Gamecocks vs. Tar Heels in Top-15 Exhibition Thursday

COLUMBIA, SC – No. 2/2 South Carolina women’s basketball will play its final exhibition game of the season, traveling to Atlanta for the Bad Boy Mowers Series – Atlanta to face No. 11/11 North Carolina on Thu., Oct. 30, at 6 p.m. Fans can follow the game on 98.5 FM WOMG.

GAMECOCK NOTABLES

• South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley is entering her 26th season as a head coach and her 18th leading the Gamecocks. She has led South Carolina to eight 30-win seasons since 2015-16, including at least 35 wins in each of the last four seasons. In the last three seasons, the Gamecocks are 109-5 with two of their three national championships coming in that span and SEC Regular-Season and Tournament championships each season.

• The Gamecocks are facing another NCAA Div. I opponent in an exhibition game for the third straight season, but this is their first such meeting against another ranked opponent. South Carolina is 2-0 in its previous Div. I exhibition games (Rutgers, 10/22/23; Memphis, 10/15/24). In the Dawn Staley era of playing colleges in exhibition games, South Carolina is 17-0, including last week’s 112-31 win over Anderson to open this season.

• South Carolina’s 2025-26 schedule includes 10 games against teams ranked in the preseason national polls. Three of those games are in non-conference action, and six of the 10 are against other preseason top-10 opponents..

• The Gamecocks open the 2025-26 seasons ranked No. 2 in both national polls.  They have been ranked in the AP top three 134 times in the Dawn Staley era, including 56 of the last 62 polls.

• South Carolina is well represented in the Naismith Hall of Fame position award watch lists coming out this week. With a different position released each day this week, Gamecocks already announced are Raven Johnson (Nancy Lieberman Point Guard), Ta’Niya Latson (Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard) and Maryam Dauda (Cheryl Miller Small Forward). The Katrina McClain Power Forward and Lisa Leslie Center Award watchlists will be announced on Thursday and Friday. Gamecocks have a strong history with this award, claiming five Lisa Leslie Awards (A’ja Wilson,  2018; Aliyah Boston, 2020-23) and one Ann Meyers Drysdale Award(Zia Cooke, 2023).

• Gamecock newcomers had strong debuts in the team’s first exhibition game. In the commanding win over Anderson, Madina Okot posted 17 points, 15 rebounds and six blocks. Freshman Agot Makeer poured in 16 points on 5-of-9 shooting to go with five steals, and Ta’Niya Latson added 14 points.

• Following her honorable mention All-America freshman season, Joyce Edwards had a busy off-season with multiple international assignments as she represented USA Basketball at the FIBA 3×3 Nations League Americas Conference 2 after helping the U.S. to gold at the FIBA AmeriCup. She unofficially opened her sophomore season with a box score stuffing effort against Anderson with 27 points, including a pair of 3s, eight rebounds, three assists and three steals.

• Atlanta native and senior point guard Raven Johnson is the team’s veteran leader after leading South Carolina to the Final Four every year of her career, which also includes two National Championships, four SEC regular-season titles and three SEC Tournament crowns. She is among the program’s top 10 with 410 career assists.

• ESPN rated Ta’Niya Latson the most impactful transfer heading into the 2025-26 season. The nation’s leading scorer last season at 25.2 points per game, the Florida State transfer chose to join the Gamecocks because of Staley’s proven ability to prepare player for the WNBA by expanding their game beyond their comfort level.