AP Preseason Poll Ranks Gamecocks No. 1

COLUMBIA, S.C. – For the fourth time in the last five seasons, South Carolina women’s basketball enters the season at No. 1 in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25. The reigning National Champions went wire-to-wire as AP No. 1 in 2021-22 and 2022-23, and they returned to that spot in the first week of the 2023-24 season, staying there throughout their undefeated march to the 2024 national title.

In all, South Carolinas has been ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll 84 times, the third-most entries of any program in the history of the poll, all under head coach Dawn Staley. The Gamecocks first reached the pinnacle of the poll on Nov. 24, 2014, staying there for 12 weeks. Staley’s program returned to the top spot in Week 11 of the 2019-20 season and held the spot until the abrupt end to the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020-21 season saw South Carolina headline the poll three times, including its first preseason No. 1 position. The Gamecocks opened the 2021-22 season and No. 1 and held the spot for 38 straight weeks through the end of the 2022-23 campaign, which marked the second-longest streak in the poll’s history.

“We knew we’d have a target on our back this season as the reigning champions, and this preseason ranking just confirms that,” Staley said. “We appreciate the recognition, but I know that our coaching staff and our team are more focused on what we see in the gym every day. And that’s every player working extremely hard to get better individually and as a team.”

Staley returns nine letterwinners from last season’s historic title team that also added the program’s eighth SEC Regular-Season Championship and eighth SEC Tournament title. South Carolina led the nation in scoring defense, scoring margin and blocked shots per game, setting program records for scoring average, scoring margin, field goals made, 3-point field goals made, defensive rebounds and assists.

The returning group includes four seniors and three juniors along with impact sophomores MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson. The veteran group includes three All-SEC selections from last season, headlined by All-American Te-Hina Paopao, who led the nation in 3-pointn percentage last season, and Raven Johnson, who ranked second in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio. Paopao, Johnson and Fulwiley all picked up Preseason All-SEC honors from the media earlier this week.

Staley also added four newcomers to the team, three of which will bolster the front line that lost WNBA No. 3 draft pick Kamilla Cardoso. The trio of freshmen – the No. 3 signee in the class, forward Joyce Edwards, the No. 14 player in guard Maddy McDaniel, and the No. 28 player in forward Adhel Tac –was rated the No. 2 signing class in the nation by ESPN. South Carolina also added Arkansas transfer Maryam Dauda, who led the SEC in blocks per league game last season.

South Carolina unofficially tips off its 2024-25 season tonight, with an exhibition game against Memphis as part of the inaugural Hoops for St. Jude^® Tip Off Classic (9:30 PM ET, ESPN+). The Gamecocks will also host an exhibition game at Colonial Life Arena on Mon., Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., to which admission is free. The season officially gets underway on Mon., Nov. 4, in the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas against Michigan.

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.