🚨 South Carolina Celebrates Final Four Berth after win vs Duke in Elite 8 | NCAA women’s basketball

Dawn Staley Makes Her 7th Final Four, Closes In On History.

Dawn Staley has turned South Carolina into a women’s basketball powerhouse, cementing her legacy as one of the game’s greatest coaches. A former star at Virginia, she led her team to three Final Fours, became a six-time WNBA All-Star, and won three Olympic gold medals.

With over 450 wins and a .806 winning percentage, Staley’s latest achievement came on March 30, 2025, when she guided South Carolina to its seventh Final Four with a win over Duke.

South Carolina battled through a tough Elite Eight matchup, securing their fifth straight Final Four appearance with a hard-fought 54-50 win over Duke.

The top-seeded Gamecocks cruised in the opening round but faced challenges in the Round of 32 and Sweet 16, overcoming deficits to stay alive. Against Duke, they followed a similar pattern, tightening their defense in the final quarter and holding the Blue Devils to just eight points. Clinging to a 48-46 lead with just over four minutes left, South Carolina made key shots down the stretch to survive the upset threat and punch their ticket to the Final Four.

Sania Feagin led the way for South Carolina, posting 12 points and a game-high eight rebounds to help secure the victory. Duke’s Toby Fournier put up a strong fight with a game-high 18 points, but the Blue Devils struggled against the Gamecocks’ tough defense, which shut down their supporting cast.

With the hard-fought win, South Carolina earned its fifth straight Final Four appearance. Now, Staley’s team looks ahead to the national semifinals against the winner of Monday’s Texas-TCU matchup as they chase back-to-back national championships and continue their dominance in women’s college basketball.

Staley’s impact on the game is undeniable, and another national championship would only add to her remarkable legacy. She has already solidified herself as one of the greatest coaches in women’s college basketball. Still, a fourth title would place her even closer to the likes of Pat Summitt and Geno Auriemma in the all-time rankings.

Columbia fans celebrate Gamecocks WBB punching 5th straight Final Four appearance

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) – As Gamecock fans across the country are celebrating women’s basketball reaching the final four again, the excitement from fans in Downtown Columbia has yet to waver.

“Man, let’s go! That’s how it feels,” said fan Rosheka Davis. “Keep winning throughout all the adversity.”

Excitement ran through Columbia Sunday, as the Gamecocks punched their trip to Tampa with a 54 to 50 win over the Blue Devils. They now wait to play on Friday, April 4th, 2025, in their fifth straight final four.

“Throughout all the chatter, they continue to keep winning, so keep punching that ticket,” Davis said.

Dozens of fans flocked to Thirsty Fellow in Columbia to watch the Gamecocks take down Duke.

Latifa Tucker was one cheering on Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks.

“I’m rooting for Dawn Staley because she’s a Philly native, and I’m from Philly, so of course, go cocks,” Tucker said.

London Oana was another fan who watched the game Sunday with his family and friends after church.

He says it’s been a privilege being able to root for a team as successful as South Carolina.

“To have this generational team that puts us on the map,” Oana said, “Having a great coach, great players, players that are going in and having successful WNBA careers is just great.”

The gamecocks now have the Final Four to look forward to on Friday, April 4th, 2025, where they hope to pick up another win and another trip to the National Championship Game.

The Gamecocks will play the winner of Texas vs TCU in the Final Four.