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Iowa is back in the NCAA championship game for the second year in a row, and its opponent is a familiar one.The No. 1 seed Hawkeyes will take on No. 1 seed South Carolina, the same team Iowa beat in last year's Final Four to clinch a trip to the championship game.LIVE BLOG: Follow Hawkeyes updates all day on championship Sunday gameWATCH ABOVE: Kate Martin says 'let's go win it all'Here's what to know about the Gamecocks ahead of Sunday's season finale.South Carolina women's basketball: Record, coach, NCAA Tournament historyRecord: 37-0Conference: SEC (16-0; first place)Coach: Dawn Staley (439-106 in 16 years at South Carolina)NCAA Tournament history: South Carolina hasn't always been a women's basketball powerhouse, but head coach Dawn Staley has turned the program into one.South Carolina has won two national championships under Staley and has become a fixture in the Final Four lately, making it to the final weekend in each of the last four seasons.The potentially bad news for Iowa: South Carolina is unbeaten this season and has only lost one game in over two calendar years ― since March 6, 2022, to be exact ― making South Carolina 79-1 in its last 80 games.The good news for the Hawkeyes? They're responsible for that one loss, a historic 77-73 upset in last year's Final Four.South Carolina players to watch: Kamilla Cardoso, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Te-Hina PaopaoSouth Carolina's roster is probably the deepest in all of college basketball. The Gamecocks will go deep into their bench, with no player averaging more than 15 points per game but nine different players averaging 6 or more. South Carolina's most dangerous players include one player who shined in last year's Final Four game and two players who are new to the team.Iowa fans will likely recognize Kamilla Cardoso. Cardoso, who is listed at 6 feet, 7 inches, is South Carolina's leading scorer (14.3 points per game), rebounder (9.5 rebounds per game) and shot-blocker (2.5 blocks per game). She came off the bench last season to record 14 points, 14 rebounds and 3 blocks in the Final Four loss vs. Iowa.Underscoring South Carolina's depth, freshman guard MiLaysia Fulwiley is one of the country's most talented players but still comes off the bench for the Gamecocks. She averages 11.8 points per game in just 18.5 minutes and is known for being lightning-quick with a penchant for acrobatic layups in traffic.Fulwiley also uses her quickness well on the defensive end; she swiped four steals against North Carolina State in South Carolina's Final Four win despite playing just 17 minutes. IOWA VS. SOUTH CAROLINA: TV info, tickets, watch parties and more: How to follow Sunday's gameWhen Iowa stunned South Carolina last season, one of the keys was a poor shooting night (4-for-20 from 3-point range) from South Carolina. Dawn Staley addressed that issue in the transfer portal by bringing in former Oregon sniper Te-Hina Paopao. Paopao averages 10.9 points per game due in large part to a 46.2% mark from beyond the 3-point line, which ranks No. 3 in the country among qualified players. Cardoso shrugged off an apparent injury in the first half of South Carolina's Final Four win over North Carolina State and finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Paopao chipped in with 10 points and 6 assists.Matchup to watch: South Carolina's defense, rebounding vs. Caitlin Clark and Iowa's fast-paced offenseIt's no secret that Iowa wants to play fast. The Hawkeyes lead the country in scoring and played among the fastest paces of any team in the nation.South Carolina can score, too ― it ranks No. 3 in the nation in points per game at 85.4 ― but its defense is what separates it from the rest of the country.The average NCAA Division I women's basketball team shoots approximately 40.2% from the floor. South Carolina allows just 32.2% field goal shooting from its opponents, the lowest number in the country by a significant margin. Nobody else keeps opponents below 34%. South Carolina has the best defensive rating in the country (75.7) and has held more teams below 40 points (7) than games in which it has allowed more than 70 points (6).It's probably best to avoid relying on winning the rebounding edge, too. The Gamecocks have the fourth-best rebounding percentage in the country and have grabbed 15 or more offensive boards 13 times this season. The recipe for Iowa to win probably lies with its 3-point shooting. South Carolina is one of the best in the nation at defending threes, but in some of its closer games ― for example, a 79-75 Sweet 16 win over Indiana ― the Gamecocks have allowed threes at a higher rate. Indiana drilled 13 threes in that game to crawl back from a double-digit deficit but ultimately couldn't get over the hump.Iowa in the NCAA TournamentRound 1: Hawkeyes run away from Holy CrossMarch Madness: Highlights and photos from Iowa's win over Holy CrossRound of 32: Hawkeyes survive to top West Virginia, 64-54March Madness: Highlights and photos from Iowa-West VirginiaSweet 16: Hawkeyes have no problem with Colorado, set up rematch vs. LSUMarch Madness: Highlights and photos from Iowa-Colorado in the Sweet 16Elite Eight: Clark leads Iowa back to Final Four, scoring 41 points in win over LSUMarch Madness: Highlights and photos from Iowa-LSU in the Elite EightFinal Four: Iowa survives Final Four thriller vs. UConn to advance to national title gameMarch Madness: Highlights and photos from Iowa-UConn in the Final Four