It’s the toughest defense in the country against the most productive offense in the country. A No. 1 seed against a No. 2 seed. Last season’s National Player of the Year against this season’s National Player of the Year. An undefeated squad defending its championship against a program making its deepest tournament run in decades.
In other words? When South Carolina meets Iowa in the women’s Final Four on Friday night, they’ll offer a dream clash of styles, personalities and story lines. All this is reflected in the ticket prices (high), the expected television ratings (ditto) and the palpable sense of hype (just as impressive if not harder to objectively measure). The NCAA couldn’t have asked for a more storybook matchup.
Both teams, of course, are here partially because of their balance and depth. But the twin engines of all this buildup are clear.
