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Women's Hoops Set for Exhibition at Memphis
Women's Basketball  . 

Women's Hoops Set for Exhibition at Memphis

South Carolina women’s basketball unofficially opens its 2024-25 season against Memphis Tuesday night as part of the the inaugural Hoops for St. Jude® Tip Off Classic at FedExForum.

 

The Memphis Series
The Gamecocks hold a 17-5 edge over the Tigers in the all-time series, including winning the last 10 meetings, but the teams have met just once since the turn of the century.

Memphis traveled to Columbia in the 2022-23 season with the then-No. 1/1 Gamecocks claiming a79-54 victory (Dec. 3). Four current Gamecocks played in that game, led by Sania Feagin’s 11 points and four rebounds.

 

Gamecock Notables

  • This marks the second straight season South Carolina has participated in an exhibition game for a cause against another NCAA Div. I opponent. Last season, the Gamecocks hosted Rutgers for a game to celebrate the life of Nikki McCray-Penson, who was a member of both coaching staffs during her career and passed away in Summer 2023. The two teams competed to honor her and to raise money and awareness for the fight against breast cancer.
  • Tonight’s game marks the unofficial start of South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley’s 17th season in Columbia and her 25th season as a head coach. The Naismith Hall of Fame player is building a hall of fame coaching resume as well, guiding the Gamecocks to six NCAA Final Fours and three National Championships in the last nine tournaments. Her .767 winning percentage is the 11th-best in NCAA women’s basketball history.
  • Over the past five seasons, the Gamecocks are 167-9 (.949), including last season’s undefeated National Championship run that made South Carolina just the fifth program in NCAA history to achieve that.
  • South Carolina’s undefeated season was built on its unpredictability. With so many ways to win games, the Gamecocks kept opponents off balance. Seven players averaged at least 8.0 points; four averaged at least 5.0 rebounds, four averaged at least 2.0 assists per game, and all but every player on the roster at the end of the season shot at least 43.0 percent from the field.
  • Nine letterwinners from last season’s undefeated National Championship team return this season, including All-American Te-Hina Paopao and her fellow All-SEC selections Raven Johnson and Ashlyn Watkins.
  • The Gamecocks return 83.9 percent of their scoring from last season, 78.0 percent of their rebounding, 89.0 percent of their assists, 72.1 percent of their blocked shots and 98.4 percent of their 3-pointers.
  • This season’s team added the No. 2 recruiting class (ESPN) with three top-30 signees as well as Arkansas transfer Maryam Dauda.
  • In a poll of SEC and national media, South Carolina – for the fourth time in the last five seasons – was voted to repeat as SEC champion in the new expanded league. Senior Te-Hina Paopao was tapped with Preseason All-SEC First-Team honors. Fellow guards MiLaysia Fulwiley and Raven Johnson collected second-team recognition.

 

 

Exhibition Exception
Exhibitions between two NCAA Div. I teams are courtesy of an exception to the usual rule, which allows teams to play if raising money for a cause.

Today’s St. Jude® Tip Off Classic was organized by Complete Sports Management (CSM) and brought together basketball powerhouses in support of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital®. All four teams promoted donations to St. Jude® and proceeds from ticket sales go directly to support the life saving mission of the hospital, where no family receives a bill for treatment, travel, housing or food.

 

Serious Scheduling
South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has never been afraid to challenge her team to prepare it for the rigors of March and April. This season is no different.

The Gamecocks’ 30-game regular-season schedule includes 12 games against teams in the ESPN Way-Too-Early Top 25, including four against teams in the top five and four others against top-10 foes. Five of those 12 games are against non-conference opponents that are all in the top 10.

Over the last 10 seasons, South Carolina has played an average of 9.6 regular-season games against ranked foes.

Three teams matched this season for the high-water mark of 12 – 2019-20 (11-1), 2017-18 (6-6), 2015-16 (11-1). Each of those years four of the 12 games were non-conference matchups. The 2021-22 Gamecocks went a perfect 11-0 against their regular-season ranked opponents, including six such non-conference wins.

 

Newcomer News
South Carolina added four newcomers to this season’s roster, including redshirt-freshman Adhel Tac who was part of the Class of 2024 but enrolled in January while recovering from a season-ending injury. The trio of freshmen made up the No. 2 signing class in the nation according to ESPN, led by the class’ No. 3 player Joyce Edwards.

 

Everybody’s All-American
The Gamecocks’ 13-woman roster includes 10 McDonald’s All-Americans – Maryam Dauda, Joyce Edwards, Sania Feagin, MiLaysia Fulwiley, Bree Hall, Raven Johnson, Tessa Johnson, Maddy McDaniel, Te-Hina Paopao and Ashlyn Watkins.

At South Carolina, Staley has coached 26 McDonald’s All-Americans, including 20 who joined the Gamecocks as freshmen.

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