The University of South Carolina won the 2024 National Championship Game over the University of Iowa on Sunday afternoon at RocketMortgage FieldHouse.
Cleveland Magazine was among the media selected to vote for the 2024 NCAA Women’s Final Four Team and the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Here’s how we voted:
2024 NCAA Women's Final Four Team
Caitlin Clark
Clark’s greatness is the reason the Hawkeyes were in the Final Four. The game’s brightest star had a slow first half against UConn in the National Semifinal but scored 18 of her 21 points in the game’s final 20 minutes.
Paige Bueckers
Bueckers didn’t have the opportunity to win the game against Iowa due to an illegal screen called on teammate Aaliyah Edwards with less than 10 seconds remaining in regulation. Her play was a big reason why the Huskies had a chance, though. Next year, if Bueckers can stay healthy, she should be the face of the women’s collegiate game.
Kamilla Cardoso
Not one player at the Final Four had an answer for Cardoso near the basket. Anytime that South Carolina needed something accomplished, finding Cardoso in the post was the answer to any problem they were having. Defensively, opponents always thought twice about attacking the basket while she was on the floor. Against North Carolina State, she had 22 points and 11 rebounds in the sort of performance that could have been 40 points and 20 rebounds if the Gamecocks needed it to be.
Hannah Stuelke
Iowa would not have beaten UConn without Stuelke. There’s no debate. Against the Huskies, she led the Hawkeyes with 23 points on just 12 shots. The battle between her and UConn’s Edwards was one of the storylines to watch, and Stuelke emerged victorious in it.
Tessa Johnson
Johnson shot herself onto this team on Sunday afternoon. Against the Hawkeyes, she finished with 19 points on just 11 shots. In these moments, the stars tend to show up, but role players can make or break games. Johnson was the x-factor in the championship game and earned the final spot because of it.
Most Outstanding Player
Kamilla Cordoso
Cordoso was dominant in both games in the Final Four. She couldn’t be stopped against N.C. State, and while Iowa limited her efficiency a bit better than the Wolfpack, she still finished with 15 points and 17 rebounds in the championship game while blocking three shots. Her size was the question that Iowa, and really no other team in the country throughout the year, had an answer for.
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