Joyce Edwards became the saviour South Carolina needed to secure their sixth straight Final Four appearance in the NCAA tournament.

The 6'3 forward had 24 points, 12 rebounds, three blocks, and two assists in the 78-52 win over No. 3 TCU (32-6) on March 30.

With just eight points separating the two teams going into the last quarter of the game, USC took complete control, scoring 29 to end the competition once and for all.

"We just did what we had to do to in order to win the game," Edwards told ESPN postgame.

Edwards and Makeer's late-game flurry of six points each sealed the win over the Horned Frogs.

The 20-year-old also scored on three consecutive possessions during this stint, each of which was off quick transitions to lead the Gamecocks to put a stranglehold on the glass with a 15-2 rebounding margin.

"Coach always said the Elite Eight is going to be one of the hardest games in the tournament," Edwards said. "But it just shows us our resilience, our determination, our togetherness, and I feel all that is going to help build momentum into the Final Four."

Edwards had help from the whole team, with Tessa Johnson shooting three perfect shots from beyond the arc, Raven Johnson contributing with eight boards, ten points, six assists, and Makeer having 18 points off the bench.

Meanwhile, TCU's star player and one of the frontrunners for the top pick of this year's WNBA Draft found herself on the wrong side of the scoreline. Although Olivia Miles put up 18 points to lead TCU, she was limited to just 6-20 from the field.

The Gamecocks now travel to Phoenix for a rematch of last year's national championship against an undefeated UConn Huskies (38-0) on April 3.

Joyce Edwards vs Sarah Strong: A Clash of Titans in the Final Four

Edwards will now go up against fellow Class of 2024 forward Sarah Strong. She will try to get one up against the multiple National Player of the Year award winner, who seems to have Edwards' number.

Edwards only lost four games as a freshman, but two were to the Huskies. Although this time USC feels different from last year, as suggested by Raven Johnson.

"Joyce is Joyce, I will always tell her she's elite. I tell her every day nobody can guard her, if she comes ready to play, locked in, knowing what she can do, nobody can guard her. She is the elite of the elite."

Edwards 19.6 points per game ranks 23rd in the nation, as opposed to Strong's 18.6, which falls at rank 39.

Fans expect this modern rivalry to continue in the Final Four, as it is Geno Auriemma's experience vs. Dawn Staley's adaptability that will declare the outcome in one's favour.

Read more at She Got Game!

Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Ashvinkumar Patil