Women’s Basketball Info to Know for 2025-26

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina women’s basketball officially opens its 2025-26 season on Mon.,  Nov. 3, and there are a number of things FAMS should mark on their calendars and look for as they follow the Gamecocks this season.

First, a reminder that FAMS can purchase a Fast Break Pass, which is an add-on to a game ticket that allows the holder to beat the lines at the door and the concessions stands by entering Colonial Life Arena 90 minutes before tipoff – a full 30 minutes before doors open for all other ticket holders. A full-season Fast Break Pass (16 games) is $125 or single-game passes will also be available at a price based on the cost of a ticket to that game. Season and single-game passes are now available at https://am.ticketmaster.com/gamecocks/wb26fast. Fans can also purchase single-game passes by using the QR code displayed outside the arena on game day.

Prior to tipoff at Monday’s season opener, the 2024-25 team will get their SEC Championships and NCAA Final Four rings in a ceremony that will begin at approximately 6:40 p.m.

Season ticket holders can mark their calendars for another season of Chalk Talks presented by Atkins Law. There will be five sessions this season, taking place in the Frank McGuire Club inside Colonial Life Arena with a maximum of 300 attendees. The following games will feature Chalk Talks 75 minutes before tipoff – Nov. 19 vs. Winthrop (7 p.m. tipoff), Dec. 28 vs. Providence (noon tipoff), Jan. 11 vs. Georgia (2 p.m. tipoff), Feb. 5 vs. Mississippi State (6:30 p.m. tipoff) and Feb. 22 vs. Ole Miss (noon tipoff).

South Carolina Athletics is providing free parking shuttle service for selected games this season – Nov. 11 vs. Clemson, Jan. 15 vs. Texas, Jan. 25 vs. Vanderbilt, Feb. 8 vs. Tennessee, Feb. 12 vs. Ole Miss and Feb. 26 vs. Missouri. Parking at Founders Park and riding the shuttle to and from Colonial Life Arena, which will run from three hours before tipoff through an hour after the end of the game, will be free.

Beyond the games, head coach Dawn Staley will be at Carolina Calls at Backstreets Grill four times this season – Nov. 6, Jan. 12, Feb. 9 and Mar. 10. Each show begins at 7 p.m.

Regular college women’s basketball fans may notice a few rule changes this season. The first is the SEC’s implementation of a timeout clock, which is located just below the shot clock on each backboard. Fans will see the clocks used at all timeouts and in the intermission before any overtime period to let fans in the arena know how much time is left before play resumes on the court.

Several NCAA rule changes are in effect this season as well. Some are cosmetic – like eliminating the requirement for game jerseys to be tucked into game shorts, and requiring that tights and knee/leg sleeves (anything below the waist) be the same color – while others improve the flow of the game – like setting the shot clock to 20 seconds when, following a dead ball, the offense is awarded the ball for a throw-in in their frontcourt.

The primary change fans may notice this season, though, is the addition of coaches’ appeals. Coaches can appeal four types of rulings in a game – an out-of-bounds violation by the official’ a backcourt violation; whether team control changed before a ruled foul only if it could affect the awarding of free throws; and where the foul was charged to the correct individual. The appeal may be made at any time during the contest, within the window for a proper appeal, and there is no limit on the number of appeals a coach may initiate. Unsuccessful appeals result in a charged timeout to the team. Teams may appeal even when they have no timeouts remaining; however, when a team with no timeouts remaining loses an appeal, they are assessed a technical foul for an excessive timeout (the penalty is two free throws, plus an awarded throw-inn to the offended team at the point of interruption.)

Stay tuned to GamecocksOnline.com and the team’s social media accounts (@GamecockWBB) for more information on the season ahead.