South Carolina beats UConn to win national championship

Destanni Henderson led the way for South Carolina, posting a game-high 26 points, adding four assists and three steals. Meanwhile, Naismith Player of the Year Aliyah Boston had 11 points, 16 rebounds and two blocks. Boston was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, averaging 17 points and 17 rebounds per game. 

Paige Bueckers led UConn with 14 points, six rebounds and two assists. 

No. 1 ranked South Carolina opened fast, scoring 13 of the first 15 points of the game Sunday night. The Gamecocks took a 22-8 lead into the second quarter. 

South Carolina led by as many as 13 points in the second quarter, though the Huskies cut into the lead before halftime. However, despite outscoring the Gamecocks 19-13 in the quarter, UConn trailed South Carolina at the break, 35-27.

The Gamecocks continued to front-run in the second half, gaining a 16-point lead with just over five minutes left in the third quarter. Like it did at the end of the half, UConn was able to trim the South Carolina lead by the end of the quarter, trailing the Gamecocks 46-37 heading into the fourth. 

Aaliyah Edwards' jumper to open the scoring in the fourth made the deficit for UConn just seven points, at 46-39, but it was as close as the Huskies would get the rest of the quarter. 

In the final stanza, South Carolina outscored UConn 18-12 to seal the school's second NCAA women's basketball championship. 

UConn shot better from the field (40.7%) and the three-point line (25%) than South Carolina (36.7% and 18.8%), but a big difference in the game came from the free-throw line. 

South Carolina outscored UConn 17-1 from the charity stripe, as the Gamecocks shot 26 free throws to Connecticut's four. 

The Gamecocks were also dominant on the boards Sunday, out-rebounding UConn 49-24.