Women's Hoops in Another Top-10 Game Sunday

COLUMBIA, S.C. – No. 3/4 South Carolina travels to Fort Worth, Texas, for a neutral site game against #9/13 TCU Sunday night on ESPN2.

Gamecock Notables

• Head coach Dawn Staley has always liked challenging her team throughout the season, and this year’s schedule shows that in spades. South Carolina’s 14 games against teams ranked this week or at the time of the game represent just shy of half the schedule, and seven of those games are against non-conference opponents.

• The Gamecocks have shaken off the talk about slow starts. Over the last three games, including two against ranked opponents, they have led their opponent by at least 11 points after the opening quarter.

• South Carolina averages 44.7 points in the paint per game, outscoring its opponents by 22.0 points per game in that space. The defense has allowed opponents to shoot just 39.2 percent in the paint this season.

• The Gamecock bench accounts for 49.2 percent of the offense (39.4 ppg). The reserves have tied or out-scored their starting teammates in five games, including the last three games against ranked opponents.

• With a renewed offensive focus on getting the ball inside, Gamecock forwards are the team’s top three scorers over the last three games – Chloe Kitts (13.0), Joyce Edwards (10.0) and Sania Feagin (9.3) – with another coming in fifth (Ashlyn Watkins, 8.3).

• Junior Chloe Kitts averaged 16.5 points over the last two games, during which she shot 81.3 percent (13-of-16). Against #8/9 Duke (Dec. 5), she scored seven of her nine fourth-quarter points in the final seven minutes after the Blue Devils pulled within eight. Kitts is 10th in the SEC in rebounding as well (8.38 rpg).

• Freshman Maddy McDaniel is the NCAA leader in assist-to-turnover ratio with her 7.33 mark. That number, like most of her stats, shot up over the last three games (which included a pair of ranked opponents) with her nine assists and one turnover in the stretch. She has added 7.0 points per game in that time on 71.4 percent shooting.

• Freshman Joyce Edwards is similarly finding her footing, leading the Gamecocks on the glass over the last three games at 7.3 per game. Her contributions have come in all parts of the game in the recent stretch with her team-high nine steals and 10.7 points per game (second on the team).

By the Numbers

4 – Tonight’s game is the Gamecocks’ fourth against a ranked team in the last 15 days.

+8.3 – South Carolina has out-scored its opponents in the second quarter by an average of 8.3 points – their best margin of any quarter.

9 – Over the last three games, nine Gamecocks average at least 7.0 points, including three who average at least 9.0.

The TCU Series
This marks the first game between the two programs.

Road Ready
The Gamecocks are 312-262 (.545) all-time in road games (some records prior to 1976-77 did not include location of games), including a 137-46 mark (.749) under head coach Dawn Staley, giving her the best road winning percentage in program history.

The Gamecocks’ program-record 33-game road win streak (Jan. 6, 2022 – Nov. 20, 2024) is the third-longest in NCAA Div. I history.

All About Balance
Like last season, South Carolina’s greatest asset is its depth. Returning nine of 11 letterwinners from last season’s undefeated National Championship team, the 2024-25 roster features six Gamecocks who averaged at least 18.0 minutes and scored at least 8.1 points per game last season.

This season, 10 Gamecocks have played at least 15.0 minutes per game. Six average at least 7.0 point,s and four have grabbed at least 4.0 rebounds per game. Ten Gamecocks have scored in double figures at least once, including eight who have done it at least twice, and five have led the team in scoring at least once.

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 signed as freshmen.