How and what to watch for No. 1 South Carolina vs. No. 1 Louisville in Final Four of 2022 NCAA Women’s Tournament

The Final Four of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament will tip off on Friday, April 1 at the Target Center in Minneapolis. The national semifinals will feature a matchup between the No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks of the Greensboro Region and the No. X of the Bridgeport Region.

Game date: Friday, April 1st
Game time: 7 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
Location: Target Center, Minneapolis, MN

No. 1 South Carolina 33-2 (15-1 SEC)

First Round: Defeated No. 16 Howard 79-21
Second Round: Defeated No. 8 Miami 49-33
Sweet 16: Defeated No. 5 North Carolina 69-61
Elite Eight: Defeated No. 10 Creighton 80-50
Her Hoops Stats ratings: 1 Overall, 6 Offense, 1 Defense
Leading scorer: Aliyah Boston (16.8 ppg)
Key stat of tournament: South Carolina is holding opponents to a nation-low 32.7% shooting from the field.

South Carolina carved right through the Greensboro Region to make a trip to the Final Four for a second straight season. The Gamecocks quickly torched the Cinderella dreams of Creighton in Sunday’s Elite Eight contest as Aliyah Boston dropped 19 points and seven rebounds.

No. 1 Louisville 29-4 (16-2 ACC)

First Round: Defeated No. 16 Albany 81-53
Second Round: Defeated No. 9 Gonzaga 68-59
Sweet 16: Defeated No. 4 Tennessee 76-64
Elite Eight: Defeated No. 3 Michigan 62-50
Her Hoops Stats ratings: 5 Overall, 7 Offense, 6 Defense
Leading scorer: Hailey Van Lith (14.3 ppg)
Key stat of tournament: Louisville is shooting 45.7% from the field this season.

The Cards are back in the Final Four for the fourth time, and the first since 2018. This time with a team that is in the top 20 in both offensive and defensive points per possession, and one that can rebound and defend on the block better than some of Jeff Walz’s teams of the past.

Emily Engstler might be the key, as the junior transfer from Syracuse Orange is 6’1 and pulls down 9.2 rebounds per game. She had 16 in the Elite Eight vs. Michigan.