Happy Tuesday, everybody!

The Final Four field is officially set, with Texas, South Carolina, UCLA and UConn all vying for that elusive national championship. In a lot of ways, this is what we’ve been waiting for all season. With JuJu Watkins’ absence looming large over the game, there was general hope that a particularly special individual might be able to break up the total dominance of this year’s top four teams.

But what we realized is that players like Caitlin Clark and JuJu Watkins don’t come around very often and the term ‘generational’ exists for a reason. While there were a lot of great individual performances, from Hannah Hidalgo to Olivia Miles, the proof is in the pudding with this Final Four field. They’re just deeper, better, and more talented than anyone else in the field.

So it’ll come down to the play along the margins, the individual X-Factor players that will be the difference between winning a championship and not. Let’s take a look at who that might be…

Postgame wrap up (powered by readers like you, I might add!) from Texas, courtesy of

Tyler…

From South Carolina, courtesy of Greer…

And a postgame live which includes one of the funniest interactions a No Cap Space staffer has had while on the road!

For those that want last night’s postgame in pod form…

While last night’s win against TCU was the official Agot Makeer national coming out party, she’s been excellent this entire NCAA Tournament. The 6’1 freshman (who strides on the floor like she’s 6’7, mind you) finished with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals and played a pivotal role in the Gamecocks pulling away from the Horned Frogs late. But it wasn’t just a one game explosion from Makeer. Just take a look at her regular season splits vs. her tournament splits.

Regular season: 7.0 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 45.6% FG

NCAA Tournament: 14.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 3.0 APG, 2.8 SPG, 55.6% FG

In essence, she’s double the player that she’s been in the regular season all while playing substantially more minutes. It’s part of South Carolina’s treasure trove of riches that Dawn Staley can just find an elite guard like this off the bench and unleash her in March. But it’s also a testament to Makeer herself. Last night, while TCU was able to throw two elite defenders (Taylor Bigby and Donovyn Hunter) on South Carolina’s two best guards, Makeer got the Olivia Miles mismatch and punished her possession after possession in the third quarter.

I’d expect to see her show up once more against UConn, who will also have a huge task in guarding Raven Johnson, Ta’Niya Latson, Tessa Johnson and now the dynamic freshman Dawn Staley has dubbed ‘Gotti’.

While the sophomore guard had a very off shooting night (2/17 from the field) against Michigan, Lee is easily one of the best defensive guards in the SEC and a handful for whomever is trying to beat her off the dribble. While Texas has mostly obliterated everyone in their path, Lee has been a key reason as to why. In the first, second and third rounds of the Tournament, Lee scored 19, 17 and 18 points in each matchup while limiting turnovers and typically clamping her assignment, usually either the best or second best offensive backcourt option.

With Rori Harmon next to her, UCLA’s guards are going to have their hands full. Lee has really been the X-Factor for Texas since she arrived, proving to be an indispensable scoring option as well as a lockdown defender. While Madison Booker and Harmon will be expected to be the two to lead the Longhorns to a title, they likely won’t be able to get past either UCLA or the team after that without Lee playing at her absolute best.

Blancamania is coming to women’s college basketball. Much like Agot Makeer at South Carolina, Blanca Quinonez has exploded onto the scene this Tournament. From averaging 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in the regular season to 17.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, it’s clear that the Ecuadorian freshman (who played some professional ball overseas before arriving in Storrs) is ready for the moment.

She’s shown up in every tournament game this year and has been extremely efficient, averaging 62.8% shooting from the field and a scorching 47.4% from three point range. But South Carolina is going to be the stiffest test the Huskies have faced so far. They’ll need another high level performance out of Blanca in order to return to a national title game.

Angela Dugalic has been something of an enigma for UCLA women’s basketball for a long time. The effort is there, the occasional solid performance is there but there is still a question of just how good she is and can be.

While she is prone to quieter matchups depending on game flow, the 6’4 senior has been instrumental in both the Bruins Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight wins. Her performance against Duke in particular, where she finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, was the difference maker in allowing UCLA to pull away and punch their ticket to a second straight Final Four. Dugalic has struggled throughout her career with her three point shot and isn’t the most efficient in that area, but she reads the floor well and makes a lot of the effort plays the Bruins need.

With so much effort likely going to Lauren Betts in this next matchup against Texas, I anticipate Cori Close is going to find more ways to get her involved and exploit a size mismatch that favors her senior forward off the bench.

TikTok Dances…

Feels like ‘86 in Ft. Worth!

And, to quote Vic, praise the lord and hook ‘em horns!