USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two

[JstVisiting]

I really hope Ashlyn Watkins is 100% by the end of the season. Not only is she by far our best matchup for Strong, but she might be the optimal combination of strength and quickness to defend her in the nation.

 

[Sifaka]

. I gueas you were referring to somewhere else.

Elongated muskrat's birdcage liner emporium.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Cardoso hid some shooting ills by cleaning up the glass so well

No, there weren't shooting ills last season (compare the 2023-24 shooting percentages of the five returning guards to their 2024-25 percentages. Only one guard's shooting percentages improved). I will agree that the higher percentages in 2023-24 had a lot to do with the amount of attention that Kamilla received (and her underrated ability to deliver the pass to her shooters).

 

[Gamecockfan77]

SC had a great season but things felt off compared to last year. Cardoso was no doubt missed as was Watkins after her injury, but the team just felt as though there wasn't the same chemistry wise or as efficient on offense. Cardoso hid some shooting ills by cleaning up the glass so well, but I expected a little more of a fight in the two UConn games that wasn't there. There will be a few roster spots to come open and I will be curious to see what happens portal wise. They are still the 2nd best program in the nation but will probably do some retooling.

They disappointed only compared to their lofty standards so it was a fine year overall and the team has nothing to be ashamed of.

Bottom line, the team just wasnt as good.

Probably not as tough either given they took three Ls worse than any they'd taken in many years.

Congrats to UConn they came off a shaky start to be ridiculously dominant at the end.

Strong was better as a freshman than I would have guessed and Fudd showed her initial potential.

I thought they'd struggle inside, but Strong being basically Morrow with an elite offensive game made that irrelevant.

 

[WBBTakeover]

To me, the issue this season is that the coaching staff apparently did not develop the players enough offensively to be able to function without a big like Kamilla. If you're running largely the same offense without a centerpiece big, then you have to rely more on the individual strengths of the guards. That's why I don't blame the players as much, as the staff (assistant coaches) could've done a better job of individual player development. You have to throw in more wrinkles in the same offense to get those players more comfortable shots, get players with the ball in their hands frequently scoring in rhythm (and not shooting out of necessity due to panic/scramble situations) by playing more uptempo and/or creating enough easy scoring opportunities due to increased space generation, overhaul the offense (momentarily) to take advantage of the current strength of the guards, or some combination of the three. They may not have to go through these great lengths next season (especially if Joyce (and maybe Lay) takes a huge jump and if the staff lands Ta'Niya Latson), but it was necessary for them to do so this season if they wanted to defend the title. That they were able to compete for a title with this many offensive woes is a testament to the coaching ability of Dawn Michelle Staley.

As an aside, I want to see more of Point Joyce next season. We were teased with that before the Michigan game and largely didn't see it until the Final Four game against Texas.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Just to clarify, I think SCar had an outstanding year and I think could have beaten anyone other than UConn in the final.

UCLA certainly would beg to differ. I'll concede that would have been tough, but SCar would have been better prepared, I think.

 

[TRest]

Milaysia getting humbled might be the best thing for her. I think the talent is there but maybe the discipline/focus isn’t. Getting embarrassed on a big stage like this might motivate her to put in a lot of work in the off season to improve her game.

I don't want to phrase this in a rude manner, but the commentators speak of her like she's some type of feral child. Is she going into her junior year?

 

[BRS24]

I don't want to phrase this in a rude manner, but the commentators speak of her like she's some type of feral child. Is she going into her junior year?

She's an incredibly creative player, has done things on the court that amazes folks, however she sometimes plays outside the lines in terms of what is expected in the team's system.

 

[HuskyNan]

Y'all. Let me tell you how much I appreciate the discourse between UConn and SC fans here in the BY, because lordy. There's a whole lotta mess on the bird site and it's ... stupid.

We’ve had a good, mutually respectful relationship with South Carolina fans since UConn & So Carolina played in the 2010 PapaJohn’s Bowl. So Carolina fans came to the Boneyard for some good natured trash talk then Clemson fans crashed the party and tried to make us turn on the Gamecocks. But we liked the So Carolina fans better than the “Taters” so we gave Clemson the heave-ho and a budding friendship was formed

 

[MSSportsGuy]

No, there weren't shooting ills last season (compare the 2023-24 shooting percentages of the five returning guards to their 2024-25 percentages. Only one guard's shooting percentages improved). I will agree that the higher percentages in 2023-24 had a lot to do with the amount of attention that Kamilla received (and her underrated ability to deliver the pass to her shooters).

I've not studied percentages but I saw enough of their games last season to where if someone was cold/off Cardoso was grabbing rebounds for putbacks or resetting the offense. It freed the shooters up significantly.

 

[USMC(ret)]

2024-25 Season Post-Mortem

I needed a day to let things sink in, but here's some thoughts on the Gamecocks' season:

1. First, congrats to UConn. They boatraced us not once, but twice, and the one in Columbia hurt worse because our fans had to witness it, and our home winning streak was busted. Not enough has been said about Geno's ability not only to recruit exceptional talent to UConn, but also to develop that talent. UConn finally got everybody healthy, and the final score on Sunday was no accident.
2. Everyone raves about our bench, and rightfully so, but we really needed more offensive production from our starting three guards. As someone already pointed out, we seemed to be running the "Cardoso offense", but we didn't have a genuine big as the foundation. Feagin overachieved, as did Kitts much of the time, but their best offense came when they were in motion. I cringed whenever we put the ball in down low, and either of them put the ball on the floor... usually resulted in them getting swarmed with no shot taken, or getting the shot blocked. If Feagin or Kitts had had Tac's body, it might have been different.
3. Also discussed by others: Fulwiley's development. An incredible talent, she is nonetheless overconfident in her ability, especially from beyond the arc. I thought her sophomore year would be different... it wasn't.
4. One thing was apparent in the final game: Joyce Edwards is a distant # 2 freshman talent to Sarah Strong's # 1. That said, I think Edwards will improve her already impressive game next year.
5. Defense carries our team, and whoever takes the place of our departing players will have to execute on defense. If not, no Final Four.
6. It will be interesting to see how much Dawn is willing to take from the portal. Dauda was the only addition a year ago, and she was (to me) a huge disappointment; however, that may have been due to the role she played at Arkansas (big guard?) versus the role she was asked to play on the Gamecocks' team (small big?). Color me suspect of bringing in a Latson-type talent... the chemistry may not be there.
7. I hope we stop letting bigs bring the ball up the floor, and for goodness sake we need to learn how to inbound the ball against a press.
8. Finally, I hope Raven will return. If she does, she will be the undisputed leader in the locker room, and we'll need one.
YMMV... Forever to thee.

 

[HuskyNan]

2024-25 Season Post-Mortem

I needed a day to let things sink in, but here's some thoughts on the Gamecocks' season:

1. First, congrats to UConn. They boatraced us not once, but twice, and the one in Columbia hurt worse because our fans had to witness it, and our home winning streak was busted. Not enough has been said about Geno's ability not only to recruit exceptional talent to UConn, but also to develop that talent. UConn finally got everybody healthy, and the final score on Sunday was no accident.
2. Everyone raves about our bench, and rightfully so, but we really needed more offensive production from our starting three guards. As someone already pointed out, we seemed to be running the "Cardoso offense", but we didn't have a genuine big as the foundation. Feagin overachieved, as did Kitts much of the time, but their best offense came when they were in motion. I cringed whenever we put the ball in down low, and either of them put the ball on the floor... usually resulted in them getting swarmed with no shot taken, or getting the shot blocked. If Feagin or Kitts had had Tac's body, it might have been different.
3. Also discussed by others: Fulwiley's development. An incredible talent, she is nonetheless overconfident in her ability, especially from beyond the arc. I thought her sophomore year would be different... it wasn't.
4. One thing was apparent in the final game: Joyce Edwards is a distant # 2 freshman talent to Sarah Strong's # 1. That said, I think Edwards will improve her already impressive game next year.
5. Defense carries our team, and whoever takes the place of our departing players will have to execute on defense. If not, no Final Four.
6. It will be interesting to see how much Dawn is willing to take from the portal. Dauda was the only addition a year ago, and she was (to me) a huge disappointment; however, that may have been due to the role she played at Arkansas (big guard?) versus the role she was asked to play on the Gamecocks' team (small big?). Color me suspect of bringing in a Latson-type talent... the chemistry may not be there.
7. I hope we stop letting bigs bring the ball up the floor, and for goodness sake we need to learn how to inbound the ball against a press.
8. Finally, I hope Raven will return. If she does, she will be the undisputed leader in the locker room, and we'll need one.
YMMV... Forever to thee.

I wouldn’t be too hard on Edwards - she’s a terrific talent. She might have been suffering from nervousness - as Sarah was early on - but you guys don’t have an Azzi or Paige to cover for her until she could find her composure. Freshmen can get sped up under those circumstances and start trying too hard.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I've not studied percentages but I saw enough of their games last season to where if someone was cold/off Cardoso was grabbing rebounds for putbacks or resetting the offense. It freed the shooters up significantly.

That's true, but they rarely had nights like that during the 2023-24 season. Those kind of ice-cold shooting nights came far more frequently this past season. They didn't rush as many shots in 2023-24 as they did in 2024-25. Players like Breezy and Raven (and, if we're being perfectly honest, Te-Hina) were taking rhythm shots and knocking them down at a good clip. This season, those shots were rushed/hurried and simply didn't fall as often as they needed to.

I do agree with the premise that having a player like Kamilla (elite rebounder and finisher inside) put the shooters at ease, however.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Not the way any of us wanted the season to end but we just lost to a better team. Hell of a follow-up season for us. Both SEC crowns, Final Four, and five wins in the tournament. We did it all except win the grand prize.

I’m grateful for our seniors but look forward to seeing an offense run through Raven/Tessa/Fulwiley/Kitts/Joyce.

Thank you Sania and Breezy for all you have to our program. We’ll miss you greatly and you should be proud of all you’ve accomplished.

UCONN has an amazing team and they deserved to win. They'll continue to be great next season.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

We’ve had a good, mutually respectful relationship with South Carolina fans since UConn & So Carolina played in the 2010 PapaJohn’s Bowl. So Carolina fans came to the Boneyard for some good natured trash talk then Clemson fans crashed the party and tried to make us turn on the Gamecocks. But we liked the So Carolina fans better than the “Taters” so we gave Clemson the heave-ho and a budding friendship was formed

I'm moving to NYC, when I retire and I will certainly enjoy seeing you guys play during your semi-annual game in the Big Apple.

 

[VAUConnFan]

From the first game to the last, this South Carolina team has been a total enigma. With pretty much the entire national championship roster returning, they should have been as dominant throughout the season as the end of season Huskies, and should not have been as offensively challenged. The year to year improvement necessary to repeat as national champions was rarely evident. It would have taken a performance not heretofore seen this year for South Carolina to even make the game competitive, much less beat UConn.

UConn, on the other hand, exploded after the Tennessee loss; the result, IMO, of the third wheel, the Tournament MOP, gaining confidence in her surgically repaired spokes. The explosion was as obvious as an erupting volcano. Their dominance the most impressive in the 42 year history of NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament. More impressive than any of the previous 11 UConn national championships because they totally dominated the top two overall seeds. If their two game Final Four margin of victory did not set a new record, my 70 year old memory is failing me.

1. Congratulations to Paige Bueckers. A championship is not something someone necessarily deserves, but given her talent, I am awfully glad she got one. Heckuva ballplayer.
2. Sarah Strong - incredible. She joins an exclusive list of ballplayers of whom greatness was predicted upon first seeing them touch the ball at the college level. Even rarer are those who dominate at both ends of the floor. I hope that her 24 points and 15 rebounds are Final Four records for a freshman.
3. One cannot help but feel really bad for Raven Johnson. Maybe a Jalen Hurts type career reboot is in her future. I will be rooting for her.
4. It is incredible that Coach Auriemma has been around long enough and has been successful long enough to coach against Dawn Staley the player in a Final Four and coach against Coach Staley in multiple Final Fours.
5. From a WBB growth standpoint, I wish that UCLA and South Carolina could have figured out a way to make the games more competitive.

 

[Puppy Love]

3. Also discussed by others: Fulwiley's development. An incredible talent, she is nonetheless overconfident in her ability, especially from beyond the arc. I thought her sophomore year would be different... it wasn't.

I really like her play. Yes, she’s probably a little out of control at times, but you can just see that she’s oozing talent. SC just needs to find a way to use her that works. I almost think she needs to start, because it seems like it takes her a bit to get going. I know, hard to start her when she isn’t delivering, but it seems like chance worth taking.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

South Carolina lost its best player in Cardoso and played most of the season without Watkins.

It's not really the same team at all.

 

[JDuro]

Saw it in Raven’s stories so I assume it is legit.

 

[triaddukefan]

I was taking it easy on y'all..... after y'all embarrassed the Carolinas again Sunday..... but now... I can't be sympathetic any longer..... greedy fowl

 

[JDuro]

 

[bballnut90]

Glad to see she's returning, I'm not sure what it is about her, but she's just so easy to root for. Hoping she has a great senior year.

 

[Huskie837]

Latson to SC...Dawn is smiling now

 

[JDuro]

Gettin’ all Peaches & Herb up in here.

 

[oldude]

Going to be interesting to see Dawn adjust her system to accommodate a high volume scorer and vice versa.