On the latest episode of Locked On Women’s Basketball, host Missy Heidrick is joined by Alex Simon to discuss South Carolina’s triumph at the 2024 NCAA championship game. They break down some of the crucial performances in the championship game, the details of the Final Four, and what lies ahead for the future of women’s college basketball.
Missy opens up the show by stating what we’re all thinking: the NCAA tournament did not disappoint. It was a “fantastic display of women’s college basketball,” Missy says, “which continues to grow to new heights.” Basketball correspondent and AP voter Alex Simon concurs. It wasn’t just the championship game that had so much hype, Alex says. “We had an incredible Friday night, too. It wasn’t as close … between South Carolina and NC State, but UConn and Iowa had true buildup and the game was … almost an inverse of, historically, where these two programs have been.” Missy and Alex then go on to break down the details of the two final four games, and give a proper shoutout to underdog NC State, who, per Missy, “had to knock off some really good teams and … battle their way.”
Missy and Alex then move onto recapping the final match between eventual winners South Carolina and Iowa. “This was the game that everybody picked,” Missy asserts, “the game that people thought would be the most entertaining.” And entertaining it was. But, as Missy explains, Iowa ultimately “didn’t have the depth to get at South Carolina. They had too much athleticism … ultimately, their size was something that Iowa didn’t have an answer to.” And Alex agrees, though he did give Iowa credit for “getting as close as four or five [points] in the stretch.” But, as Alex explains, Iowa and South Carolina were “mismatches in every way, shape, and form … South Carolina is just so much more athletic.”
Make sure to subscribe to the Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast to keep learning about the WNBA, women’s college basketball, basketball history and much more!
