"We're gonna fall" - South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso can't contain excitement as Dawn Staley's crew bags national championship title against Iowa

Kamilla Cardoso couldn't contain her excitement after leading the top-seeded South Carolina (38-0) to an 87-75 win over Caitlin Clark's Iowa (34-5) in the national championship game.

Soon after the final whistle, Cardoso went live on Instagram to celebrate the victory with her teammates. She recorded the precious moments on the court while the announcers declared the Gamecocks winners of this year's NCAA Tournament.

After Cardoso was named NCAA's Most Outstanding Player, her teammates cheered for her and she said:

"We're gonna fall."

South Carolina coach Dawn Staley spoke after her team clinched the national championship with a remarkable unbeaten run throughout the season.

"They weren't going to be denied. It doesn't always end like you want it to end. I'm just super proud of where I work. It's unbelievable," Staley said (h/t ESPN).

"You have to let young people be who they are. But you also have to guide and navigate them. They made history. They etched their names in the history books."

This was Staley's third national championship win since she took charge of South Carolina in 2008.

A look at Kamilla Cardoso's stats vs. Iowa

South Carolina Gamecocks star Kamilla Cardoso

Kamilla Cardoso had a strong outing against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the national championship game. She finished with 15 points, 17 rebounds, two assists and three blocks across 31 minutes of action on the court.

Cardoso has won two national championship titles since joining South Carolina in 2021. She declared for the WNBA draft last week.

A look at South Carolina's run to the national championship title

Dawn Staley's South Carolina looked unstoppable after winning the Southeastern Conference title 79-72 over LSU.

The Gamecocks beat Presbyterian and UNC in the opening two rounds of the NCAA Tournament before taking down Indiana in the Sweet 16, Oregon State in the Elite Eight and NC State in the Final Four.

In the title game against Iowa, South Carolina was trailing 27-20 at the end of the first quarter but went halftime with a 49-46 lead. The Gamecocks eventually grabbed an 87-75 win at the final whistle.