Seeds apart, the powerhouse Final Four individuals will arrive in Minneapolis as 4 of the 5 best groups in women’s school basketball this season, per the analytics web site Her Hoop Stats. South Carolina is 44.5 internet factors per 100 possessions higher than a mean crew, based on the positioning — the best internet score within the nation — adopted by Stanford (39.7, third), Connecticut (37.7, fourth) and Louisville (35.6, fifth). (N.C. State, which had the misfortune of assembly Connecticut in Bridgeport, Conn., ranks second.)
And so 4 of probably the most proficient groups within the nation shall be going through off for a nationwide championship, starting with the semifinals on Friday and concluding with the title sport on Sunday. Here’s a deeper take a look at what makes this quartet so particular.
No. 1 South Carolina (Greensboro Region)
South Carolina, the event’s general prime seed, is heading to its fourth Final Four after overwhelming Creighton, 80-50, on Sunday. The Gamecocks have spectacular dimension — the common top on their roster is 6-foot-1 — and so they use that to their benefit. South Carolina ranks within the prime 5 within the nation in offensive rebound fee (46 p.c) and scores higher than 1.1 factors per possession on offensive put-backs.
Plus, nationwide participant of the 12 months candidate Aliyah Boston and her teammates shoot higher than 51 p.c within the publish and across the rim, which helps create area for guards Zia Cooke and Destanni Henderson on the perimeter. See how Boston’s presence within the publish led to a wide-open search for Cooke in South Carolina’s second-round sport.
On the opposite aspect of the courtroom, South Carolina grabs 76 p.c of defensive rebounds and holds opponents to simply 38.3 p.c taking pictures across the rim. Only Stanford was higher at defending the rim this season (38 p.c).
No. 1 Louisville (Wichita Region)
Hailey Van Lith is the Cardinals’ most potent offensive weapon. Her no-dribble leap shot is probably the greatest within the nation and she or he is aware of how you can maximize her crew’s possibilities in transition, whether or not because the ballhandler or discovering an open lane to the basket.
Defensively, all eyes needs to be on 6-3 sophomore Olivia Cochran. It is her job to maintain opponents from grabbing second-chance alternatives off the offensive glass. She and her teammates have been as much as the problem — opponents are scoring simply 43 p.c of the break day put-backs, placing Louisville’s protection within the 97th percentile of the nation, per Synergy Sports — and that should proceed if the Cardinals are to upset South Carolina for a spot within the nationwide title sport.
No. 1 Stanford (Spokane Region)
The reigning nationwide champion secured its 14th Final Four look because of a deep squad with nearly too many key contributors to checklist. Haley Jones, Lexie Hull, Cameron Brink, Hannah Jump and Francesca Belibi are all amongst this season’s best scorers on any crew, every excelling in numerous areas.
Jones is a pressure across the rim, taking pictures 56.5 p.c close to the basket, and runs the present on the pick-and-roll. Hull is a superb spot-up shooter, with a 62 p.c efficient discipline objective fee.
Brink patrols the publish (with a 50 p.c discipline objective fee, whereas drawing a foul on one out of each six shot makes an attempt), and converts 65 p.c of put-backs off offensive rebounds for factors. Jump will harm you off screens behind the arc. Belibi can be discovered down low and chopping to the basket, the place she converts nearly 73 p.c of the time.
That’s an array of offensive threats that few groups can match. Only six faculties had extra gamers end within the prime 15 p.c of the nation in scoring effectivity and of these, solely Connecticut stays within the event.
No. 2 Connecticut (Bridgeport Region)
No dialog concerning the Huskies can begin with out discussing reigning nationwide participant of the 12 months Paige Bueckers. The sophomore averages 13.8 factors, 3.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per sport, but these field rating stats don’t come near illustrating how a lot she brings to the desk. According to Her Hoop Stats, Bueckers has one of many highest participant effectivity rankings in women’s school basketball (32.1) and she or he has earned one of many highest win shares per 40 minutes of enjoying time this season.
Even for those who handle to cease Bueckers — and also you in all probability gained’t — you continue to need to contend with a squad that was 25.6 factors per sport higher than a mean crew (after adjusting for power of schedule) when Bueckers was out with a knee damage for 19 video games. With her on the courtroom, Connecticut has been 36.6 factors per sport higher than a mean crew, which is why the Huskies are literally a two-point favourite over higher-seeded Stanford within the Final Four.