No. 1 Iowa and No. 1 South Carolina are about to play in the national title game.

This picture was taken in College Park, Maryland, on February 3, 2024. Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes stands for the national anthem before their game against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center.
This picture was taken in College Park, Maryland, on February 3, 2024. Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes stands for the national anthem before their game against the Maryland Terrapins at Xfinity Center.

The national song came first, though.

Before the game on Sunday afternoon, players from both Iowa and South Carolina were on the floor for the national anthem. In the beginning of the game, LSU’s team was in the locker room while the national anthem played, which made news.

Read More: Iowa vs. South Carolina odds: picks for the 2024 women’s national championship game, according to Caitlin Clark.

https://twitter.com/dougherty_jesse/status/1777050252161302556?

Kim Mulkey, the coach at LSU, said that the choice wasn’t made on purpose.

“Honestly I don’t even know when the anthem was played,” Mulkey said. “We have a routine where the team comes off the court at the 12-minute mark and we do our pre-game stuff.”

Read More: Samuel L. Jackson Criticizes Caitlin Clark Media Coverage.

Iowa beat LSU in the Elite Eight earlier in the NCAA Tournament. It was a repeat of the national title game from the previous year.

On Sunday afternoon, the No. 1 Hawkeyes and No. 1 Gamecocks are getting ready to play. ABC will show the game.