The extraordinary Aliyah Boston garnered every possible postseason honor, including Most Outstanding Player at the Final Four, but the unexpected star of the championship game was senior guard Destanni Henderson, whose 26 points made her the first player in history to achieve a career high in the title game.
This is the second NCAA Title for head coach Dawn Staley’s career. The Gamecocks previously won in 2017. The star of that team, A’ja Wilson was in the stands to witness the 64-49 victory over University of Connecticut. While Connecticut holds a record 11 National Championships, this was the first appearance in the championship game since 2016.
Although as a point guard Staley was always the coach on the floor, she hesitated to become a college coach because she didn’t want to be responsible for 18- to 22-year-olds. When she finally decided to do it, she discovered that she loved it. “I’m living my passion,” Staley told ESPN after the win.