5 reasons South Carolina women's basketball team will fall short of a national championship title

The South Carolina Gamecocks are a women's basketball juggernaut. The No. 1 Gamecocks aren't just the best team in the nation. They're unbeaten in a sport where the No. 2 team has five losses. But finishing off the perfect season won't be easy.

The last women's team to complete a perfect season with a national title was UConn eight years ago. It's certainly a shorter wait than the 48 years since the last men's team to complete a perfect season (Indiana, 1976). But here are five reasons the Gamecocks won't pull off the perfect season.

5 reasons South Carolina women's basketball will fall short of a national championship

Dawn Staley and South Carolina had an emotional SEC Tournament that might leave them drained for the NCAA Tournament.

#1. The pressure is real

For a team with only one game all year and a margin closer than six points, the inevitable NCAA Tournament battle could be too much. The men's teams that encountered this phenomenon were 1991 UNLV and 2015 Kentucky. Neither lost a game until the national semifinals and in a close game, Duke and Wisconsin were able to pull off upsets.

It's worth noting that the only close game of the year was saved by a buzzer-beating win over Tennessee saved by a 3-pointer from Kamilla Cardoso. Before that shot, Cardoso was 0-for-1 in her college career from 3-point range. Talk about tempting fate, and South Carolina has already done it.

#2. Neutral sites

Once the women's tournament gets through its first two rounds, the games head to neutral sites. Good luck, South Carolina. Because in a Sweet 16 bracket, it's certain that fans of the other three teams will unite against South Carolina.

In general, fans love NCAA upsets. They love them even more when it could open up a nearly impossible bracket for their team. So until the NCAA title game, it won't be just South Carolina vs. the opponent; it'll be South Carolina vs. everybody. And the fan support will matter.

#3. South Carolina is coming off a draining SEC Tournament

Unlike most undefeated teams that waltz into the NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks are off a bitter SEC Tournament. The near-upset loss to Tennessee was massive, but following that up with an emotional battle that included an actual on-court scrum with LSU could matter.

There's only so much emotional fuel in the tank for a basketball team. South Carolina had to use plenty of theirs at the SEC Tournament.

#4. South Carolina is not a great free-throw shooting team

In a close game, foul shooting could hurt South Carolina. The Gamecocks shot 68.6% from the line, 273rd in the NCAA. Among players who could be impacted are Cardoso (67.2%), Ashlyn Watkins (55.6%), Chloe Kitts (66.2%) and Raven Johnson (64.3%).

In a close game, the Gamecocks are not particularly well-equipped to hold up at the foul line.

#5. South Carolina can blow hot and cold from 3-point range

Similarly, South Carolina isn't the best perimeter shooting team in the world. In seven games this year, the Gamecocks shot under 30% from 3-point territory. That includes both Tennessee games, and with UT losing those two by a combined nine points, they're probably the best case study in handling the Gamecocks.

If a team can catch South Carolina on a poor shooting night and not get blown off the backboard, it could be interesting.