CLEVELAND — Well, they're going the distance. South Carolina beat NC State 78-59 to punch its ticket to the National Championship Game for the third time in the Dawn Staley era. Gamecocks will face either UConn or Iowa on Sunday at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
For now, here is what went down in open locker room today and what everyone had to say about the win over the Wolfpack.
Chloe Kitts:
On Watkins getting 20 rebounds:
"I have no words. I'm just super happy and proud of her. We needed rebounders, and that's exactly what she did."
On Kamilla Cardoso's performance:
"Kamilla was very dominant today, and that's what we needed. She showed she can do anything, and that's what she did.
On the emotions of playing in a Final Four:
"It felt good. It felt great to be out there eon the court with my teammates, and I'm just having so much fun."
Kamilla Cardoso:
On what happened at the end of the half with her injury:
"I just fell some type of way and it hurt a little bit, but I saw the doctor and I'm okay."
"I don't really know [what happened]. I just fell, and it started hurting a little bit, but I'm okay now. I've seen the doctor, he said I was fine, I've just got to some treatment, an ice bath and stuff like that, and I'll be ready for Sunday."
On if she knew she'd come back:
"Yes. It was just hurting, but I was going to try to come out here no matter what."
On how she feels:
"Pretty good. I just need to get some treatment, and hopefully I'll be ready to go."
She said the item that was under her leg sleeve was just something to keep it warm.
Bree Hall:
On if she's ever seen anything like what Watkins did tonight:
"No, no no no no. She's one of a kind, unique players,r and I'm so glad to have her on my team."
On Cardoso's performance:
"Just absolutely dominant, absolutely killing it tonight. I'm just so proud of her, and I told her, 'Thank you for catching my passes, thank you for catching my passes.' She did an excellent job today."
On the mood on the bench when she got hurt:
"We didn't think too much of it. We knew it would be taken care of. She was able to go back out there."
On what allowed South Carolina to go on its big third quarter run:
"Just confidence in one another. We know that we've all been in the gym all season long and especially pre-season as well. But honestly like I said, we just have a lot of confidence in each other and know we can go out and execute."
On that 3rd quarter:
"It says a lot about us. It makes us really hardd to guard us, like I said. It says about us, and it's ust our starting five. It's the people coming off the bench as well."
Sania Feagin:
On how it felt playing significantly in a Final Four for the first time:
"It felt great. It felt amazing just being out there and being part of it and just playing."
On if she's ever played a game where a teammate had 20 rebounds:
"No....but today, yes, actually (laughing)."
On getting to play with Kamilla and Ashlyn:
"At times when we need rebounds or need scorers we have Kamilla, we have Ash, and we have me. But we know if it's a rebound, Ashlyn is going to take that and get the rebound every time."
On how nice it is knowing you can go to Kamilla for a basket at will:
"It's so good I tell her every time, 'Nobody can guard you, you know. Go to work.' And she's like, 'Nobody can guard you either, just go.' We all just listen to each other and we all just encourage each other. Nobody can stop us when we do what we have to do and get the ball in the post."
