Women's CBB 2024 wrapped: Dawn Staley, Gamecocks put an asterisk on Caitlin Clark's perfect season, JuJu Watkins vs Paige Bueckers and more

From Dawn Staley and South Carolina winning the national championship against Caitlin Clark's Iowa to JuJu Wakins and Paige Bueckers putting on a show, the women's college basketball in the year 2024 was one for the ages.

The narrative was dominated by Clark's incredible individual season and the emergence of new stars like JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo. With many memorable moments throughout the year, we take a look at the top five storylines that defined the year in women's college hoops.

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#5 Tennessee breaks 3-point record

On Dec. 14, the Tennessee Lady Vols put on a display of long-range shooting that will be remembered for a long time. In a 139-59 blowout win over North Carolina Central, the Lady Vols made a Division I record for the most 3-pointers in a game, with 30 triples.

The previous record of 28 3-pointers by women's teams was held by Western Illinois since 2018. Moreover, Tennessee's 30 3s are even more than not just any women's college team but also more than any NBA or WNBA team in a contest.

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#4 UCLA ends Dawn Staley's Gamecocks winning streak

On Thanksgiving weekend, the then-No. 5 UCLA Bruins handed the then-No. 1 South Carolina Gamecocks their first loss in 44 games, beating them 77-62. The win for the Bruins not only snapped South Carolina's record-breaking 43-game winning streak but also vaulted UCLA to the top of the rankings.

The Gamecocks, led by coach Dawn Staley had been unstoppable over the past two seasons, winning 85 of their previous 86 games. The loss was their first regular-season defeat since December 2021.

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#3 Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame pulls off major upsets

Notre Dame Fighting Irish are flying high this campaign, thanks to the heroics of sophomore guard Hannah Hidalgo. The young phenom has been instrumental in the team's success, leading Notre Dame to two huge wins over top-ranked teams.

First, she helped the No. 3 Irish upset the then-No. 3 USC Trojans 74-61, scoring a game-high 24 points, tying with USC's JuJu Watkins. Less than a month later, on Dec. 8, Hidalgo led Notre Dame to another massive win, this time over Paige Bueckers' UConn Huskies, 79-68.

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#2 JuJu Watkins vs Paige Bueckers

Fans were left in awe, as they got to witness UConn veteran Paige Bueckers taking on the rising star, USC's JuJu Watkins twice in the calendar year.

The first matchup between the two stars came in the NCAA Elite Eight last season, where Bueckers' Huskies prevailed 80-73 to knock out Watkins' Trojans.

The rivalry continued this season, with Watkins and USC getting redemption with a 72-70 win over UConn on Dec. 21. Watkins scored 25 points to Bueckers' 22 points in the showdown at XL Center.

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#1 Caitlin Clark failing to win an NCAA title due to Dawn Staley's SCA

The year 2024 saw the rise of Iowa's Caitlin Clark as one of the most unstoppable players in the women's game. Her season was nothing short of historic, as she averaged 31.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.9 rebounds per game while leading the Hawkeyes to the national championship game.

However, Clark's dream of capturing an NCAA title was crushed by Dawn Staley's South Carolina, who defeated Iowa 87-75 in the final to win its third national championship.