South Carolina vs NC State live updates: Final Four predictions, odds, picks, how to watch
The women’s NCAA tournament is into the Final Four. In the first semifinal tonight, Kamilla Cardoso and No. 1 South Carolina face off against No. 3 NC State. Dawn Staley has the undefeated Gamecocks in the Final Four for the fourth straight year, looking for their third national championship as a program and first since 2022. Aziaha James and the Wolfpack have barrelled through top-seeded Texas and second-seeded Stanford to get to their second Final Four in program history.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley during a game against LSU at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 10, 2024.
Women’s March Madness games tonight are airing and streaming on ESPN. USA TODAY Sports will provide the latest news, scores, analysis and more all day. Follow along.
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Women’s March Madness Final Four games
Tonight, undefeated and top-seeded South Carolina plays No. 3 NC State, and Caitlin Clark and No. 1 Iowa face Paige Bueckers and No. 3 UConn at about 9:30 p.m. What to know about the Final Four games in the women’s NCAA tournament.
What time is the Final Four tonight?
The top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks face No. 3 NC State at 7 p.m.
March Madness bracket 2024 women
Here is the full women’s March Madness bracket.
How to watch South Carolina vs. NC State
ESPN is airing and streaming South Carolina vs. NC State. Here’s more on streaming on ESPN+ and Fubo.
South Carolina vs. NC State predictions
USA TODAY Sports’ Lindsay Schnell is picking NC State to knock off undefeated South Carolina while Nancy Armour has South Carolina winning and getting back to the national championship game.
Why South Carolina will beat NC State women in Final Four
South Carolina has coasted into yet another Final Four, largely unnoticed because of all the attention on Iowa’s game against LSU in the Elite Eight, a rematch of last year’s national championship game. But do not take the lack of a spotlight as a sign of deficiencies on the part of the Gamecocks. South Carolina is as relentless as it is ruthless, as N.C. State will soon discover. — Nancy Armour
Why NC State women will beat South Carolina in Final Four
NC State coach Wes Moore knows he’s got a David-and-Goliath matchup on his hands when his third-seeded NC State Wolfpack take on overall No. 1 seed and undefeated South Carolina on Friday in the Final Four. But he also knows this: In that story, it’s David who comes out ahead.
And that type of confidence in his team is partially why the Wolfpack will stun the Gamecocks. That, and excellent guard play. Throughout NC State’s tournament run, and particularly the last two games, starting guards Aziaha James and Saniya Rivers, herself a former Gamecock, have been stellar. James in particular is on a tear, averaging 24.3 points during the NCAA Tournament, up from 15.8 before that. — Lindsay Schnell
South Carolina WBB roster
Here is the South Carolina women’s basketball roster.
NC State WBB roster
Here is the NC State women’s basketball roster.
South Carolina vs. NC State stream
All games will be broadcast on ESPN. Here are additional streaming options to watch all the action on your devices.
South Carolina vs. NC State odds
The Gamecocks are favorites to defeat the Wolfpack in Friday’s Final Four matchup, according to BetMGM college basketball odds.
- Spread: South Carolina (-11.5)
- Moneylines: South Carolina (-800); NC State (+550)
- Over/under: 139.5
Aziaha James stats
Junior guard Aziaha James leads the team with 16.7 points and adds 4.6 rebounds per game. She has come alive in the tournament, scoring 29 points to oust Stanford and then notching 27 points and tallying six rebounds to advance past Texas. — Victoria Hernandez
Kamilla Cardoso stats
South Carolina center Kamila Cardoso has played in 31 games this season, averaging 14.1 points on 58.9% shooting, 9.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 2.1 assists per game.
NC State’s Saniya Rivers won a title at South Carolina and wants another, this time with Wolfpack
When they saw each other Wednesday for the first time in nearly two years, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley and NC State guard Saniya Rivers embraced. But for the following 48 hours, they probably won’t be too friendly with each other.
It’s a weird matchup for Rivers and Staley, the 16-year head coach for the undefeated Gamecocks. Rivers started her career in Columbia, going in as the No. 3 player in the 2021 class, according to ESPN HoopGurlz.
But then she hit the transfer portal. Rivers wouldn’t say Thursday why she decided to leave South Carolina – she said previously she didn’t think she was a good fit with the program, calling herself “not the piece of the puzzle they were looking for,” and on Thursday wanted to focus only on the upcoming game – but assured everyone she is still on good terms with Staley.
“She’s a great person,” Rivers said of Staley. “We still talk to this day, she congratulates me on accomplishments. I do the same thing. If it’s her birthday, I wish her a happy birthday. We saw each other (Wednesday), hugged it out.” Read Lindsay Schnell’s full feature here.
What NC State coach Wes Moore said to Wolfpack after shootaround
Watch what NC State coach Wes Moore said to his players after their shootaround this afternoon at Cleveland’s Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Saniya Rivers stats
NC State guard Saniya Rivers, who is a 6-foot-1 junior, averages 12.7 points, 6.2 rebounds and a team-high 3.8 assists per game for the Wolfpack. Read Lindsay Schnell’s full feature here.
River Baldwin stats
NC State center River Baldwin has played in 34 games this season, averaging 10.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. Baldwin is in her fifth year of college hoops, spending the first three at Florida State and the last two years with the Wolfpack.
Why women’s March Madness feels more entertaining than men’s NCAA Tournament
In LeBron James’ new podcast with J.J. Redick for basketball nerds, Mind the Game, James bemoaned men’s college basketball in two of the three episodes.
“It does not translate for me,” James said. “It frustrates me. My high blood pressure picks up … so I try to stay away from it.”
James says that having one son (Bronny) who just finished his freshman season at Southern California and another son (Bryce) who likely will play college basketball. While the men’s college game remains popular, particularly during March Madness, a question has popped up, especially among NBA executives who have taken their eyes off scouting men’s players to watch the women’s tournament: is women’s college basketball more entertaining than the men’s game?
“They always play the game the right way – passing and cutting, sharing the ball. They’re definitely going to get on the floor for loose balls,” James said of NCAA women’s basketball. “But there’s men’s teams that’s doing that as well too at the end of the day. But the star power that we have in the women’s game outweighs some of the men, too.” Read Jeff Zillgitt’s full column.
Women’s college basketball is faster than it’s ever been. The result? More records falling
Shortly after Alyssa Ustby recorded the first triple-double in North Carolina women’s basketball history in early January, coach Courtney Banghart was asked: Why are so many records being broken lately in women’s college basketball? What’s different about now compared to, say, 10 years ago?
Banghart, who played at Dartmouth from 1996-2000 and coached at Princeton before moving to Chapel Hill in 2019, didn’t hesitate.
“The game is so fast,” she said, shaking her head in awe. “There’s so many possessions — the stats guys might know that better than me — but the talent level and speed of play is remarkable. I’ve been in this game a long time and (players today) can all do so much with the ball. There’s just more versatility as well as athleticism, and that leads to more possessions and more impact on the game.” Read Lindsay Schnell’s full feature.
South Carolina WBB roster
Here is the South Carolina women’s basketball roster.
NC State WBB roster
Here is the NC State women’s basketball roster.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: South Carolina vs NC State live updates: Final Four predictions, odds, picks, how to watch