2023 – Women’s Final Four Preview

By DaVince “Dino” Wright

The first game of the 2023 Women’s Final Four will showcase the #3 LSU Lady Tigers taking on #1 Virginia Tech Hokies. These two teams are packed with experienced players and young talent from the floor to the last person on the bench. LSU head coach Kim Mulkey leads a stacked team hunting for a national championship. Virginia Tech’s head man Kenny Brooks has the Hokies sitting in wait to take one away from LSU in the first game. This is his 8th season with team and he knows this is one heck of shot to win it all! Last season South Carolina women’s team won the national championship in convincing fashion. This season Coach Dawn Staley has the Lady Gamecocks poised for a repeat. The one person that stands in their way is Player of the Year winner Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Keep in mind that the Gamecocks has a healthy Aliyah Boston on the blocks. She’s a walking double-double. Her play alone has recharged a very deep South Carolina team. Dallas will be rocking this weekend!

Game Info
#3 Louisiana State University Tigers vs #1 Virginia Tech Hokies
Friday – March 31 – 6:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN/ESPNU/ESPN+
American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX

#3 LSU Tigers
LSU has one of the best players in the country in Soph. Angel Reese who leads the team in scoring with 23.3 points and rebounds with 15.7 a game. Her dominance in the paint and on the wing makes her one tough player to shut down. Keep an eye on point guard Alexis Morris. The Tigers has made some noise heading into this game with wins over Miami, Utah, Michigan, Hawaii and Tennessee.
LSU is a match up nightmare in the paint.

#1 VT Hokies
The Hokie’s senior center Elizabeth Kitley is one of the best players in the country that no one is talking about. She’s averaging 18.2 points per game with 10.7 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. Her running mate is guard Georgia Amoore. She’s averaging 16.3 points per game while leading the team with 5 assists a game. The Hokies are stingy on defense. They are only giving up 62 points to opposition. Keep in mind in their last 3 games the defense became stifling in the last 3 minutes of the game.

Prediction
This game will be extremely close leading into the last 5 minutes of the game. It’s almost too close to call. I’m taking LSU by 6! Don’t allow yourself to get baited in by how you feel and what you hear and see on TV.

Final Score
Tigers – 85
Hokies – 79

Game Info
#2 Iowa Hawkeyes vs #1 South Carolina Gamecocks
Friday – March 31 – 8:00 p.m.
TV: ESPN/ESPNU/ESPN+
American Airlines Center – Dallas, TX

#2 Iowa Hawkeyes
The Hawkeyes has played some pretty tough teams heading into this years final four. They are 5-0 in their last 5 games with quality wins over Louisville, Colorado, Georgia, South East Louisiana and Ohio State. The catalyst for the Hawkeyes is guard Caitlin Clark. She leads the team in scoring with 27.3, rebounds 7.3 and assists 8.6. She will be the one player that could be a huge catalyst in this game. Keep an eye on senior guard Gabbie Marshall and forward Monika Czinano. They match up well against everybody.

#1 South Carolina Gamecocks
The Gamecocks are the most dangerous team in women’s basketball. Head coach Dawn Staley’s team can go 12 players deep! The Gamecocks has proven to the college world that recruiting, coach-able talent and key players will get you everything in college basketball. The undefeated Gamecocks will showcase three top tier players. Senior guard Zia Cooke who leads the team in scoring, senior Aliyah Boston who leads the team in rebounding and guard Raven Johnson who leads the team in assists and steals.

Prediction
This is a tricky game. The Gamecocks is a solid team and everyone is picking them to repeat. Keep in mind that Iowa isn’t afraid of the hype. I’m taking the Gamecocks by 15 in this one!

Final score
Gamecocks – 76
Hawkeyes – 61