucial against the third-best offense in the country.

On the other side is the lone undefeated team in the country. South Carolina may be known for its post players, including former players A’ja Wilson and Aliyah Boston and current center Kamilla Cardoso, but in this tournament, you can’t sleep on the guards.

Raven Johnson is your favorite point guard’s favorite point guard. She runs the offense for the Gamecocks and is a pass-first point guard who always looks to involve her teammates. In the tournament, she has averaged 4.5 assists per game and boasts the highest assist-to-turnover ratio of Final Four players. She’s also proven that she has to be guarded behind the arc.

In the Sweet 16, South Carolina led Indiana by just two points with less than a minute left in the game. Johnson was ready behind the arc and made the dagger to seal the victory for the Gamecocks.

Johnson is joined in the backcourt by Te-Hina Paopao, who adds veteran experience. Besides Cardoso, Paopao is the only player in the starting lineup who has started a significant number of games before this season. With a majority of the team stepping into much larger roles this season, the Oregon transfer provides the experience to balance out the roster. 

While she hasn’t scored more than eight points since the first round, Paopao, who ranks third in the country in 3-point percentage (based on the NCAA’s minimum qualifying criteria), is a major reason for the Gamecocks’ improvement from beyond the arc this season.

And that’s just the starting lineup. South Carolina’s MiLaysia Fulwiley and NC State’s Zoe Brooks both provide a spark off the bench and have contributed in big ways despite playing in their first tournament.

Brooks tallied 16 points and six rebounds to help her team beat Tennessee 79-72 in the round of 32. In the first two weekends of the tournament, she averaged 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2 steals.

Fulwiley is another star in the making for the Gamecocks, thanks to her speed, agility, and ball-handling skills. She’s played just 16.8 minutes per game so far in the tournament, but every time the freshman star is on the court, she makes it count. Fulwiley has averaged 12.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks in her first NCAA 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.

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