MORNING NEWSBREAK | The South Carolina women’s basketball team on Sunday won its third national championship since 2017 by convincingly beating Iowa 87-75 to finish its first perfect season: 38 wins, no losses.
A “welcome home” celebration is scheduled 2 p.m. today in Columbia in the Colonial Life Arena. Doors open at 12:30 p.m. On Sunday, students celebrated across the USC campus.
Columbia’s newspaper, The State, outlined how the Gamecocks have created a legacy in women’s basketball:
“They’ve cemented themselves as the premier program of today. South Carolina became the 10th team in Division I women’s basketball history to go undefeated (38-0) and win a national championship (first since UConn in 2016), defeating Iowa 87-75 Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Coach Dawn Staley is now the first Black head coach to win three national championships (after becoming the first to win two).”
Staley, who earned a $500,000 bonus for securing the weekend championship, also earned kudos for giving a big shoutout to Iowa star Caitlin Clark for helping to popularize women’s basketball.
“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” Staley said. “She carried a heavy load for our sport. It just is not going to stop here on a collegiate tour but when she is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well.”
In other recent headlines:
IT’S ECLIPSE DAY: How to watch today’s solar eclipse safely. Here are some solar safety tips to protect your eyes today. Also of interest:
- What could happen if you look at eclipse without protection
- How today’s king tide relates to the eclipse
- CP: What to know about the eclipse in Lowcountry
- How to protect your eyes during eclipse
- Track the path of the eclipse
CP NEWS: Legislature demands reform after accounting scandals. Angry state lawmakers are moving forward with major financial reform efforts after embarrassment from two whopping accounting scandals involving more than $5 billion in miscounted, misallocated and just plain mysterious state funds.
- CP Week in review: Mobile cosmetology bill passes Senate
- Senn-Leber race has big attacks … already
CP OPINION, Brack: Perhaps 2024 election will bring us closer. “America’s traditional mom-and-apple-pie values appear to be in better shape than many talking heads and pundits decry, according to a big new national poll. That’s good — particularly in times of too much news about fissures for democracy, including former President Donald Trump’s criminal tribulations, current President Joe Biden’s and Trump’s ages, a do-nothing Congress and the U.S. Supreme Court’s continuing ethical gaffes. “
More area news:
Thousands complete Cooper River Bridge Run. The 47th bridge run is one of the best-known 10K races in the world. Thousands completed on Saturday.
Protesters urge officials to fire police involved in teen arrest. The arrest of a 13-year-old boy is prompting calls for a change at the Summerville Police Department.
McGee, Colbert families help renovate Wragg Square. Two distinguished Charleston families are helping to renovate the historic square on Meeting Street.
- To get dozens of South Carolina news stories every business day, contact the folks at SC Clips.
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