The championship had barely been decided when people wanted to know:
More?
South Carolina, led by coach Dawn Staley, won its second NCAA women's basketball championship on the Target Center floor Sunday night, leading start to finish in a way that mirrored the Gamecocks' season. No. 1 from the preseason poll to the celebration of cutting down nets, it was a season for the ages and people were already talking about more. Another. Next year.
Which is why one of the first questions asked of the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, Aliyah Boston, was about what she expects next year.
"Same as this year,'' she said.
And when asked whether South Carolina might be forging a dynasty? Boston did say the team had cemented itself in basketball history.
"Over the past couple years you've been able to see this program and how it continues to grow,'' she said. "And I think it's just [a school] kids are going to want to come to because of the atmosphere we have here. Our fans are the best, and coach Staley is one of the best coaches and she has a great staff.''
With its second title in six seasons — and who knows what might have happened in 2020 had the 32-1 Gamecocks, as well as everyone else, not had their tournament canceled because of COVID-19 — South Carolina has pushed itself to the top of the NCAA pile. In dominant fashion.
Can it stay there? Did the 2022 Final Four offer a glimpse into that future?
"I don't think winning two national championships or going to the Final Four back to back is considered a dynasty in my day and age,'' Staley said. "Aliyah and social media, yeah, they think they're doing something really good. But just look at the tradition of UConn and what they were able to do. They're the standard. If it takes winning 11 national championships to be a dynasty, I'm probably going to fall short of that. Because I'm not going to be in the game long enough for us to win 11.''
But she'll likely be here for a while. And, given the nature of the season and South Carolina's 14-0 record against ranked opponents, Staley was willing to call this team one of the most dominant in the game's history.
"I would,'' she said. "With the schedule that we played, with how we lost two basketball games, with how we played. We didn't have like dominant performances in all of our games. But part of being dominant is being able to win when you're not playing to the best of your ability. So yes, for this year. And I won't take it into next year. But for this year, from the beginning to the end, and how it ended, yes.''
This might not be the last time Connecticut and South Carolina meet on this stage. Both teams have key players returning. UConn coach Geno Auriemma, who lost in the title game Sunday for the first time in 12 tries, said before the game how impressed he was with the foundation Staley had built. After the game, Auriemma talked about the obstacles his team overcame to get to a 14th consecutive Final Four and play in the title game. And he said he expects a return next year.
Hopkins' Paige Bueckers will be back as a junior, with the Huskies chasing their first NCAA title since 2016.
"It's hard to say each year what could happen,'' Auriemma said. "This year was a perfect example of — you plan for some things, and then all of a sudden your plans get blown up. I like our chances. Provided we don't have to navigate a season like we this year, knock on wood, if we stay healthy, I expect to be back here next year.''
