Entertainment Sports South Carolina Wins 2024 NCAA Women's Championship, Defeats Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes After winning the game, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley thanked Clark — who ended her college career without a championship title — for "lifting up our sport" By Tabitha Parent Tabitha Parent Tabitha Parent is an editorial intern at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2024. Her work has previously appeared in The San Francisco Bay Times and The Daily Northwestern. People Editorial Guidelines and Bailey Richards Bailey Richards Bailey Richards is a writer-reporter at PEOPLE. She has been working at PEOPLE since 2023 and interned with the brand in 2022. Her work has previously appeared in digital publications like Paper Magazine and TV Insider. People Editorial Guidelines Published on April 7, 2024 06:19PM EDT Close South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso hugging head coach Dawn Staley; Kate Martin and Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes. Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty; Steph Chambers/Getty The South Carolina Gamecocks are national champions once again! The team wrapped up their undefeated season with one more win, defeating Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes 87-75 in the women's basketball NCAA tournament championship game on April 7. South Carolina has now secured three national championship games — and lost none! — all under head coach Dawn Staley. Everything to Know About the Taunts Between March Madness Stars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese Kamilla Cardoso during the NCAA women's basketball tournament national championship. Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty With their latest national championship win over Iowa, the Gamecocks also became the first team to have completed a perfect season since UConn in 2016, per NBC News. Freshman Tessa Johnson and senior Kamilla Cardoso led the team to victory, securing 19 and 15 points, respectively. Cardoso also racked up 17 rebounds and was named the tournament’s most outstanding player, per NBC News. The Gamecocks' exciting victory was also a devastating blow to the Hawkeyes and to Clark, ending the 22-year-old guard's college career without a championship title. Leading the Hawkeyes in scoring (and adding to her stats as the highest all-time basketball scorer in NCAA Division I basketball, man or woman), Clark collected a cool 30 points for the Hawkeyes during the championship game. South Carolina celebrating their win in the 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament national championship. Steph Chambers/Getty While accepting the trophy with the Gamecocks, Coach Staley congratulated the Hawkeyes on their “incredible season," and called out Clark specifically. "I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” she said, per NBC News. “She carried a heavy load for our sport. And it’s just — it’s not going to stop here on the collegiate tour, but when she is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well.” “So, Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there: You are one of the GOATs of our game, and we appreciate you," the coach finished. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Caitlin Clark playing during the 2024 NCAA women's basketball tournament national championship. Steph Chambers/Getty Both Cardoso and Clark's basketball careers are far from over, as both players are projected as top-five picks in this year's WNBA draft, according to NBC News. On Feb. 29, Clark officially announced she would enter the 2024 WNBA Draft, which is scheduled for April 15 in New York City. Caitlin Clark Becomes All-Time NCAA Division I Scoring Leader In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Clark wrote that the season would be her last at the University of Iowa, but that she was “excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft."