Stanford shot themselves in the foot with unforced errors and poor defensive rebounding. And a bum ankle ended Karlie Samuelson’s ability to affect the game on the court.

The result: Dawn Staley and South Carolina finally broke through the Cardinal barrier in a 62-53 win in the Final Four in Dallas.

But this Cardinal squad wasn’t supposed to be in the Final Four. This group of players firmly established themselves as one of head coach Tara VanDerveer’s favorites with a selfless style that she previously characterized as “gritty, but not pretty.”

“I’m so proud of our team, how hard we fought,” VanDerveer said. “We really struggled with the third quarter. For us, Karlie not being 100 percent, that really hurt us a lot. We really got out of sync and never really got it going in the third quarter. That was disappointing for us.”

When Samuelson turned her ankle in the second quarter it did not have an immediate spiraling effect on Stanford's offense. The Cardinal played well enough to extend their lead to nine at the break, 29-20.

But the lid was on the basket for Stanford in the third quarter, as it so often has been this season. Whenever Stanford has been in a funk it has usually required a group effort to get back on course. But Samuelson more than anyone else was the one who would take the tough charge or nail the three that turned momentum back to Stanford’s side.

But she was off the court most of the second half, and even though Samuelson’s pleas to play were occasionally answered she was hampered by the injury.

“It was rough, frustrating,” said senior Erica McCall of the team’s second-half shooting. “But my teammates talked to each other the whole time. I’m really proud of how we kept communicating. I mean, keep shooting. Unfortunately they didn’t go in. We battled back in the fourth quarter. Alanna (Smith) hit big shots. I’m glad we battled, even though shots didn’t go in.”

Both teams finished shooting 37 percent, but South Carolina, led by 6-foot-5 All-American A’Ja Wilson, got 20 offensive rebounds as a team and 19 second chance points. That swung the game to the Gamecocks.

Wilson finished with 19 rebounds. And Allisha Gray poured in 18 points and gathered eight rebounds as the Cardinal swarmed Wilson and kept track of top guard Kaela Davis. Davis only scored six and South Carolina was 3-of-13 from three, but losing the offensive boards undid the effectiveness elsewhere in the game plan.

"I mean, we didn't rebound well enough," VanDerveer said. "We had too many mistakes with the ball in the first half especially, turning the ball over."

One significant reason for Stanford’s first half lead was Marta Sniezek, who likely shocked many in attendance, and probably Staley on the sideline, by scoring eight points.

The sophomore point guard was aggressive and finished the first half with four assists.

“Her pushing the ball gave us a lot of energy,” McCall said of Sniezek. “She really knocked down some key layups for us. Got that big and-one for us. I was really proud of how she performed. I look forward to her doing that all next season.”

But Sniezek only tallied two assists in the second half as the Cardinal couldn’t establish a rhythm. Brittany McPhee struggled to find the open seams in the defense to attack that she routinely exploited all season and against Notre Dame.

Stanford saw its lead slip away with 2:43 left in the third quarter and it was gone for good. Smith tried to drag the Cardinal back with a tough finish in the paint and then a three to cut the deficit to 53-50 at 2:08. But the Cardinal couldn’t get a stop when Wilson grabbed a rebound over Smith, and the Australian sophomore was called for a foul.

A Stanford turnover resulted in a transition bucket by South Carolina, and the game was effectively over.

Smith finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks as her play was a beacon guiding Stanford fans to one of the main reasons to be excited about next season. Smith commended the seniors for showing the importance of staying level-headed, even at the bleakest moments.

But so often the calming effect was on the court with them. That wasn't the case Friday night.

“For us, honestly, we just really struggled without our glue out there, Karlie,” VanDerveer said.

Samueslon was held scoreless in her final game as a Cardinal. It was clearly a gut-wrenching ending to a stellar career for one of the best shooters in program history.

“This is my favorite team that I’ve ever played on,” she said. “I’m just really proud of us, and I know this tournament was hard for us in every single game. I’m just proud of us. The Final Four is an amazing accomplishment. We obviously do wish we got the win, but I’m really proud of this team.”