SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Olivia Miles #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs saves the ball against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the third quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Center on March 30, …
SACRAMENTO, CA - South Carolina’s Final Four dominance continued on Monday night, as the Gamecocks pulled away from TCU in the fourth quarter for a 78-52 win, ending the Horned Frogs’ bid to reach the national semifinals for the first time.
Gamecocks dominate fourth quarter
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Ta'niya Latson #00 of the South Carolina Gamecocks makes a move on Olivia Miles #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs during the first quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Cente …
What we know:
The Gamecocks, in a dominant final quarter, turned a competitive game into a rout, outscoring TCU 29-11 in the fourth quarter to secure a matchup with undefeated UConn in the national semifinals on Friday in Phoenix.
South Carolina, led by coach Dawn Staley, continued its March dominance with another balanced performance, controlling the glass and wearing down a TCU team making just its second straight Elite Eight appearance. TCU stayed within striking distance through three quarters, trailing just 49-41 entering the fourth behind senior guard Olivia Miles, who finished with 18 points and six assists.
But the Horned Frogs struggled to keep pace late as South Carolina’s depth and defense took over.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Olivia Miles #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs takes a shot over Maryam Dauda #30 of the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second quarter in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Golden 1 Cent …
Joyce Edwards leads the charge
Dig deeper:
South Carolina's Joyce Edwards shot 10 of 20 from the field and added 12 rebounds to lead the Gamecocks. Freshman guard Agot Makeer provided a spark off the bench with 18 points, while senior guard Raven Johnson had 10 points and six assists.
South Carolina dominated the boards with 52 rebounds and outscored TCU 46-28 in the paint while shooting 47% from the field.
TCU’s historic tournament run ends
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Marta Suarez #7 of the TCU Horned Frogs and Olivia Miles #5 of the TCU Horned Frogs share a hug during the first quarter of an Elite Eight round game of the 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament held at Golden 1 C …
The other side:
TCU’s Marta Suarez scored nine points and grabbed five rebounds for TCU, which was led by a transfer-heavy roster under coach Mark Campbell. Suarez was emotional in the closing moments as the Horned Frogs’ tournament run came to an end.
Despite the loss, TCU continued its rapid rise, reaching the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year after rebuilding its roster through the transfer portal.
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 30: Kennedy Basham #0, Marta Suarez #7, Clara Bielefeld #16 and Clara Silva #17 of the TCU Horned Frogs acknowledges the crowd after a loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Elite Eight of the 2026 NCAA Women's Bas …
South Carolina vs. undefeated UConn in National Semifinals
What's next:
South Carolina, a perennial power under Staley, will now look to add another chapter to its championship pedigree as it chases a fourth national title.
The Source: Information in this article was provided by live coverage of the NCAA women's tournament.