The coming battle for the National Championship

[SCspur]

I'm not as optimistic about the freshmen as you seem to be. But I agree that Taniya adds something that was missing and could be a difference maker. She's a better all-around scorer than Paopao was and a quicker defender. I also think the loss of Ashlyn midseason was critical, and her return will be equally critical, if she can finish her rehab and get back up to speed early enough. Without her in the lineup, Chloe was forced to take on rebounding and rim protection roles that stretched her capabilities too far, in my opinion. She just isn't strong enough or quick enough to replace Ashlyn. And I don't think Agot or Ayla will be ready for that challenge. I like the look of Maddie, but I suspect she's still a year away from being an adequate replacement for Raven. And though Tessa was my favorite recruit in that class, and seemed like an absolute steal to me at the time, I'm not sure she's developed as much as Dawn needed to see last season. I'm cautiously optimistic about her for next season. And I worry about the loss of Bree as much as that of Saniya -- those were two quick, strong athletes to lose and there doesn't seem to be any clear replacements for them.

In my view, the core of the team will be Raven Taniya Ashlyn Joyce and some platoon of the other bigs (Maryam, Okot, Adhel) at the 5, with Chloe Tessa and Maddie coming off the bench. I'll be surprised if the rotation in February is much different that this, barring injury. This is the group that will carry SC into the tournament.

Ayla and Agot are guards. Neither one will likely have to replace Chloe or Ashlyn in the lineup. Both will be at the 2 or 3 position and by all accounts look ready for the College game. Neither will probably start but to say they can’t provide minutes off the bench is a bit disingenuous. I think those two as well as Maddie will provide good depth at the guard spots behind Raven, Tessa, and Ta’Niya. Tessa still has plenty of room to grow with two years left. She’s far from her potential and as someone stated above, with her Boyfriend gone she can focus and play her game this year.

Breezy’s defense and athleticism will certainly be missed but SC has athletes and potential defenders to replace her. They’re also better bucket getters as well.

I don’t see the rotation playing out that way. Especially with the need of shooting. Joyce will probably get some time at the 3 but I don’t see her playing there primarily and Watkins will likely come off the bench as a defensive spark versus being a starter. Chloe will start. She might not play starter minutes but she will definitely be out there to start the game. Agot and Ayla’s shooting, defense, length and overall intangibles will get them minutes. And Maddie will certainly get a lot of time after Raven considering she’ll be running point the year after.

 

[YKCornelius]

Hmmmm.....the theme of the Gamecocks losing junior Ashley Watkins halfway through the season, and the speculation of how her subsequent absence impacted both blowout losses to the Huskies, has been raised by quite a few posters. It is an interesting conversation. It goes hand in hand with the hopeful, positive speculation that SC fans have regarding Ashlyn's productivity going into next year.

However, while I appreciate the optimism of Gamecock posters regarding Ashlyn Watkins going into her senior year, I do not share in that optimism. Over 14 games this past year she averaged only 7.2 ppg and 6.1 rpg as the second or third big coming off the bench. Both were lower than than the previous year (9.2 and 7.4, respectively) while playing alongside Cardoso. With Cardoso gone, wouldn't it make sense for Watkins' averages to go up, not down?

Ashlyn has proven to be a defensive presence. but has not yet proven to be an offensive threat.

Watkins is undeniably athletic and certainly changes the SC flow when she is in the game. Well, so was and so did Fulwiley.

I think SC is an outstanding program, and next year's team should be favorites for the SEC crown, and therefore a favorite for a number one seed in the NCAAT, and for making it to the FF. That said, for the Gamecocks to improve as a team from this past year, Watkins is going to have to make significant improvement offensively. SC lost over 30 ppg to departing players. Ashlyn's three year average of 7.3 ppg, while taking 5-6 FGA, and a 54.7% FT percentage simply won't suffice.

Heading into her final year, hopefully she is putting in a lot of summer work in order to get much, much better. Not just for Gamecock Nation. The 2026 WNBA draft is less than 11 months away.

 

[SCspur]

Sleeping on this team? You do realize that ESPN picked SC as the preseason #1 team in the country?

You do know there’s other outlets and pundits than ESPN right? Also fans of Tennessee, Texas, LSU, and even some of you all expect us to be weaker next year, so yes a lot of people are sleeping on this team.

 

[BobbyJ]

Ayla and Agot are guards. Neither one will likely have to replace Chloe or Ashlyn in the lineup. Both will be at the 2 or 3 position and by all accounts look ready for the College game. Neither will probably start but to say they can’t provide minutes off the bench is a bit disingenuous. I think those two as well as Maddie will provide good depth at the guard spots behind Raven, Tessa, and Ta’Niya. Tessa still has plenty of room to grow with two years left. She’s far from her potential and as someone stated above, with her Boyfriend gone she can focus and play her game this year.

Breezy’s defense and athleticism will certainly be missed but SC has athletes and potential defenders to replace her. They’re also better bucket getters as well.

I don’t see the rotation playing out that way. Especially with the need of shooting. Joyce will probably get some time at the 3 but I don’t see her playing there primarily and Watkins will likely come off the bench as a defensive spark versus being a starter. Chloe will start. She might not play starter minutes but she will definitely be out there to start the game. Agot and Ayla’s shooting, defense, length and overall intangibles will get them minutes. And Maddie will certainly get a lot of time after Raven considering she’ll be running point the year after.

I agree on Hall but I think Staley recruited her replacement. I don't believe either Makeer or McDowell handle the ball well enough yet to play guard. And I don't think Makeer understands or plays defense well enough and lacks enough strength for Staley to play her rotation minutes at this point. However, McDowell is a 6-2 classic wing who shoots and rebounds well enough to absorb the bulk of Hall's minutes very early in the season.

 

[PacoSwede]

....
On the other side, you have Geno and a number of coaches who realized that low scoring, grind it out games, where teams are separated by a few points, are inherently risky to play over and over. As a result, Geno did more than any other coach to pioneer sophisticated offensive basketball that includes heavy reliance on up tempo transition, spreading the floor and a motion offense. Other coaches like MM, Niele Ivy, Lindsay Gottlieb and even Kim Mulkey have embraced high scoring, motion offenses.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that either philosophy is right or wrong.

yup.

however, i believe geno had more than that guiding his philosophy. he knew that his way was more entertaining for the fans. that is a key to him; he sees storrs as the Broadway of college basket and the huskies must put on a great show. it is important.

also, it makes for a more fun game for his players ('play smart, play hard, and have fun' has long been the motto posted in the locker room). it helps them have the realistic, right approach to the sport -- easing the pressure to win and always perform at their best. ... clearly, some players (all?) struggle dealing well with that and thus underperform.

 

[ERWUC65]

Respectfully not true-Adhel Tac is 6ft6 and just as athletic as Okot

Respectfully neither has a resume and Tac coming off an injury.

 

[oldude]

You do know there’s other outlets and pundits than ESPN right? Also fans of Tennessee, Texas, LSU, and even some of you all expect us to be weaker next year, so yes a lot of people are sleeping on this team.

Has any outlet rated SC any lower than 3? Because outside of UConn & UCLA, I would be fascinated to see the rationale behind any other team ahead of the Gamecocks.

As for fans of TN, TX & LSU, what would you expect them to say? As for me personally, I don’t expect SC to be weaker next year. I do expect the Huskies to be stronger however.

 

[cancontent]

I've theorized that the SEC paradym is defense and get to the rim and it has deeply affected what Dawn goes looking for. Pesky highly savy guards just aren't in her vocabulary of ball.

Alisha Gray and Ty Harris may disagree with you on this point.

 

[Huskee11]

Think the best thing that happen to Tessa is that the BF transferred to Memphis

Who knew? Not me, but a big shout out to Tessa's BF for helping UConn get number 12. Thanks, dude.

We will take the help wherever we can get it.

Begs the question of exactly why getting BF out of town is a good thing, but ok.

I like her as a player, lots of length, does everything well, I can see her playing for a long time in the WNBA.

 

[SCspur]

I agree on Hall but I think Staley recruited her replacement. I don't believe either Makeer or McDowell handle the ball well enough yet to play guard. And I don't think Makeer understands or plays defense well enough and lacks enough strength for Staley to play her rotation minutes at this point. However, McDowell is a 6-2 classic wing who shoots and rebounds well enough to absorb the bulk of Hall's minutes very early in the season.

Don’t think they will have to handle the ball all that much with Johnson, McDaniel, and Latson likely on the court either them. I think defense can be taught and strength definitely can be added. Agot coming off a PCL injury likely won’t be thrust into heavy action early but she’ll definitely be a key rotational piece. Dawn helped turned PaoPao defense around, Agot already has the intangibles so I think she’ll be fine.

 

[ctfjr]

Yawn. . . Dreamers all in Palmetto country

 

[Cuango]

I share the same level of optimism as most of you as far as UConn's chances to repeat with what they are returning and what they picked up. However, it seems a lot of us are overlooking the impact that the loss of Ashlyn Watkins had on SC last year in terms of shot-blocking and rim protection and she'll be back next season. She was money in their 2024 championship run and if she can get back to close to 100% in 2026 that's not an addition for them to be taken lightly.
Also, I can't help but flash back to how UConn beat Mississippi State 98-38 in 2016 and managed to lose to them in 2017. Teams that UConn blew out (i.e., UCLA and SC) in 2025 will have a huge chip on their shoulder and it can't be taken for granted that what happened last year will automatically happen again this year.

I agree that last year’s results have no bearing on the coming year’s games and if they did, you’d have say advantage SC, UCLA, and Oklahoma. Having said that though, I just do not think that advantage, assuming it exists, is going to be enough. In other words, I just see our team as being the best team in the country as things stand now! Could things change? Sure! We’ve been down that road before (for four long years) and I’m pretty sure all UConn fans are fully aware of how quickly and ruthlessly it can all be taken away. However, based on a fully healthy roster, I’m not afraid/ashamed to say that I think we have the best team in all of women’s basketball.

 

[Charliebball]

South Carolina finally has a consistent scorer in Latson, and their frontcourt will be formidable.........I assume the NC will be won by either South Carolina, UConn, UCLA, LSU, Texas or perhaps Oklahoma.......I can't think of any other teams that are on par with these programs....

 

[Woof 101]

One little thing about this year's championship game. When Dawn wasn't hopping up and down, or screaming bomb, did she call a time out?

I could be wrong, I was once but I think she left three on the table. Not good for a coach at any level. With all due respect she was completely out of sorts and control. She took the part of one to bitch and complain about her players rather than coach them.
While a great overall record, it was a sad day in the legacy of Dawns coaching carrier.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Alisha Gray and Ty Harris may disagree with you on this point.

How'd that work out? Alisha Gray plays for Atlanta I think. Ty Harris for the Sun? Fulwiley had a team leading four assists as she makes some spectacular moves but is hardly team oriented and is someone elses problem now. For those two guards of the past, even a blind squirrel finds a chestnut now and then. It's not a guard oriented offense and even Dawn, marvelous recruiter that she is, just does not see the best guard prospects. My chief point is she's not losing any sleep over it. This from an All Star guard. May the blind spot remain hers.

 

[cancontent]

How'd that work out? Alisha Gray plays for Atlanta I think. Ty Harris for the Sun? Fulwiley had a team leading four assists as she makes some spectacular moves but is hardly team oriented and is someone elses problem now. For those two guards of the past, even a blind squirrel finds a chestnut now and then. It's not a guard oriented offense and even Dawn, marvelous recruiter that she is, just does not see the best guard prospects. My chief point is she's not losing any sleep over it. This from an All Star guard. May the blind spot remain hers.

If you're going to list her resume don't gloss over her other accomplishments like her Olympic medals, All-star nods and All-Star Skills and 3 point shooting awards. Those indicate she's a "pesky savy guard" to me, which was the point I was replying to.

The fact Coach Staley's offence isn't guard oriented is irrelevant in my opinion. Obviously Staley did something right for Gray to be at the level she is currently.

 

[Bone Dog]

There have been great guards at SC. Even recently, Raven is a good example, and Tessa could be another, depending on how she develops next season. But Dawn seems to focus more on bigger, more muscular players. I guess there’s something natural (or ironic, or both) in one of the great guards being so good at recruiting and coaching bigs, more so than littles.

 

[BobbyJ]

How'd that work out? Alisha Gray plays for Atlanta I think. Ty Harris for the Sun? Fulwiley had a team leading four assists as she makes some spectacular moves but is hardly team oriented and is someone elses problem now. For those two guards of the past, even a blind squirrel finds a chestnut now and then. It's not a guard oriented offense and even Dawn, marvelous recruiter that she is, just does not see the best guard prospects. My chief point is she's not losing any sleep over it. This from an All Star guard. May the blind spot remain hers.

To claim that Gray, Harris, Henderson, and Cooke were not "pesky savvy" guards means that you had no idea what you were watching. All were lead guards on NC teams and Henderson flat killed UConn in the 2022 NC game. Staley "sees" all the best guards in the country (Bueckers was her top priority) just like Auriemma "sees" all the best bigs. They just don't get them all.

 

[Just.A.Fan]

If you're going to list her resume don't gloss over her other accomplishments like her Olympic medals, All-star nods and All-Star Skills and 3 point shooting awards. Those indicate she's a "pesky savy guard" to me, which was the point I was replying to.

The fact Coach Staley's offence isn't guard oriented is irrelevant in my opinion. Obviously Staley did something right for Gray to be at the level she is currently.

Additionally, using the team a player plays for as a put down, is completely irrelevant since pro players do not have a transfer portal and therefore have no useful ability to control what team holds their contract.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

If you're going to list her resume don't gloss over her other accomplishments like her Olympic medals, All-star nods and All-Star Skills and 3 point shooting awards. Those indicate she's a "pesky savy guard" to me, which was the point I was replying to.

The fact Coach Staley's offence isn't guard oriented is irrelevant in my opinion. Obviously Staley did something right for Gray to be at the level she is currently.

Yes Dawn was all of those things making her not valuing the guard game all the more puzzling.

For the first time in my experience on the Board a sentence was dropped. After Fulwiley I said 5 other players had 1 assist each. 9 assists in a National championship game. The blind squirrel was a reference to the 5 players. As far as Gray, the exception can prove the rule.

 

[visitingcock]

Yes Dawn was all of those things making her not valuing the guard game all the more puzzling.

For the first time in my experience on the Board a sentence was dropped. After Fulwiley I said 5 other players had 1 assist each. 9 assists in a National championship game. The blind squirrel was a reference to the 5 players. As far as Gray, the exception can prove the rule.

We get it.
The third most accomplished coach in the game at this time is a crap coach in your opinion who has only :

• made11 straights sweet 16s ( not counting a 32-1 season (w 5 wins over top 8 teams without a tournament)
• made 5 straight Final Fours (among 7 total) during that 11 game stretch
• won 3 championships and one runnerup during that 11 game stretch.

She'll be a hell of a coach if she can ever coach a guard.

And with that, I'm outta' this thread (which is kinda turning into a bad/defend Dawn topic) before @HuskyNan boots me.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

We get it.
The third most accomplished coach in the game at this time is a crap coach in your opinion who has only :

• made11 straights sweet 16s ( not counting a 32-1 season (w 5 wins over top 8 teams) without a tournament)
• made 5 straight Final Fours (among 7 total) during that 11 game stretch
• won 3 championships and one runnerup during that 11 game stretch.

She'll be a hell of a coach if she can ever coach a guard.

And with that, I'm outta' this thread before @HuskyNan boots me.

You misunderstand me on this but I appreciate your accuracy and your loyalty. No, I believe she obviously is a coach with a gift for connecting with her player the gift that first manifests itself in her superior recruiting talents. She and Mulkey both. But the game she coaches is pretty one dimensional and it is the superior talent she recruits in that system than keeps her afloat near the top of the game. There isn't anyone with a knowledge of the game who would say she has a balanced offense with any emphasis on guard play. The dominant Big or 2 and she's a winner 'cuz it's what she knows. A health talented guard oriented team will carve her up when she doesn't have truly dominant bigs.

I'm done with this. I hate arguing on the Board. This is my happy place.

 

[mhshuskies]

Just an addendum to what I said above. Most of us, and especially me, are focusing our hopes on Blanca among the new kids and for good reason. But wouldn’t it be amazing if Kelis surprised us all by proving herself ready for D1 competition on day one? I mean, we have a pretty good idea what Azzi KK Ash and Kayleigh will bring. And Kelis is still a mystery, as most freshmen are before they’ve had a chance to show what they’ve got.

And in the same vein, I’m not expecting great things from Gandy. But her raw athleticism could well provoke all the front court players to up their games. If she pressures all of them to play their best in practice, that could be wonderful.

There have only been a handful of freshmen that have had very significant contributions so I would not put great expectations on any of the three. I would expect more impact from all the other twelve, with the caveat of those returning from injury, than any of the freshmen.

 

[Geew1992]

There have been great guards at SC. Even recently, Raven is a good example, and Tessa could be another, depending on how she develops next season. But Dawn seems to focus more on bigger, more muscular players. I guess there’s something natural (or ironic, or both) in one of the great guards being so good at recruiting and coaching bigs, more so than littles.

Raven??? Not with that offensive game

 

[Cuango]

To be fair, very few people would call Raven a “great guard.”