Aliyah Boston Getty South Carolina Gamecocks Women's Basketball
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Only four teams remain in the 2023 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. Each of them have their strengths and weaknesses, along with some interesting storylines. 

No. 1 seed Virginia Tech and No. 3 seed LSU -- two programs in the midst of historic seasons -- will tip off the Final Four action in the first game Friday. It's only Kim Mulkey's second year at the helm at LSU, but she has plenty of experience on her resume through Baylor. Meanwhile, Kenny Brooks had never been to a Final Four before.

Some of the most recognizable names in women's college basketball will be meeting on the second game of the night as Iowa and South Carolina fight for a spot in the title game. South Carolina's Dawn Staley and Aliyah Boston earned Naismith Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the year, respectively, for the second year in a row -- the first time two Naismith Awards have gone to the same school two years straight. Iowa's Caitlin Clark, who has become on of the faces of the sport, won Player of the Year this week.

2023 Women's Final Four

Date: Friday, March 31 | Time: 7 p.m., 9 p.m.
Location: Dallas, Texas --  American Airlines Center
TV: ESPN | Stream: fuboTV (try for free)

No. 1 seed South Carolina vs. No. 2 seed Iowa

The Hawkeyes have the top scoring offense in the nation, averaging 87.6 points, and are led by Clark and her 27.3 points per game. Her impact on offense goes deeper than the points she scores, though, as she is also leading the nation with 8.6 assists per contest. Clark registered the first ever 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament (men's or women's) history during her team's Elite Eight win over Louisville.

For the Hawkeyes to make it to the program's first ever title game, Clark will have to put up yet another monster game. She does have some help with Monika Czinano's 17.2 points, and they are a very solid post-guard combo. Meanwhile, McKenna Warnock also contributes with 11.1 points per game.

The Hawkeyes' problem isn't scoring, though. It's that they don't know how to stop opponents from scoring.

Iowa allows 70.9 points per game -- 307th in the nation. Meanwhile, South Carolina has a suffocating defense that holds opponents to just 51.1 points per game -- third best in the nation. Boston led last year's team in scoring, rebounds, blocks and steals, but now the senior forward -- who is currently averaging 13.2 points and 9.8 rebounds -- has more help on both sides of the ball, making South Carolina even more dangerous than when they won their 2022 NCAA Tournament trophy. 

The Gamecocks went from being an inconsistent offensive team last year to currently being the 7th best in the country, averaging 80.5 points per contest. They are particularly dangerous in the paint, averaging 43.8 points from there this season -- which is 54.4% of their offense. Zia Cooke has been the primary scorer with 15.1 points per game. Kamilla Cardoso contributes with 9.7 points and 8.4 boards per contest. Even Brea Beal, one of the team's top defenders, showed she can't be overlooked in the offense as she picks up a season-high 16 points in the Elite Eight game against Maryland. Pick: South Carolina

No. 1 seed Virginia Tech vs. No. 3 seed LSU

Last time Kenny Brooks faced Kim Mulkey in the Big Dance was when the latter was still the head coach at Baylor. Their 2021 encounter in the second round was lopsided, as Mulkey's Bears easily eliminated the Hokies, 90-48. Brooks is looking for a different result in what will be his first ever Final Four.

Mulkey may be with a different program, but her experience, which includes winning three national titles, has already benefited LSU. The team is in its first Final Four since 2008. The key part of their success has been sophomore forward Angel Reese, who averages 23.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per game. Her 32 double-doubles this season is an SEC record. 

LSU has a top five scoring offense nationally, averaging 81.8 points per game. However, one would not know that if their only experience watching the Tigers was during the Elite Eight matchup against Miami. The Tigers pulled off a 54-42 win against the Hurricanes but did so by shooting an ugly 30.16% from the field and going 1-of-12 from beyond the arc. The Tigers need to shake that one off and be really focused, because their opponents have been on a mission to prove they have been overlooked.

The Hokies won the ACC Tournament for the first time in school history en route to earning a No. 1 seed -- the highest seeding ever for the program. Georgia Amoore has been outstanding, leading the Hokies with 24 points per game in the Big Dance. The junior guard has also registered 20 3-pointers, just two shy of breaking the NCAA Tournament record. She and ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kilter -- the program's all time leading scorer -- have helped the team dominate their opponents so far.

The Hokies are riding a 15-game winning streak, the longest this season behind South Carolina. And more impressive is the fact that they have only trailed for a total of 9:27 during the entire tournament, which is the least amount of time for any of the teams competing this weekend. Will that continue on Friday night? Pick: LSU