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Andrea Adelson
Tampa, Fla. – Raven Johnson He checked out of the national title game with four minutes to play and South Carolina down by 32 points on UconneGamecocks’ hopes to repeat when the champions disappeared.
She sat on the bench, put her head in her hands and cried. Bree Hall Place the arm around her and told her to hold her head up. Were supposed to be so much for what they were proud of, despite the result, 82-59 Loss on Sunday.
Hall approached the end of his career in South Carolina pragmatically. Although she hated she lost, she felt grateful for performing four final four performances and won two titles. But Johnson put his towel on his face. She couldn’t help but blame herself when the last seconds were unchecked for hours.
“I was injured, I was broken, I was embarrassed,” Johnson said in the gloomy dressing room of Postgame. “I felt as if my soul was caught. I hate loss. That’s a big thing. I wanted to win so bad today and I feel like I haven’t reached. I will beat this game because the loss just doesn’t fit with me.”
A few minutes before Johnson entered the dressing room, the senior Ferdian She stood by her locker and couldn’t stop the flow of tears when she tried to answer the question of how much she meant to her in South Carolina. Over the road Mailasia Fulwileia He cried too.
“They played harder than we,” Fulwiley said. “They played as if they wanted to win the National Championship. I think we didn’t. They had more gravel than us. They got free balls; they ran their things. They didn’t run away from us. We went to the same level, but we didn’t hold it.”
South Carolina actually corresponded to Kbely Uconn for Kbelík almost the first quarter. In the second quarter, however, things began to slip when Huskies increased their physicality and intensity and took the inner game in South Carolina – an area where Gamecocks were doing throughout the season. UConn Outcored South Carolina 36-26 in color.
According to the ESPN Research, this is the second worst painting points in South Carolina in the game this season (minus 14 at a loss in Texas 9 February). South Carolina entered an average of 42.0 painting points for the game this season, most in the division I.
“They filled the color,” he said Chloe Kittsthat ended up with nine points in shooting 3 out of 11.
It was not only the fact that South Carolina fired 34%for the game. The defense she relied on to get into the National Championship and also gave up easy baskets of back boreholes because Huskies fired 48% of the field. Gamecocks also surpassed seven at the defensive end.
“Their coach definitely took advantage of the matches they had,” Fulwiley said. “It was an easy score for them and they were still doing what worked for them. They have a very good coach. It was smart for him that the same things were running on us. We have to improve at the defensive end. Most of the points they scored were unacceptable.”
Added Hary refused“We had frustrations during the game. We couldn’t stop, we couldn’t fight, we couldn’t fight. We had to be more physical and we weren’t a defensive team to know how to be.”
The reality began to deal with during the third quarter that it would not simply happen on the way in South Carolina.
“They hit everything,” Johnson said. “They are a phenomenal team. They play well together. They were just a oiled machine.”
“We tried,” Hall said. “We really tried. We just beat up and it’s just a sincere truth.”
Coach Dawn Staley said:
Staley asked what her young players want to get out of experience that the national title would blow out in the game.
“I hope they’re crying,” Staley said. “I hope that it is bohoojo, because weeping has emotions about loss, forcing you to work hard in offseason. It will make you look at it and really analyze what department is from their program and our program and how we close the gap.”
South Carolina will lose Feagin, Paopao and Hall next season. Johnson said she decided to return to the next year or join the WNBA proposal and soon announce “notifications”.
Asked if the loss of Sunday influenced her decision, she said, “That thought a little because I would like to end with a good remark.”
Fulwiley also asked what she and her returning teammates would have to concentrate to avoid a similar result in the next season and give a somewhat cryptic answer.
“It’s just getting better, I’m just trying to understand many things and just try to think up things and see what’s best for me,” Fulwiley said.
Freshman Joyce Edwardswho led the team in scoring this season, returns along with Kitts and Tessa JohnsonIn addition to the coming freshman Agot is wrong (Recruitment No. 4 in Class 2025) and Return Ashlyn watkins From the knee injury ending season.
Those who helped make South Carolina the annual Final Four team were, despite the loss of persistent in their faith into one thing.
“As they say, a minor failure for a big comeback. South Carolina will return to the National Championship,” Johnson said. “Hopefully it will add fire to next year when you try to come back here.”
