Naismith, Staley Watch Lists Include Four Gamecocks
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball boasts four entries across a pair of national award watch lists released this week. Seniors Kamilla Cardoso and Te-Hina Paopao are among the 30 players named to the 2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year Midseason Team today. Guards MiLaysia Fulwiley, Raven Johnson and Paopao are part of the 13 players on the 2024 The Dawn Staley Later Season Watch List.
Cardoso is a dominant force on both ends of the floor, ranking 16th in the nation in field goal percentage (.595) and seventh in blocks per game (2.9). She has 10 double-doubles on the season and averages 13.8 points and 9.8 rebounds. The team’s top scorer and rebounder on the season, she has led the team in points seven times and rebounds 13 through her 21 games.
Paopao has been both a scorer and distributor for the Gamecocks as the nation’s top 3-point percentage shooter (.500) and ranking 10th in the SEC with 3.8 assists per game. Her 12.0 points per game includes at team-high 15.0 per game against ranked opponents. She has scored in double-figures 17 times this season, including her first 20-point outing as a Gamecock with her 21 against #11/9 UConn on Sunday.
Johnson is in her first season as the Gamecocks’ full-time starting point guard, and she is third in the SEC with 5.2 assists per game and second in the nation with a 3.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Her 9.2 points per game are more than double her previous season average and have come on career-best shooting percentages of .488 overall and .372 from 3-point range. Her 17 assists against Clemson (Nov. 16) are the most by an NCAA Div. I player this season.
Fulwiley has been a showstopper from her first collegiate game to now as her complete game has come into form on both ends of the court. Her 11.8 points per game are third on the team as are her 2.2 assists per game. She has been the team’s top scorer a team-high eight times this season and scored in double figures 16 times in her 23 games. Her 12.0 points per SEC game this season are second-best on the team.
No. 1/1 South Carolina is back in action on Thu., Feb. 15, at Tennessee in a 7 p.m. tipoff on ESPN. The Gamecocks are back at home in Colonial Life Arena on Sun., Feb. 18, hosting Georgia on ABC. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. with ESPN’s College Game Day on-site to preview the game 12-1 p.m.
Continue to check GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for the most up-to-date information on South Carolina women’s basketball.
2024 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Midseason Team
Georgia Amoore, Virginia Tech
Raegan Beers, Oregon State
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Madison Booker, Texas
Cameron Brink, Stanford
Paige Bueckers, UConn
Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
Yvonne Ejim, Gonzaga
Dyaisha Fair, Syracuse
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Mackenzie Holmes, Indiana
Abbey Hsu, Columbia
Kiki Iriafen, Stanford
Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech
Ta’Niya Latson, Florida State
Ayoka Lee, Kansas State
Cotie McMahon, Ohio State
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Charisma Osborne, UCLA
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Alissa Pili, Utah
Angel Reese, LSU
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Saniya Rivers, NC State
Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
Jaylyn Sherrod, Colorado
JuJu Watkins, Southern Cal
2024 The Dawn Staley Award Later Season Watch List
Caitlin Clark, Iowa
Raven Johnson, South Carolina
Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame
Dyaisha Fair, Syracuse
Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Gerogia Amoore, Virginia Tech
JuJu Watkins, Southern Cal
MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Paige Bueckers, UConn
McKenna Hofschild, Colorado State
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Chellia Watson, Buffalo
