South Carolina and UConn face off for the national championship on Sunday. Find out how to watch and what to watch for.

1. Rebound

This is on the list for every game, but especially this rematch against UConn. Among the many ways South Carolina failed to show up in the first game, the Gamecocks got outrebounded 48-29 by a UConn team that doesn’t rebound especially well.

“The first time we played, they outrebounded us by what, 20?” Raven Johnson said. “That just gave them extra possessions. They’re a great shooting team so we’ve definitely got to cut down on their extra possessions because when they get good looks, they don’t miss.”

Johnson had six rebounds against Texas in the semifinals, and getting the guards to crash the glass will be important again on Sunday.

“We need to go out there and box out and rebound,” Kitts said. “They outrebounded us. Especially the guards. Guard rebounding is super important this game.”

2. “A” Game

Aside from rebounding, this is the big question, the one nobody can answer until the game tips off. Will South Carolina bring its “A” game, or will the struggling South Carolina that showed up in Birmingham or the first game against UConn make an appearance?

That blowout sparked a late season surge by the Gamecocks. For a while, until Birmingham, it seemed they had vanquished their demons.

“We already beat ourselves up,” Bree Hall said. “We’re very competitive. To go out there, lose the way we did, (Staley) knew we were talking to ourselves, talking to each other about what we needed to do differently. If I remember correctly, I know she said this wasn’t our standard and that we had to do better.”

“They’re competitors. If they were any other way, they probably wouldn’t be on our team,” Dawn Staley said.

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3. Balance

South Carolina’s balance was on display against Texas. Chloe Kitts, the SEC Tournament and Birmingham Regional 2 MVP, had just six points, but it didn’t matter because Joyce Edwards had a big game and Maryam Dauda played well off the bench.

It’s easy for players to say they ride the hot hand, but it’s a lot harder to do it, especially when it means your minutes are going to another player. On Saturday, Kitts talked about why the Gamecocks are so good at it.

“It’s hard for a lot of college people to understand that it’s okay for someone else to have a great night. We all are still proud of each other and we love each other. We want someone to have a great night. We needed Joyce to have a great night and we were trying to uplift her and encourage her,” Kitts said. “At this point, who cares what we do personally? We’re trying to win.”

South Carolina’s balance and depth also showed in another way. A big part of Final Four games is how players manage their energy levels. Texas came out on fire, but by the first media timeout, players were already breathing heavily and grabbing their shorts. They had expended too much energy too quickly.

Because South Carolina rotates eight or nine players, that isn’t a concern for the Gamecocks.

“I go into the game, and I think a lot of us go into the game, and completely exert ourselves,” Hall said. “We have a bench that can play. Go out there, play as hard as you need to play and then you can rest knowing that your team’s going to take care of business. When they sub in, it’s a very comforting feeling. Not a lot of people can have that type of comfort with the bench coming in and knowing that they’re going to handle business.”

4. It’s not a revenge game

Seven weeks ago, UConn demolished South Carolina 87-58 in Columbia. It was one of the worst losses of Staley’s Gamecock tenure – not the season – all the seasons.

It would make sense if the Gamecocks were out for revenge Sunday, but that’s not how they are approaching it.

“We’ve learned a lot,” Hall said. “We’ve definitely gelled together in different things. Our defense has definitely improved since that game. To be truly honest, we didn’t really care which team we played because they both beat us. So it’s, like, we’ve got to get our give back on this. It wasn’t really like, oh, we want UConn type of thing. It was either way it goes, we want to definitely come away with a win.”

The motivation to win a championship supercedes any revenge factor.

“I think the fuel is to win another national championship. That’s where the fuel comes in,” Staley said. “They’re playing great basketball. It’s beautiful to watch. It’s cringeworthy to be their opponent, you know? So there are things that we need to do to play a lot better than we played a month and a half ago.”

5. Scouting the Huskies

UConn is unquestionably peaking at the right time. The Huskies beat UCLA 85-51 on Friday, the largest margin of victory in Final Four history.

UConn shot 55% from the floor and 7-16 from three, while hitting 12-17 from the line. Sarah Strong had 22 points and eight rebounds on 4-6 shooting from three. Azzi Fudd had 19 points and hit 3-5. 

Paige Bueckers, relatively speaking, had a quiet game with 16 points and five rebounds. She didn’t have to do much because the score was so lopsided.

“Her passing ability is A-1. And she’s really a selfless player,” Staley said. “So I think her being a little more selfish has helped her game and helped her understand that passing to somebody that shoots less of a percentage than you probably not a good decision. So she’s just being more aggressive shooting the ball.”

The Huskies’ defense might have been even better, limiting the Bruins to 38.5% shooting and forcing 19 turnovers.

There is a lot at stake, even by championship game standards. South Carolina is seeking its fourth national championship, which would give them sole possession of the third most in history. It would be the first back-to-back championships in program history. It would be Staley’s fourth, which would tie her for the third-most by a coach.

UConn is seeking its 12th title, but first in almost a decade. 

The WsWho: #1 South Carolina vs #2 UConnWhen: 3:00 ET, Sunday, April 6Where: Amelie Arena, Tampa, FLWatch: ABC

Sendoff: 12:45 – Westin Tampa Waterside (725 S Harbour Island Blvd.)