South Carolina's women's basketball team announced the indefinite suspension of freshman forward Sahnya Jah on Thursday for conduct detrimental to the team. The decision, disclosed shortly before the No. 1 Gamecocks secured a sound 83-45 win over Missouri, has left many speculating about the specifics of Jah's situation after coach Dawn Staley declined to go into specifics.
Known for her principled approach to team management, Staley remained cryptic about the details of Jah's suspension after the game against Missouri.
“It'll be day by day,” Staley said, as reported by Evan Gerike of Asheville Citizen Times. “She'll work toward getting a little bit closer to coming back, but it will be day-to-day.”
Jah, a promising 6-foot talent from Alexandria, Virginia, who played her senior high school season at Montverde Academy and contributed to the team's 2023 GEICO High School National Championship victory, has participated in 16 of South Carolina's 21 games this season. Despite averaging just over nine minutes, 3.1 points, and two rebounds per game, her potential role was anticipated to expand in the absence of senior center Kamilla Cardoso, who is currently away with Team Brazil for an Olympic qualifying event.
The suspension narrows the Gamecocks' depth in the post, relying on the available lineup of sophomore forward Ashlyn Watkins, junior forward Sania Feagin, sophomore forward Chloe Kitts and senior center Sakima Walker.
South Carolina stays on top with dominate win against Missouri
The Gamecocks win against Missouri marked the team's first game without Cardoso. Watkins was introduced the starting lineup, which also featured Kitts, Te-Hina Paopao, Bree Hall and Raven Johnson. By halftime, all nine available Gamecocks had scored. Standout performances included MiLaysia Fulwiley leading the scoring with 19 points, followed by Kitts, Feagin and Hall who also scored in double digits.
Kitts, returning from illness, showcased her defense with a career-high five blocks, alongside her 12 points and eight rebounds, and was vital in South Carolina's defensive strategy that saw the team block 11 shots and secure 47 rebounds.
“Recently I’ve been trying to focus on more defense in practice and in games,” Kitts said, per Pay Titus of The State. “The ball kind of just came in my hand. We had great team movement on defense, so my teammates gave me an opportunity to be able to block the other team’s shots.”
Fulwiley's impact off the bench was particularly noteworthy, as she quickly amassed nine points early in the game, and demonstrated an aggressive defense that resulted in a team-high six steals.
“I come up off the bench, so I watch pretty much a lot of the game before I actually get into the game,” Fulwiley said of how she scouts opportunities to steal the ball. “So I feel like I know the ones (players) who dribble the ball and who was just trying to get out there and pass the ball, run the play. I just take a chance, and it works sometimes.”
As the Gamecocks look ahead to their next game against UConn on Sunday, the absence of Jah and Cardoso will be a test of the team's depth.
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