After a heart-wrenching loss to Iowa in the 2023 NCAA tournament Final Four, the South Carolina women's basketball team has transformed the sting of defeat into a driving force for their 2024 campaign. The specter of that setback has not haunted the team, instead serving as motivation for those who played through it, propelling them towards a quest for redemption in this year's March Madness.
The Gamecocks' blend of seasoned players and fresh talent has created a dynamic force on the court. Veterans like Kamilla Cardoso, averaging 14.0 points per game (PPG), and Bree Hall, with 9.7 PPG, have stepped up as starters, alongside Ashlyn Watkins, who leads the reserves in minutes played. The sophomore duo of Raven Johnson, contributing 8.1 PPG and 4.9 assists per game, and Chloe Kitts, with 9.2 PPG and six rebounds per game, have risen to starting roles, signaling a rejuvenated lineup eager to erase last year's disappointment in the women's NCAA tournament.
“I think all of us have flashbacks of last year,” Johnson said, per Michael Voepel of ESPN. “We definitely don't want to lose. We want to keep winning.”
A key addition to the Gamecocks this season is Te-Hina Paopao, a transfer from Oregon, who has immediately impacted the team with her sharpshooting, leading the squad with 73 three-pointers. This prowess from beyond the arc has seen the team increase their three-point shots made to 207 this season, up from 163 the previous year.
Dawn Staley proud of South Carolina women's basketball ‘youngsters'
The Gamecocks' rise from a preseason sixth in the AP Top 25 to holding the No. 1 spot by the season's second poll underscores their formidable presence. Freshmen guards Milaysia Fulwiley (11.8 PPG) and Tessa Johnson (5.9 PPG) have surpassed expectations. Head coach Dawn Staley's pride in her young players' adaptation and growth highlights the depth of this season's team.
“I'm super proud of our youngsters. Their experience is a little bit different than when some of our experienced players were youngsters. They have to play for us.” Staley said. “If you asked them if they saw themselves playing how they're playing today like three or four months ago, before the season, I'm sure they would say no. Their heads were spinning about the pace of play, about how we implement offenses and defenses, just the pace of what we need to learn. It took them a while to actually acclimate to that. They put in a lot of work to get to where they are.”
Playing their early NCAA tournament rounds at the Colonial Life Arena, where the Gamecocks have not lost a game since December 2020, adds a layer of advantage.
Reflecting on the season's journey, Staley acknowledges the initial challenges but expressed satisfaction with the team's progress and resilience.
“This whole season has been learning lessons through winning …We won a lot of basketball games, but there were a lot of things that we need to work on. This team has responded time in and time out,” Staley said.
“I felt it took a little longer than we wanted,” she added about the concern she had during the off-season, “but if I knew it was going to turn out like this, I probably wouldn't have been as mad.”
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