New York • It's been five years since a team other than UConn started the season as defending champions. Coach Dawn Staley and her South Carolina Gamecocks have that honor this year.
After a thrilling Final Four that ended with the Gamecocks winning their first national championship, women's college basketball is ready to get started Friday.
South Carolina is among the teams looking to travel to Columbus, Ohio, for the Final Four next April. UConn, Stanford, Ohio State and Louisville will make the trip there this weekend to play a tipoff tournament at the site of the upcoming NCAA championship.