Gamecocks Atop Coaches Poll and SEC Coaches Vote

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Reigning National Champion South Carolina is atop the USA Today/Coaches Preseason Women’s Basketball Poll for the fourth time in the last five seasons. The Gamecocks were also picked to repeat as SEC Champions in a vote of the league’s coaches. Senior Te-Hina Paopao drew Preseason All-SEC First Team honors, while junior Raven Johnson and sophomore MiLaysia Fulwiley were picked for the second team.

The Gamecocks lost just one letterwinner from last season’s undefeated 2024 National Championship team, which was just the 10th team in NCAA history to complete that feat. South Carolina also added the program’s eighth SEC Regular-Season Championship and eighth SEC Tournament title as well. 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.

In addition to the returning group, the Gamecocks welcomed four newcomers to the team, 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, which includes the No. 3 signee in the class Joyce Edwards and the No. 14 player Maddy McDaniel, was rated the No. 2 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.

Paopao was the nation’s top 3-point percentage shooter last season who earned All-America honors and was an All-SEC Second Team selection as well. She averaged 11.0 points and 3.7 assists last season with those numbers rising to 12.6 points and 4.0 assists per game against ranked opponents. The Oregon transfer has drawn all-conference honors every year of her college career.

Johnson was second in the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio last season (3.09) and earned Second-Team All-SEC honors after ranking third in the league in assists per game (4.8) and eighth in steals per game (2.1). She scored a career-best 8.1 points per game, including 16 double-digit scoring games and handed out five or more assists 20 times in her 37 games.

Fulwiley burst onto the college scene with attention-grabbing moves in the season opener and steadily built her game throughout the season to land on the SEC All-Freshman Team. She was the Gamecocks’ top scorer 11 times last season, the second most on the team, as part of 23 double-figure scoring games, which included three 20-point outings. She finished with 11.7 points per game, which was second on the team, and grabbed SEC Tournament MVP honors after averaging 14.3 points at the event, including a 24-point outing in the title game.

The Gamecocks have won eight SEC regular-season titles over the last 11 seasons, including the last three, and have not been outside the top two in that stretch.  Head coach Dawn Staley is 199-55 in SEC play, including back-to-back undefeated seasons, with her .783 league winning percentage second only to Tennessee’s Pat Summitt (.874) in league history. Her 199 conference wins are the most among active league coaches and third all-time, trailing just Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Andy Landers (Georgia, 273) and Summitt (Tennessee, 306).

South Carolina hosts an exhibition game against Clayton State at Colonial Life Arena on Mon., Oct. 28 at 7 p.m., to which admission is free. The 2024-25 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.

2024-25 SEC Coaches Preseason Poll

Order of Finish
1. South Carolina
2. Texas
3. LSU
4. Oklahoma
5. Alabama
6. Ole Miss
7. Tennessee
8. Kentucky
9. Auburn
10. Mississippi State
11. Texas A&M
12. Vanderbilt
13. Georgia
14. Florida
15. Missouri
16. Arkansas

Preseason Player of the Year
Madison Booker, Texas

Preseason First Team All-SEC
Sarah Ashlee Barker, Alabama
Georgia Amoore, Kentucky
Flau’Jae Johnson, LSU
Aneesah Morrow, LSU
Madison Scott, Ole Miss
Raegan Beers, Oklahoma
Te-Hina Paopao, South Carolina
Madison Booker, Texas

Preseason Second Team All-SEC
Aaliyah Nye, Alabama
Mikaylah Williams, LSU
Jerkaila Jordan, Mississippi State
Skyler Vann, Oklahoma
MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina
Raven Johnson, South Carolina
Rori Harmon, Texas
Aicha Coulibaly, Texas A&M