South Carolina Season Prediction

For me, the November through January winter season is the worst part of the year. Whether it’s seasonal depression, finals, or the impending doom of second-semester junior year, the winter season can be particularly difficult. Maybe the worst part is seeing one of my favorite teams, the South Carolina Gamecocks, in their current roster situation. It seems like signing the nation's leading scorer, Ta’Niya Latson, could not fix their roster issues. What’s going on at Dawn’s Daycare? 

   During the off-season, three players, Bree Hall, Sania Faegin, Te-Hina Paopao from South Carolina’s women’s basketball team were drafted to the WNBA. This is a huge accomplishment for any player and organization, but an even bigger loss for Gamecock Nation. Whether it was Fagan's size, Hall’s lockdown defense, or Paopao’s limitless range beyond the arc, they contributed greatly to Coach Staley's program, additions that cannot be replaced by a single five-star player. Unfortunately, the team’s hardships did not end there. Both Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins announced their decision to redshirt for the 2025-26 season, and fan favorites MiLaysia Fulwiley and Sakima Walker transferred to LSU and UC Berkeley. 

   With this news, the Daycare was left without four of their former starters and several players who were expected to have a larger role off the bench this season. Don’t get me wrong, South Carolina has great players, like Raven Johnson and Joyce Edwards, who are capable of stepping up, but two players cannot carry an entire team. South Carolina’s system is typically known for their bench production, but this season has seen the rise of an inexperienced “bench five.”

   This bench is made of spectacular players; these five-star players could easily start at any other Power Four school. For example, last year’s All-SEC First Team forward, Edwards, led the Gamecocks in scoring and field-goal percentage while coming off the bench.

   In their current state, South Carolina will not have their “bench five” until their new European phenom, Alicia Tournebize, acclimates to their system and is ready to play. Due to these circumstances, Edwards is carrying a heavy load, averaging 20 points per game and playing 30 minutes each night, stats unheard of since A’ja Wilson’s National Championship run. 

   Because of their lack of depth and small upperclassman size of just five, I believe that when faced with veteran teams like UConn and UCLA, South Carolina will struggle. As of now, they are not a championship contender for me.