Reigning Champs Open Title Defense Monday

LAS VEGAS, NEV. –No. 1/1 South Carolina officially opens its 2024-25 national title defense on Mon., Nov. 4 , against Michigan as part of the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas.

Gamecock Notables

• South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is entering her 25th season as a head coach and her 17th leading the Gamecocks. She has guided South Carolina to seven 30-win seasons since 2015-16, including the last three seasons capped by the 2023-24 undefeated run to the National Championship. The Gamecocks are 109-3 over the last three seasons.

• Staley and Michigan head coach Kim Barnes Arico are facing each other for the first time as head coaches, but they are connected through USA Basketball. Barnes Arico was an assistant on Staley’s staff that led the U.S. to gold medals in the 2014 FIBA U18 AmeriCup and the 2015 FIBA U19 World Cup.

• The Gamecocks’ 2024-25 schedule includes 12 games against teams ranked in the preseason national polls. Five of those games are in non-conference action against teams in the top 11.

• 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.

• Returning nine of the 11 players from last season’s team, 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.

• Senior Te-Hina Paopao is back for her fifth college season aiming to build on her 2023-24 campaign that included leading the nation in 3-point shooting percentage (.468).

• Junior Raven Johnson is among the top point guards in the nation, ranking second in the nation last season with a 3.09 assist-to-turnover ratio, which included 4.8 assists per game.

• Three Gamecocks were named to the Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List – MiLaysia Fulwiley, Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao.

• Sophomore guard MiLaysia Fulwiley is the Gamecocks’ top returning scorer after averaging 11.7 points last season.

• This season’s team added the No. 2 recruiting class (ESPN) with three top-30 signees – No. 3 Joyce Edwards, No. 12 Maddy McDaniel, No. 26 Adhel Tac – as well as Arkansas transfer Maryam Dauda.

• SEC coaches and media picked the Gamecocks to repeat as league champions this season. It marks the fourth time in the last five years South Carolina was predicted to claim the SEC title.

By the Numbers
3 – The Gamecocks have won three National Championships in the last seven NCAA Tournaments.

4 – South Carolina enters this season ranked No. 1 in both polls for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

7 –Seven Gamecocks were on the watch lists of for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Starting 5.

The Michigan Series
The Gamecocks and Wolverines have played three times prior to tonight with South Carolina claiming all three games by an average of 15.7 points. The most recent meeting was in December 1995.

Season Openers
South Carolina is 14-2 in season openers under head coach Dawn Staley with the two losses coming in her first three seasons at the helm. Five of those 16 season openers were against ranked opponents.

The Gamecocks are opening the season with a neutral game for the second year in a row. Last season’s historic college basketball debut in Paris saw #6/4 South Carolina top #10/10 Notre Dame 100-71 on Nov. 6.

Exhibition Action
For the first time in program history, South Carolina played two exhibition games this season, defeating Memphis 106-63 (Oct. 15) and Clayton State 126-42 (Oct. 28). The Gamecocks shot over 50.0 percent from the field in both.

Freshman Joyce Edwards posted a double-double in each, averaging 19.5 points and 11.5 rebounds to lead the team in both categories.

First Watch
Seven Gamecocks were named to the preseason watch lists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Starting Five, including three who were also named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Trophy Women’s Player of the Year Watch List presented by Axia Time.

Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao were on the lists for both the Naismith Trophy and the Nancy Lieberman Award, which recognizes the top point guard in the nation. MiLaysia Fulwiley joined them on the Naismith Trophy list while also appearing on the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award list for the nation’s top shooting guards.

Bree Hall joined Fulwiley on the preseason list of the Ann Meyers Drysdale Award. Maryam Dauda was among the 20 on the Cheryl Miller Award (small forward), and Sania Feagin earned a spot on the Katrina McClain Award (power forward) list. Sakima Walker rounded out the positional honors with a spot on the Lisa Leslie Award (center) watch list, continuing a long line of Gamecocks on that award’s watch lists.