TAMPA — South Carolina guard MiLaysia Fulwiley felt calmer a year ago when she experienced her first Final Four.
Call it blissful ignorance.
The Gamecocks were without a doubt the best team in the nation as they kept a perfect record en route to capturing their second title in three years.
Read also:Deidra Hoffman Net Worth
But this season’s South Carolina team has shown some vulnerability.
“This year, I’m more like, ‘We have to lock in,’ ” Fulwiley said Thursday. “Teams were good last year but these teams, they really want to win as much as we want to win and we lost to only three teams. … So that’s on the back of my mind.”
Coincidentally, the three teams the Gamecocks lost to this season — UConn, UCLA and Texas — are all here for the Final Four, adding some intrigue to the weekend for the reigning champions.
“That’s crazy, man,” Fulwiley said. “But I think that kind of motivates us to play better. We didn’t have our great games versus them. … The teams that we played had outstanding games. I mean, they couldn’t miss, so it kind of makes me hope and pray and feel like. … The roles are going to be reversed, we’re going to be the ones that’s not able to miss and we’re going to be the ones that lock in and play better basketball.”
South Carolina is set to match up against fellow No. 1 seed Texas on Friday night for a chance at the national championship game.
This will be the fourth meeting between the teams.
Read also:Famous People S Phone Numbers To Prank Call
South Carolina and Texas split the regular-season series before the Gamecocks took down the Longhorns to clinch the SEC tournament title last month.
“Obviously on both sides, it’s going to be a well-scouted game; we’ll know play calls, all that stuff,” Texas senior Shay Holle said. “It’s really how you execute it. You can put in different things. I’m sure they’re doing it as well.
“As [Texas senior] Rori [Harmon] said, at the end of the day, talent meets talent. It’s who wants it more on that given day, so we have to go out and be ready for a tough and physical game and, yeah, really just have the energy.”
South Carolina hasn’t openly discussed among itself that the Gamecocks have the chance to win back-to-back titles — a feat that hasn’t been accomplished since Connecticut won four straight from 2013-16.
But the potential to make history isn’t lost on Fulwiley.
“We do talk about how we need to win this game,” Fulwiley said. “How bad we all want to win and how much it would mean if we win.”
The Big Ten is giving the SEC a run for its money this year, as it sent a record 12 teams to the NCAA Tournament.
But half of the four teams left standing are from the SEC, which is guaranteed a team in the national championship game as South Carolina faces Texas in one semifinal.
“It just shows we’re the best conference in the country,” South Carolina center Chloe Kitts said. “SEC is a super, super hard conference and it’s just nice that there’s another team in there with us.”
USC star JuJu Watkins virtually accepted her Associated Press Player of the Year award Thursday, thanking her family, coaches and friends who helped her achieve the award.
“This all means so much,” a smiling Watkins said. “This is so amazing.”
UCLA coach Cori Close earned the AP’s coach of the year award after helping the Bruins to their first Final Four.
