The South Carolina makes an emphatic declaration on its identity in return to the national championship

Tampa, Fla.-Milaysia Fulwiley had difficulty sleeping in view of the national meeting of the South Carolina semifinal with Texas. The weight of the moment seemed heavy. Fullwiley, the second year of Gamecocks, wanted victory. It was set to push the Gamecocks with the highest seed in the national championship for the second consecutive year.

A message from teammate Bree Hall on Thursday evening has helped to repress some full nerves. Hall, one of the senior leader of the South Carolina, wrote to Fullwiley who believed in the second year guard, who had the shoulders of Fullwiley. Hall said to her: “Go out there and play as hard as possible, and we will do it.”

The message seems simple, but there is no need to complete things in the Final Four. Fullwiley felt calm on Friday evening against the Longhorns. After the South Carolina has passed the Longhorns 74-57, it can now rest easy.

“I will finally be able to sleep,” Fullwiley said.

With the victory, the Gamecocks have returned to the precipice of history. A victory over Uconn on Sunday would make Gamecocks the first champions repeated by the Huskies in 2016. It would make the South Carolina a champion for the third time in four years. He would move the coach Dawn Staley in a draw for the third for most of the titles ever for a coach and further Staley cement gamecock as a pre -eminent program in sport.

Vibrations ➡️ High pic.twitter.com/kyqwkadl8f

– South Carolina women’s basketball (@gamecockwbb)) April 5, 2025

But before more the story came, Stley had to understand how to beat Texas for the third time in four meetings this season. To do this, he pedaled through his list – nine players got at least 15 minutes – finding Gamecock after Gamecock playing with freedom.

The South Carolina eliminated the victories in Sweet 16 and Elite Eight, but it seemed more as herself as he beat Texas. The Gamecocks played as a dominant power in sport, with a well -trained list composed of five -star talent.

There was the balance and movement of the ball. The South Carolina had 17 assists of 29 goals on the field. There have been bench celebrations and joyful hugs, especially after Fulwiley dribed up the last seconds of the victory.

The South Carolina had contributions from its young players: the serial number Joyce Edwards opened the road with 13 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. His superior class men were also reliable. The senior guard Te-Hina Paopao scored 14 points. Hall contributed with 11 rebounds in 24 minutes.

“I felt like there was a lot of pressure on us to return to where we are, and I just told my team that we have to relax, believe and remind people who we are,” Hall said.

The victory of the southern Carolina was less a subtle prompt of identity that forged in winning two of the last three championships and more than one emphatic declaration.

A victory does not completely rub the memories of their struggles at the Birmingham Regional, but puts the gamecocks 40 minutes from taking difficult victories only on a path to a historical title.

Although the final result was convincing, the opening of the Gamecocks three minutes remained a lot to be desired. They followed 10-2 with the Texas star, Madison Booker, sinking both its opening shots.

But the South Carolina did not touch. The players trusted each other and Staley trusted them.

“The coach does not call a timeout, it means that we are good,” Senior Sania Feagin said.

It is not surprising that Staley has let his expert group understand. A year ago against Iowa in the national championship, the Gamecocks followed 10-0 at the beginning. The South Carolina won anyway.

“As a coach, you’re just evaluating what is happening out there,” said Staley. “Are we getting a nice aspect? Are we defending in a really high clip and are they doing good shots?”

He felt they were. He knew that if the South Carolina could be patient, his depth would lead him to victory.

Stley also had other premonitions. The day before the Final Four, he said: “We had a bigger offensive shot during those games (with a higher exam, and I think it will take it.” The southern Carolina has quite safe, has Texas blitzer that came out of the locker room for the interval. A three -point advantage has risen to 14 at the top of the last quarter of the game.

Another prophetic prediction?

Stley said in view of the national semifinal: “We must remain more organized in broken games, because they really do a good job in making you go a little more deeply in your offense”.

With 11 points, Bree Hall was among an arsenal of the Gamecocks players who hit Texas.

Explaining how the Gamecocks have moved away, Raven Johnson said: “performed through broken games”. He also praised the shooting and the disruptive defense from the big names of the South Carolina.

His Backcourt partner, Paopao, was equally effusive by discussing Edwards, Feigan and Junior Chloe Kitts. But the elderly 5-Foot-9 has never falter in his confidence in his list on his list. In view of Friday’s matchup with Texas, he usually spoke about the importance of belief.

“Believe that we will win,” said Paopao. “Believe that our shots are entering. You believe in each other. And you only believe that a good basketball will reward us and believe in our style of play.”

That style of physical defense and offended inside proved too much for Texas. Not only because of Edwards, Fullwiley or Paopao. But because Staley could contact almost anyone on the bench and see a tangible push.

“For a period of 40 minutes with our depth, I think we only wear teams,” he said.

Fullwiley said that with about seven minutes to play and Gamecocks increased by 14, he turned to Feigan sessions and the assistant coach Khadijah next to her on the bench and said to them: “We understood”. Both said in the second year of Gamecocks that the game was not over yet.

But when the second year partner Tessa Johnson hit a 3 points with just under five minutes to play-one of the only 3 of Gamecocks-Più players of the South Carolina said they knew they would return to the championship just as they expected.

A revenge with Uconn awaits. The teams met in February when the Huskies took the series of victories at home in 71 Gamecocks games in a 87-58 drubbing. Looking back, the players of the South Carolina said the team did not seem like herself.

It is a good thing, therefore, the Gamecocks returned to reality before revenge.

“We were much freer. We played loose,” said Paopao of Texas’ victory. “We played basketball from the South Carolina and we were having a lot of fun out there.”

A repeated performance on Sunday will lead to the most pleasant celebration of all.

(Photo: Carmen Mandate / Getty Images)