In the most-watched women’s college basketball season ever, the Final Four is set to bring more excitement. 

According to Nielsen, Monday night’s game between LSU and Iowa had 12.3 million viewers on ESPN—the most-viewed game in any sport other than NFL football over the past year.

This year’s Final Four features experienced stars, powerhouses and a pair of programs looking for their first national championship. 

No. 3 North Carolina State (31-6, 13-5) vs. No. 1 South Carolina (36-0, 16-0) 

After losing to Iowa in last year’s Final Four, South Carolina returns to the Final Four in an identical situation to last year, once again 36-0. 

They opened as 11.5-point favorites against the Wolfpack, who are making just their second appearance in the Final Four. 

The Gamecocks will be looking for their third national championship since 2017 and second in the last three seasons. 

South Carolina lost multiple key players from last year, most notably Aliyah Boston, but reloaded this season with six players scoring nine points or more.

The Gamecocks run through their center Kamilla Cardoso, who leads the team in points per game with 14.1 and rebounds with 9.4. She is complemented by a pair of forwards and an array of guards who can all be game-changers.

North Carolina State will face this task as its tallest of the season. The Wolfpack went through their non-conference schedule unblemished, including a win over UConn. 

However, the Wolfpack dropped five games against ACC opponents in the regular season and fell to Notre Dame in the conference championship.

North Carolina State leans heavily on its guards, who will have to keep up with the guards of South Carolina if they’re going to have a shot at winning. 

Aziaha James is the highest scorer from either team, scoring 16.7 per game, and will be expected to carry the load for the underdogs.

The Pack’s two leading rebounders average 6.9 rebounds per game, six-foot guard Madison Hayes and six-foot-five center River Baldwin.

Stopping Cardoso will be the main emphasis for North Carolina State, but their top rebounders average fewer rebounds, fewer points and are shorter than the Gamecocks’ six-seven center.

If the Wolfpack can find a way to keep Cardoso in check while their guards match the level of play of South Carolina’s guards, they might just make their first national championship game.

No. 3 Uconn Huskies (33-5, 18-0) vs. No. 1 Iowa (33-4, 15-3)

Though the first semifinal certainly has the potential to be competitive, the second semifinal is more likely to be great.

After running the sport for years, it has now been eight years since UConn has won a national championship, though they have made the Final Four in every tournament since except for 2023.

The Huskies offense runs through Paige Bueckers, who takes nothing for granted after missing all of last season due to an ACL injury. 

She leads the team in scoring with 22 points per game and has an excellent supporting cast around her. 

Forward Aaliyah Edwards scores 17.6 points per game and is the team’s leading rebounder, pulling down 9.2 per game. 

UConn also has the ability to turn to guards Ashlynn Shade and Azzi Fudd, who score 11.2 and 11 points per game.

The Huskies do not have Caitlin Clark, and they opened as 2.5-point underdogs, but they do have a deep roster, which is always a key component in making a run to a national championship.

For Iowa, it’s Caitlin Clark, plain and simple. She’s going to be the reason they’re in a game or not. 

If her teammates give her enough help, she can be the reason Iowa wins; as fantastic as she is, her performance will not be able to overcome poor performances by her teammates. 

She leads the team with 32 points per game, 7.3 rebounds, nine assists and 1.8 steals. The only major stat she doesn’t lead the Hawkeyes in is steals, and she only trails her teammate by a fraction. 

The stats do make it look bad, but Iowa is not completely reliant on Clark. The Hawkeyes do have other scorers, with Hannah Stuelke averaging 13.8 points per game, along with guard Kate Martin’s 13.1 points per game.

Even with the help from Stuekle and Martin, UConn still has a more well-rounded roster and is fit to succeed in the Final Four. 

However, if other Hawkeyes can step up and make plays while Clark is doing her thing, Iowa may have the advantage and could go on to compete for their first national championship.

Demetri Manousos is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].