The stage is set for the championship Sunday. The top two Pac-12 teams go head to head Sunday, April 4th for the NCAA title. Stanford remains undefeated against Arizona, but the Wildcats show that they don’t back down from a challenge (especially when everyone is against them). Let’s breakdown who’s bringing home the title.
No. 1 Stanford Cardinal
The Cardinals defeated No. 1 South Carolina 66-65 to advance to the NCAA championship game. With their foot on the gas pedal, Stanford made a comeback despite being down throughout the entire first quarter.
The game was mostly back and forth between both teams. Zia Cooke finished as the leading scorer for the Gamecocks with 25 points. Destanni Henderson‘s 18 points gave her the title of second-highest scorer. South Carolina’s star, Aliyah Boston, remained in foul trouble towards the end of the game. Boston found a way to contribute to her team with 11 points and 16 rebounds.
Like most of the games, this came down to the very last second. Henderson knocked down a three, putting South Carolina ahead by one with 40 seconds left. Shortly after, Haley Jones knocks down a mid-range jumper to give Stanford the one-point lead with 32 seconds left.
The Gamecocks were given one more chance as Stanford’s Cameron Brink turned the ball over with 6 seconds left. Boston passed it to South Carolina guard, Brea Beal, for the fast break. Beal missed the left-hand layup, but Boston grabbed her 16th rebound of the game and missed the putback at the last second. Just like that, the Gamecocks are out of the tournament, but the Cardinals advance to the championship game.
The Cardinals have a great chance of winning with their great level of execution and patience. When the Cardinals need to score; they wait to find the easy bucket instead of depending on one person to score the ball.
For example, their starting five: Cameron Brink, Haley Jones, Kiana Williams, Lexie Hull, and Anna Wilson contribute to the team in multiple ways. Brink is a 6’4 forward that averages 9.9 points a game but also has 85 blocks on the season! She blocks shots on defense while still getting her buckets on the offensive end. Jones averages 13.1 points and her size allows her to finish tough shots around the rim, but she’s expanding her game by developing her three-point shot.
On the other hand, Williams is leading the team in three-pointers. Also, she is the floor general by controlling the tempo of the game and having the role as the leader of the team. As a result, the building blocks stack together to create a consistent and strong starting five.
In my opinion, Stanford plays with a lot of poise and energy that I love to watch. I’m excited to see what they have in store for the championship.
No. 3 Arizona Wildcats
All I have to say for the Arizona Wildcats are two words: Aari McDonald. McDonald is a senior point guard for the Wildcats. Only sitting at 5 ‘6, McDonald has been breaking records since she arrived in Arizona.
Arizona pulled off one of the biggest upsets this year during March Madness and they deserve every bit of their win. Honestly, Arizona deserves every win throughout this whole tournament. They have been overlooked every game and each time they come out on top.
After being left out of the Final Four promo video, Arizona defeated Uconn 69-59. McDonald led her team with 26 points along with two of her teammates scoring double digits. The Huskies were down 14, the largest deficit Uconn has had the whole tournament. Slowly the Huskies started making a comeback, but they could not take the lead at any point in the game.
Arizona has proven to every spectator that they need to be taken seriously. The Wildcats are going into the championship as the underdog (yet again). Even though they’ve lost to Stanford twice during conference play; Stanford better not overlook this team. Aari McDonald and her squad mean business!
Make Your Bet
No. 1 Stanford Cardinal and No. 3 Arizona Wildcats, who do you think is bringing home the title? Personally, I just want to see a close game. Although like I said before, I love an underdog but I enjoy Stanford’s style of play. Everyone has their own opinions going into the game. However, I see it as two amazing teams battling for that NCAA title. Let the game begin!
Follow me on Twitter @KylaMcGhee2022. And check out Beyond Women’s Sports for more articles on amazing women and their sport.
