CLEVELAND -- South Carolina was in this very spot one year ago -- undefeated, ranked No. 1, the favorite to run the table and win a national championship.
But a loss to Iowa in the semifinals knocked the Gamecocks out, and the sting of that loss has stayed with the players who experienced it. South Carolina may be a different team, but its veterans delivered a simple message during interviews Thursday before the Final Four matchup against NC State.
They want to finish this time.
"Experiencing what did happen last year, we do not want to feel that feeling again," sophomore guard Raven Johnson said. "We're taking a different look on this year. We know what it takes. We know what to do. You can't take a team for granted here. It's the Final Four, they got here for a reason.
"They're not looking at us being the No. 1 team. They're not looking at us having this undefeated season. We've got to look at it as we're coming in as the underdogs also. We've got to take a different approach. They're in our way, so we've got to get them out of our way."
If last year's team was filled with veteran leaders who helped carry forward the standard coach Dawn Staley has set for South Carolina, this year's team is much younger -- and has presented challenges Staley was unprepared to handle the first day they got together.
Staley said the majority of the team was out of shape when they arrived and doing things uncharacteristic of her other teams -- including skipping breakfast, not returning text messages and missing meetings.
"I really am drawn to challenges," Staley said. "I wasn't ready. I wasn't ready for lateness. I wasn't ready for no communication. I wasn't ready for all the things that come with having a younger team. I wasn't used to not having a leader just really take hold of situations and handle them.
"So the transition was hard, but then once I started to look at it as a challenge, I wasn't going to let them get the best of me, our staff or our program or what we've built. That's when it started clicking in, like, hmm, this must happen. We've got to get a hold of this very, very quickly or else it's not going to work out for a part of us -- them or our coaching staff. We're a very strong coaching staff that will not allow anyone to destroy what we built."
Staley said she learned how to pivot and changed her approach in different ways because, "there's a number of ways to be successful. It's a new normal, but the standard is still the standard, which I really, really appreciate," she said.
Bree Hall, a junior guard, experienced last year with Johnson and several other returning starters. She said before the season she had no idea what to expect from such a young team, so to see another 36-0 run to the Final Four has been fun to experience, but in a different way. "Just to see that we're back at the Final Four, it's pretty amazing," Hall said.
Sophomore forward Chloe Kitts, a reserve on last year's team, pointed out that the Gamecocks have not lost since the Final Four a year ago. There have been some close calls this year, though, that have reminded everyone what is at stake.
"I don't want to lose," Kitts said. "We haven't lost since then. We came close to losing to Tennessee, and we knew what that felt like, it was a horrible feeling, and we never want to feel that way again. We just have to treat every game like it's your last, and try not to look ahead."
There is one thing they can see in the distance, though.
"You can see the finish line," Staley said. "It's not disrespecting the process or not disrespecting our opponent, but once you get here, they can see it. NC State can see it. UConn can see it. Iowa can see the end of the finish line. There's one in the possible games left for all of us, and I want to win.
"I want to win."