With four teams remaining in the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women’s basketball tournament, some of the biggest stars in the sport’s history will be facing off. University of Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, University of Connecticut (UConn) guard Paige Bueckers, and University of South Carolina forward Kamilla Cardoso headline the most hyped women’s Final Four ever.
This is the second straight year where the minimum ticket price on StubHub is more expensive for the Women’s Final Four compared to the Men’s Final Four. The cheapest ticket for the men’s is currently at $571 while the women’s price is at $970.
One of the main storylines of the Final Four is the matchup between Iowa and UConn, more specifically, Clark versus Bueckers. Former teammates on the United States Under-19 Team that won a Gold medal, now go head-to-head on the biggest stage.
Clark recently said she grew up wanting to play for UConn and called it her dream school.
“Honestly, it was more I wanted them to recruit me to say I got recruited; I loved UConn,” Clark told Entertainment and Sports Programming Network (ESPN)’s Wright Thompson. “I think (UConn) is the coolest place on Earth and I wanted to say I was recruited by them but they never talked to me or my family.”
Clark, a former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, still has a lot of respect for UConn head coach Geno Auriemma and the feelings are mutual between the two.
“I know there’s nothing personal between me and her. I don’t need to be seeing her drop 50 on us next weekend,” Auriemma said to reporters after their Elite Eight win against Southern California. “I love her. I think she’s the best player. Forget I ever said Paige (Bueckers) is the best player in the country. I think (Caitlin’s) the best player of all time.”
Auriemma is another staple in this legendary Final Four. With an unparalleled resume of 11 National Championships, 23 Final Fours, and an eight-time Naismith Coach of the Year, Auriemma is not only the greatest women’s basketball head coach of all time but possibly the best coach of all time regardless of the sport.
The funniest part of this Final Four is that Iowa and UConn aren’t even the favorite to win it all, the 36-0 South Carolina Gamecocks are the team to beat. With seven players averaging over eight points per game (PPG), there are a lot of players that can win games for the Gamecocks. Similar to last year, South Carolina made it to the Final Four undefeated but was stunned by Clark and the Hawkeyes.
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has plenty of experience in the tournament as a player and a coach. As a coach, this is her sixth appearance in the Final Four, and she is looking to win her third national championship.
The team matched up with South Carolina, North Carolina State University, and was never expected to make it this far. Coming in with a 31-6 record and a notable win against UConn, at a glance it seems like the NC State Wolfpack making the Final Four is not surprising. However, NC State lost three games in their final eight games prior to the tournament. Slated at a No. 11 seed, the Wolfpack were one of the final teams to get into the tournament. The rest is history as they knocked off No. 2 seed Stanford University and No. 1 seed University of Texas on their way to the Final Four.
The Wolfpack not only have the women’s team in the Final Four but their men’s basketball program is headed there as well. The last program to do this was South Carolina in 2017. NC State is not the only program to hold this feat, as both of UConn’s basketball programs will be represented in the Final Four.
It is evident that the popularity of women’s basketball is exponentially growing, not only due to Clark’s success but also because of the evolution of the sport. Bueckers would be the crown jewel of the sport if Clark wasn’t in college. Two of the best basketball coaches in the world, one of the best regular season teams of all time, and the best prospect in women’s basketball history will get the chance to compete for a national championship.
