3 keys for Stanford vs South Carolina in 2021 Women’s Final Four
By Ian Mumm
Using and Defending the Perimeter
As was teased in the previous page, Stanford does not get to the free throw frequently. That’s because the Cardinal are largely dependent on shooting from the perimeter and spreading the ball around the floor. During the regular season, Stanford ranked 7th nationally in 3-point attempts and also converted at a high rate from this area (38.3% – 7th). Comparatively, South Carolina does not attempt shots from the perimeter that often.
Through the NCAA Tournament, the Gamecocks have only taken 50 shot attempts from the perimeter and have not been known to be a strong team converting these looks either. Both teams rank in the top-50 nationally in defensive 3-point field goal percentage indicating that perimeter conversions could come at a premium.
Even though Stanford will be facing a tough defense in their favorite area to score the ball, they are highly unlikely to change their approach given the sheer number of attempts they take from 3-point land.
On the other hand, South Carolina may be susceptible to a strategy change as a result of the Cardinal defensive strengths. Stanford is aware of how big of a priority it is for the Gamecocks to attack the paint and get to the free throw line. Consequently, they are likely to adjust by collapsing their defenders towards the paint and daring South Carolina to beat them from deep.