The Players Era championship game had everything you’d want from a showdown between two SEC powerhouses. After falling to the Gamecocks in last season’s Final Four, the Longhorns finally got their revenge, handing Dawn Staley’s team its first loss since the national championship.

But what truly sets South Carolina apart is how quickly they regroup after a setback. A huge part of that response has been freshman Ayla McDowell. According to Coach Staley, McDowell was nervous heading into the Texas game, but that experience became a turning point. It taught her what big-game pressure feels like, and since then, she has only blossomed.

“I’m going to be completely honest. It was the Texas game. She was a little nervous — actually, she was a lot nervous. And I do think that because we threw her

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