Women’s Basketball Hits Rock Bottom as Dawn Staley & Kim Mulkey Come to Sweet 16’s Rescue

Having split the season series, UNC and Duke looked set to steal the stage as the only conference rivalry game in the Sweet 16. For the first time, the two rivals were ready to meet each other in the NCAA Tournament, with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line. Never in the rivalry’s 49-year history had the stakes been this high, and before the game, the hype was real. “It’s going to be cool to showcase on even a bigger stage what the Carolina-Duke rivalry is,” quipped Tar Heels’ fifth-year wing Alyssa Ustby. The Tobacco Road rivalry was going to go to the next stage, but there was reason to be a little wary of expecting a thrilling affair.

Most of their recent matchups have been low-scoring and often gritty battles. In the regular season as well, the Tar Heels defended their home court with a gritty 53-46 overtime victory on January 9, with the teams combining only for 80 points in the four quarters. Duke struck back in Durham with a commanding 68-53 win. But in both games, the theme of Duke’s dominant defense giving little room to UNC’s balanced offense was common. But this was March Madness. This was a piece of history at stake, surely both sides would come out all guns blazing? As it turns out, both teams ended up making an unwanted piece of history.

Duke prevailed over UNC in a low-scoring contest, 47-38, on Friday afternoon. The two teams combined for a total of 85, the lowest for a game in any women’s NCAA Sweet 16, Elite Eight, Final Four, or championship game. The game broke the combined lowest point record set by Tennessee and LSU in the 2008 Final Four, when Tennessee won 47-46. Notably, Tennessee won the NCAA championship that season. While it may be a good omen for Duke, those watching had to sit through a defensive grind with neither team scoring more than 20 points in a quarter.

ESPN’s women’s college basketball writer Michael Voepel tweeted, “In an awful game to watch – just being real here – @DukeWBB beat @uncwbb 47-38 in Sweet 16. It was 1st time the ACC rivals met in NCAA tournament. Maybe we should beg the selection committee to make sure it never happens again.”

Neither team cracked 35% from the field (Duke shot 31%, UNC 28.3%), and even the free-throw line wasn’t kind, with both shooting below 60%. Before the game, the talk was about UNC needing to break Duke’s defensive schemes to have a chance of winning, but few would have imagined the defensive slog the game became. However, the coaches saw things differently.

“Those that like defense, you should watch it again,” UNC coach Courtney Banghart said. “These are two of the best defenses that have played in the last five years. Add familiarity … and physicality …” Duke’s Kara Lawson, on the other hand, said this was “exactly how we expected the game to go.” Perhaps those tuning in to see the Tobacco Road rivalry on the NCAA tournament stage didn’t

Surprisingly, UNC started hot, jumping out to an 11-0 lead in the first quarter. But after that? Duke took over, outscoring the Tar Heels 47-27 for the remainder of the game. For North Carolina, the real issue was their top scorers going ice-cold. Maria Gakdeng, Alyssa Ustby, Lexi Donarski, and Reniya Kelly combined for just 22 points. Duke’s leading scorer, Toby Fournier, missed all eight of her shots in this one.

The real difference-maker was Duke’s bench. Senior Vanessa de Jesus and sophomore Okananwa combined for 18 first-half points, out of 28 total for Duke. They helped the Blue Devils out of an early shooting slump after they had failed to score a basket in the first six minutes of the game. Okananwa dropped 12 points and 12 rebounds to complete her third double-double of the season.

The Blue Devils got 26 points from their reserves, compared to UNC’s measly six. Eventually, Ashlon Jackson also came alive in the second half, scoring eight of her 10 points when it mattered most. The win was another major milestone in Duke’s coach Kara Lawson’s revival of the program.

The last few weeks have been groundbreaking for the team, with them winning the ACC Tournament title, their first ACC championship since 2013.

When Lawson arrived at Duke, they had failed to qualify for the NCAA Tournament three times in the previous five years. Last year, they reached the Sweet 16 under Lawson, but now have gone a step further. On Friday, they confirmed they confirmed their place in the Elite Eight for the first time since 2003, after their ninth straight win.

But how did the fans feel? Well, many were already annoyed that the game was scheduled on a weekday afternoon, making it hard to tune in. By the final buzzer, most were just relieved they hadn’t wasted their time.

Responding to Voepel’s post, one fan wrote, “At least it happened at 2:30 pm on a weekday.” Meanwhile, another disappointed fan pointed out, “As more conferences merge, it’s going to be increasingly difficult to avoid this, but this was Duke/UNC. I mean…come on!”

Fans were left bemused that a game of this significance failed to live up to the hype, with a fan mentioning, “Missed the game so I had to check that score several times because I couldn’t believe it was a final.” That’s not the kind of narrative we need when women’s basketball is finally getting the spotlight it deserves.

The whole “Everybody Watches Women Basketball” movement? Games like this don’t help. But before we lose hope, let’s rewind to just a few days ago when teams were in destruction mode. UConn’s obliteration of Arkansas State? USC wiping the floor with Greensboro? That’s the kind of dominance fans expect from March Madness. And you know who’s keeping that energy alive? South Carolina and LSU. 

Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks opened their tournament run with a 108-48 statement win. Their second-round game was another entertaining battle, where they started slow but came back to beat Indiana 64-53. South Carolina’s Sweet 16 clash then saw them put 71 points past Maryland, who had 67 points to their name. Gamecocks’ next game? Against Duke. Talk about the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object.

Meanwhile, Kim Mulkey’s squad has been playing no-nonsense basketball, dropping back-to-back 100+ point performances—first demolishing San Diego 103-48 and then cruising past Florida State 101-71. Their Sweet 16 tie against NC State was a thrilling affair with the Tigers emerging victorious 80-73. Next up for Mulkey’s team is a challenge from UCLA in the Elite Eight.

Meanwhile, one of the highlights of the Gamecocks’ Sweet 16 game was Dawn Staley’s outfit- again. 

Dawn Staley pulls up in another stunning fit for Sweet 16 

Dawn Staley doesn’t just coach champions; she dresses like one, too. The South Carolina head coach is known for her courtside swagger, effortlessly blending high fashion with her commanding presence on the sidelines. 

For the Gamecocks’ Sweet 16 clash, Staley turned heads yet again with her latest look. She rocked a sleek white shirt and pants, topped with a denim jacket featuring a bold yellow collar. And, obviously, she didn’t forget her signature accessories—a stack of layered necklaces that have become a courtside staple. 

This wasn’t just a random outfit choice. Staley’s style always tells a story. The mix of casual cool and sharp authority reflected exactly how South Carolina has approached this tournament: calm, confident, and business-like. 

And how could we not notice the gold chain shaped like a national championship trophy? It was gifted by rapper Plies to Staley. The custom piece isn’t just flashy but also shows meaning. It features every year, Staley has won a title, her name, and a Bible verse, a perfect combination of motivation and swagger. Staley has been rocking the chain throughout the tournament, and it’s quickly becoming a good luck charm.

But beyond the fashion statements, the head coach knows the challenge. With a 32-3 record, South Carolina is fighting to defend its title, but it hasn’t been easy. Losses to UCLA, Texas, and UConn proved that nothing comes guaranteed. Even Staley acknowledges how hard it is to stay at the top. 

“I mean, I think the biggest thing in winning the championship and then coming back is the players seem to forget how hard it was,” she said ahead of the Maryland matchup. “You can kind of get drunk off that success and think, ‘Oh, we can do it again.’ It’s much harder than they could have ever imagined.”

Still, if there’s anyone who can guide a team through adversity, it’s Dawn Staley. And if South Carolina delivers like they’ve done in the past, this Sweet 16 might just live up to its name after all.