There is no offseason in women’s basketball. As soon as the WNBA season ends, it is time for college hoops to tip off.
This upcoming season is hotly anticipated given the star power in the NCAA women’s landscape. My father, Douglas Lundberg, took on a passion project of providing preseason rankings for the 2024-2025 campaign. Which I have prepared to unveil from 10-1, continuing with South Carolina.
2. South Carolina
Last year: 38-0, National Champions, defeated Iowa 87-75 in title game
Key returnees: Raven Johnson/5-9/G/Jr; Bree Hall/6-0/G/Sr; Ashlyn Watkins/6-3/F/Jr; Sania Feagin/6-3/F/Sr; Te-Hina Paopao/5-9/G/Gr; Tessa Johnson/6-0/G/So;
MiLaysia Fulwiley/5-10/G/So; Chloe Kitts/6-2/Jr.; Sakima Walker/6-5/C/Sr
Newcomers: Joyce Edwards/6-3/F/Fr; Maddy McDaniel/5-9/G/Fr; Adhel Tac/6-5/F/R-Fr; Maryam Dauda/6-4/F/Jr
The case for South Carolina:
The Gamecocks are the defending national champions. They return eight of their top nine players and add, among others, the Gatorade Player of the Year in Joyce Edwards. And they are coached by Dawn Staley, a proven winner.
This team is truly loaded at the guard position. Raven Johnson is a rugged floor leader. Paopao is a 47% 3-pt shooter. Hall is a defensive ace. Fulwiley is electrifying. And Tessa Johnson is a rising star.
There are more questions inside. They need to replace the interior scoring and defense that Kamilla Cardoso provided. Her presence helped the team improve its 3-point shooting dramatically last year.
This team is very used to a dominant post player with Aliyah Boston preceding Cardoso. So where will the interior scoring come from? Perhaps from Edwards, who averaged over 30 ppg her senior year and looked great in exhibition action. Or maybe from Samika Walker, who was the National Junior College Player of the Year.
Holdovers Feagin and Kitts will provide defense and rebounding. Watkins really emerged during the Gamecocks stretch run but is currently suspended indefinitely following an offseason arrest.
Dawn Staley has been to five Final Fours and now has two national championships and boasts an 80% winning percentage at South Carolina, as she is very adept at getting 5-star recruits to buy into her system. After 15 years at South Carolina she has established a dominant program.
What can go wrong:
Post play: As noted above, post play is a possible weakness unless one of the newcomers steps up. Will someone fill the void left by the departing stars inside?
Identity: This team is the classic sum of the parts situation. They come at you in waves. But it remains to be seen who will take over in crunch-time.
